when and how?

tommyboy26

just wondering how and when you skin and gut the rabbits you shoot?

cookimonster

The When:

Rabbits must be gutted as soon as possible and then they can be hung skin on in a cool environment (ideally <5oC) for several days. They can be skinned and stored in a fridge on trays for a few days to age but insure there is no build up of juices under the carcass as this can taint or discolour the meat. Young animals require less hanging /ageing then older ones.

Prior to use some people soak them in salted water (8-24hrs), this will leach out any blood and keep the flesh white and may serve to firm up the meat. This is not essential but at the same time has no negative effect on the quality of the meat.
The meat will freeze well but is prone to freezer burn if not wrapped properly. Ideally only freeze after the meat has being hung or aged for a few days to ensure it is tender to eat other wise the meat will go into the freezer tough and come out tough.The meat can be eaten very quicly after the animal dies but once rigor mortis sets in it is best to let it take its natural course and then give it a day or more to ensure tenderness

The How, can be found on YouTube, a picture paints a thousand words.
Having said that in the last two years I have gone to the 'push gut' method on rifle shot rabbits and when the time comes, peeling the pelt from the saddle outwards. When push gutting (not recommended for gut shot) remember to remove the anal passage before 'hanging'

aaakev

I usually push gut rabbirs straight away and skin them the following day

tommyboy26

does push gutting remove everything?

German pointer

Not every time but it's a great way to do it in the field as it reduces the blood in the bag and makes for cleaner handling

dodderangler

German pointer wrote: »

Not every time but it's a great way to do it in the field as it reduces the blood in the bag and makes for cleaner handling

True but make a balls of it and intestines burst and make a mess inside.
I just make a slit in stomach and pull open and one quick shake and it's all out

garrettod

The push gut method is preferable, but I've always felt that you needed to have great strength in your hands, to do it correctly.

Having said that, I've just watched a couple of YouTube clips and found I may have been making life a little hard for myself, trying to keep a tight grip and "draging" my hand down from the rib cage to the back legs in one constant movement, when a tight one hand grip over the other (then repeat) seems to work nicely, from what I can see on some of the YouTube clips.

cookimonster

If the rabbit is big, just knick the pelt above the groin and the guts will be forced out this way.
I use the hand over hand method, starting around the rib and work downwards. Push gutting will leave the pluck (heart, lungs, thorax) this is not a problem as you will get the same thing with slaughtered farmed rabbits sold onto the trade.
If you don't use the push method make sure you empty the bladder as this will make things easier and cleaner at a latter stages.

Snakezilla

Id love to be able to do the push gutting. Its never worked for me I could never get the hang of it
I stick with the old fashioned way and slit them down the middle to gut them straight away then skin them when I get home.

tommyboy26

dodderangler wrote: »

True but make a balls of it and intestines burst and make a mess inside.

thats why i have never tried it

aaakev

tommyboy26 wrote: »

thats why i have never tried it

Have never had it happen to me and iv probably done it hundreds of times. It gets easier the more you do it and figure it out then it takes little effort

dodderangler

It's easy with a young grazer but a big hefty buck rabbit or a pregnant female it's quite difficult. So I stopped doing it. Takes nothing to do a slit down the middle and quick shake and that's that. But a was said if your used to it then your sorted

MrTom1

I did push the gut always but when my father wanted a few rabbits he ate me alive and said the meat was bruised because of it ? Didnt know that made a difference

FISMA.

tommyboy26 wrote: »

just wondering how and when you skin and gut the rabbits you shoot?

I gut them right away and skin them when I get home.

I often push-gut. The coccyx area always seems to want to cut my finger when gutting. Push gutting can be a bit trickier. However, I do like the fact that there is no open cavity. Thus, minimizing the possibility of contamination.

aaakev

MrTom1 wrote: »

I did push the gut always but when my father wanted a few rabbits he ate me alive and said the meat was bruised because of it ? Didnt know that made a difference

Push gutting doesn't bruse the meat even slightly, not sure how you were doing it but you must have been doing it wrong?

https://youtu.be/WK78UrGmHzc

MrTom1

aaakev wrote: »

Push gutting doesn't bruse the meat even slightly, not sure how you were doing it but you must have been doing it wrong?

https://youtu.be/WK78UrGmHzc

must be will do a few this weekend and see, may its the ol man being a pain in the :pac: