Been wallaby hunting.

[Roy]

I grew up in MI, and I have a great aunt there that says its her favorite food. I may have eaten it when I was younger, but can't remember if I did.

 

[shmrck1]

Paul,
Back 30/35 years ago when I was shooting
C/F(22-250 exclusively) I was a groundhogs
worse dream to 300 yards.Had a friend at that
time that could do it to 400+ with the same
22-250 cal. I always thought it was because back
then I was using a $200 scope and he was using
a lot better one. Anyway he ended up with the
kills( mine and his). I don't know if he cooked
them up or sold the hides,I just know all I did
was harvest them.
I have hunted these doggies with both my
.32.... .36 & .45 to 75 yards with
PRB with
some success.(not great but).
I have never tasted groundhog, but have
had muskrat and racoon. It don't taste like chicken but is edible if prepared properly.IMO
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Thanks for the advice. I know that raccoon tastes okay, because I know other people who have eaten it, and on repeated occasions.

On ground hog, the young ones are the most tender, but if you grind the meat for sausage, it really doesn't matter. The hide, I am told, is a strong hide to use for possible bags, or ball bags, etc. The large ones are even used for moccasins, particularly for winter mocs, with the fur left on and on the inside. I have talked to one man who made lacing from the hide, and preferred to anything that comes from cattle skins. Hunting Ground hogs, with a pistol, or muzzle loading rifle, and crawling to within 50-75 yds, or closer, is a real challenge, and makes this a great way to practice being quiet, and stalking long before deer season comes along. It also allows you to scout deer country, as ground hogs like to den along railroad embankments, and on the raised ground surrounding farm fields.

 

[sprucefly]

I just got back from a tour of Australia and NZ. I got to meet Jeff when I was in Christchurch. He was nice enough to take my wife and I on a night tour (after meeting his family) of the hills above Christchurch and let us look at the lights.

While in Australia I ate a lot of roo. Also had camel, beef, emu, and croc. The roo was really excellent and was far better than the other species although none were bad. All the roo was wild meat havested by cullers who sell the meat to butchers. I ate it every time it was on the menu.

While in NZ I ate a lot of sheep and venison. They farm a lot of red deer and elk over there. The venison was excellent as was the lamb. I never did get use to hearing elk bugling in March!

From the End of the Road in Alaska.

 

[Slake]

Porcupine is the sweestest of meats...delicious little soft pig that it is....I was taught not to kill 'em, then for if'n yer lost in the woods it is the porcupine ye shall end up eatin...if not ever lost in the woods I'd know not how it tastes

 

[paulvallandigham]

I wondered about the taste or porcupine. They, like beaver, only feed on bark, and they limit themselves to pine family bark at that. We don't have porcupines native in Illinois. In fact, you have to travel North of Green Bay, Wisconsin to get into their habitat. I guess that first syllable of its name should have been a clue that it may just taste like pork!

Thanks for the info.

 

[gmww]

My interest in how a Porcupine was peaked a couple of years ago. While hunting in Texas, my daughter shot her first animal. It was a porcupine. The rancher considered them pest. The rancher asked that if my daughter shot it that it would not go to waist. Beings it was her first animal we chose to have it stuffed instead of eating it. It now sits proudly on my daughters book case. If we have chance again, we will certainly test out the table fair! :hmm:

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I wondered about the taste or porcupine. They, like beaver, only feed on bark, and they limit themselves to pine family bark at that. We don't have porcupines native in Illinois. In fact, you have to travel North of Green Bay, Wisconsin to get into their habitat. I guess that first syllable of its name should have been a clue that it may just taste like pork!

Thanks for the info.

My grandfather always said never kill porkies for no good reason because if you are lost and starving the are easy to kill and are greasy and hold a lot of fat and protine.
I have never had to eat one " knock on wood " but now that I live out here in CO I have seen some " hog porkies" way bigger than back east. maby this fall I will test out the tast of one

 

[shmrck1]

What about oppossum(sp?)? If there is a critter
that lives that I loath more than them I have
not come accross it yet. But I know of folks that
eat them... :nono: :nono: :nono: Not this guy.
Most likely from a childhood experience...Out
rabbit hunting with my dad and brother, I was
maybe 13/14 years old. Came accross a dead horse
in a field, actually smelled it before we saw it.
Anyhow as we approached it a whole family of
them critters, gripe and 4 little ones, went
strolling out of the belly of that horse. Hence
my loathing of them. My brother actually thought
they had killed the horse. He is not a big fan
of them horse killers either.
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[Smokey in Oz]

Snake-eyes,
"My brother actually thought
they had killed the horse."

Haaa, Haa, Ha, good one! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

:grin: Smokey.

 

[roo shooter]

Very pleased to hear that you liked the kangaroo,I like to bone out the back straps and eat as steak and cook the legs in the camp oven.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If mom and a litter of pups walked out of the horse carcass, it is only because she was looking for a larger home to keep them in. Porcupines eat pine bark, only. They are not carnivores, or scavengers.

 

[sledgemeister]

Time to fess up.......I have yet to try wallaby meat. Cos they are pests we have this mind set that you don't eat them.

I swear next time I will and report in.

cheers

J

WUSS!! :rotf:
To answer the question about what a wallably tastes like, there is different opinions, it depends mostly, as one would guess, on what they have been feeding on. Here in Tassie if wallabies have been feeding on mostly grass then the taste is like that of lamb (cook the same way, best is roasted or grilling the back straps, dont over cook it though), infact once cooked and served its near impossible to tell the difference. If one the other hand its been dry weather and not much grass about and they have been foraging chewing on wattle trees and gum tree shoots they taste very gamey, bloody horrible. the only use for them is dog tucker.
Wallabies make very good patties for the BBQ and I have submitted a recipee to cookie (hint jeff!!).
Now time for the Official Apology to Jeff and other NZ'ers. We (australia) are sorry to have introduced the Brush Tail Possum and the Wallaby to your fair shores, but in all fairness you sent over russell crow!
Oh Wallaby has no harmful fats or chloesterol, is much better for you than lamb, beef, pork etc!

 

[JeffinNZ]

Well NOW I have to try wallaby meat. :rotf:

Thanks for the apologises but really no need for the wobblies. Hell, they are the most hunting fun you can have and for foreign visitors the biggest mouse they will ever see. :rotf: :rotf:

I have a man coming down from Alaska next year to come hunting them with me.

cheers

J

 

[sledgemeister]

I suppose you have to huh.
With the advent of the current gunlaws and the tree lickers, a lot of people that hunted wallabys do not do so no more as a result the farmers have started to use 1080 to poison them as they are eating them out of house and home. Part of the condition on the land I shoot on is I shoot a wallaby every now and then. I went down there today and driving out about 3.30 4pm the bloody things where jumping every where, AFTER we put our rifles away. We stopped up the road loaded up and walked back down the track and saw 1, and that was briefly grrrrr. Big suckers too 2 of them was about 4-5ft tall.
We are going down on monday early am to see if we cant say gday how ya going, by the way this is my rifle. Only thing I mangaged to knock off today was some damn feral cat who ran accross the road infront of it.
awwww i tawt i saw a puddy splat oops.

 

[Roy]

If mom and a litter of pups walked out of the horse carcass, it is only because she was looking for a larger home to keep them in. Porcupines eat pine bark, only. They are not carnivores, or scavengers.

snake-eyes was talking about opossum not porcupines. The opossum is a carnivore, scavanger and opportunist.

 

[paulvallandigham]

OOPS! You are right. I misread the post. Opossum are definetly carnivorous, and scavangers. They aren't going to kill a horse, mind you, but they certainly will take advantage of the free eats. I am told they are good eating, but have not yet had the pleasure. Hope to find someone who knows how to cook them, and will let me stand by in their kitchen while they prepare it. Every cook has his own ideas about seasoning, and taste, but I would like to try someone's favorite 'Possum recipe before venturing out on my own. I have killed enough stuff trying to cook it when I didn't know how to properly prepare something.

 

[Roy]

I know people who have eaten opossum, but they all had said they feed it corn meal for a number of days before they butcher it. I'd be hard pressed to eat one of those vermin.

 

[Wolfbane]

Looks like we will have to emigrate to NZ to reverse the balance hey sledge? I could handle hunting that country if the views are like that! No snakes to worry about either.

 

[sledgemeister]

Hey I never thought about the lack of snakes, nothing like finding a 6" tiger snake slithering around ya feet.
They still have auto's over there too hmm
where did i bury that pvc pipe now?