Me and Statler "have at" the rampant little bastids in the off-season. We have a cluster of Eastern Cottontails here on the Island that are scheduled.
There's no closed season on them, and no bag limit.
If I don't keep the fur, we'll just grasp the hide at the back of the neck, holding the bunny's head with the off hand. A sharp tug and the fur rips. Just continue pulling...it all comes off like a t-shirt.
One slice up the belly, from cinch bone to throat, a quick spin, and the innards fly off into the rhubarb. Be careful if it's the first time you try the spin method...you might end up with offal all over you..and that'd be awful...
Nip off feet and head, and we're ready for the pot.
Now them Jackrabbits...they'd be a might bigger...I don't think this would work for them. Do you guys eat Jackrabbits?
Here's the neatest way of gutting a rabbit ever! I showed this to my father-in-law who's been hunting and trapping for 35 years and he'd never seen it!
Hold the bunny head towards you with your hands squeezing under it's armpits as high up the chest as you can get. Squeeze tightly (as if you were choking a tree hugger! lol) and work your hands down the body until they slip over the bottom of the ribcage. (Don't let the pressure off as you come off the ribs.)
Now comes the fun part!
Stand with your feet slightly apart and bend slightly at the knees. Bring the bunny up over your head, and swing down sharply, striking your forearms just above your knees. 99% of the guts will come flying out it's a$$ and hit the ground!
I origially heard about this from a friend who read it in a 1930's or 40's Farmers Almanac. He read it and didn't believe it so he gave it a try. He told me and I didn't believe it 'till I tried it! Hot damn if'n it didn't work! Give it a whack!
Now THAT, N-W-R, sounds like a neat trick! I'm lookin' forward to the off-season just to try this out....
Is the point of squeezing the bugger to pulpify his innards? Just wondering, 'cause I'd be squeezing a tree hugger's neck pretty hard....
You're not 'pulping' the innards, just squishing them all down to one end and putting them under pressure!
And make sure no one you like is standing in front of you! Once I guess I squeezed a little too hard, and on the down-swing the guts flew out before my arms hit my thighs and went splat all over the F-I-L's truck! lol!