The spoils of trapping!

[ouchfoss]

This will be my first full season of trapping and after a couple weeks of specifically going after water furbearers Ive got a few beaver and muskrat and I have to say that they are both very good to eat! Had a dinner tonight of three muskrat that were flowered, fried and then baked for an hour and they were very tasty. They kinda taste like well done duck. Cant wait to check my traps tomorrow!

[sebek556]

  that's pretty hardcore man... muskrat.. lets break that word down..
musk 1.substance secreted in a glandular sac under the skin of the abdomen of the male musk deer, having a strong odor, and used in perfumery.
2. an artificial imitation of the substance.
3. similar secretion of other animals, as the civet, muskrat, and otter.
4. the odor of musk or some similar odor.
5. Botany . any of several plants, as the monkey flower, having a musky fragrance.
rat.. well everyone know that.
So your eating stinky rat 

[ouchfoss]

 

They actually arent that smelly or "musky" at all.
The castor glands on a beaver though can make the meat totally unedible.
I popped the glands open on my first beaver this year and it got all over the meat and I was thinking that I could just give it good rinse and soak it in cold water for a few days and it would be fine. Wrong!  I cooked it up and it was horrible smelling and tasting and I ended up tossing the whole thing out to the dogs. On my second beaver I made sure and carefully cut out the glands first without popping them and that turned out to be a far better tasting animal. Kinda like deer.

[sebek556]

  oh yah a poped beaver castor gland is stinky, actualy have one in my father in-laws freezer that way right now. Gonna use it for bobcat bait had a old timer tell me that was prime, so figured I would give it a try. 

[Song Dog]

Muskrat AKA Marsh Rabbit are very clean animals, vegetarians and they are good eating.  Back when I was trapping I used to eat them along with Nutria, and beaver.

[3nails]

 I think I just made a grave mistake by having my wife look at this. She's all about it now and I don't know how I'm getting out of this. 

[quadrafire]

I've skinned a kagillion of those things and it never crossed my mind to eat one. Had a friend that would take the beaver carcasses to eat.

However looking at that baking dish makes me want to try them. Looks alot like squirrel and I have eaten a bunch of them.

[Special T]

opossum is a fine meal as well. I only take the legs front and rear, there is no real reason to gut them... that is a stinky job.

[pianoman9701]

Muskrat AKA Marsh Rabbit are very clean animals, vegetarians and they are good eating.  Back when I was trapping I used to eat them along with Nutria, and beaver.

Make sure all of these are well cooked. They not only carry salmonella but trichinosis. You don't want trichinosis.

[whtelk]

Ever try Nutria?

[ouchfoss]

I've never tried nutria. We dont really have them locally but if I ever catch one I will definitely give one a try.

[Humptulips]

How are you going to get enough bait to trap cats if you keep eating it all?

[lokidog]

I don't know, "overcooked duck" isn't all that tasty.     I'd try one though.  I've wanted to try guinea pig too.

How are you going to get enough bait to trap cats if you keep eating it all?

 

[Northway]

Anybody here try cooking beaver in a stew? If so, what ingredients did you use and how did it turn out?

[yakimarcher]

Your a brave man!