rabbits in Australia

gringojosh · January 7, 2012, 09:18 AM

Has anyone on this board shot rabbits in Australia? I was wondering about it since the country is supposedly overrun with them. Are they worth eating?

warbirdlover · January 7, 2012, 04:27 PM

Rabbits are good eating if you cook 'em right! Ever heard of hasenpfeffer?

http://www.cookadvice.com/recipes/ra...799-recipe.htm

Shotgun693 · January 7, 2012, 06:13 PM

I honestly don't know what their Winters are like. If they get some good freezing weather then rabbits ought to be right to eat.

warbirdlover · January 7, 2012, 11:52 PM

I'm used to eating rabbits hunted during the cold Wisconsin winters. Does that make a difference as far as flavor or toughness?

Art Eatman · January 8, 2012, 12:14 AM

Cold weather rabbits are less likely to have "rabbit fever" -- tularemia.

warbirdlover · January 8, 2012, 11:25 AM

Ah, can that be transmitted to humans? Never mind, just checked. It can be transmitted during handling but not through eating if the meat is cooked good. I might never eat a rabbit again!

Jo6pak · January 8, 2012, 12:19 PM

In 25 years of bunny hunting in WI, I have found that rabbits shot later in the season, when the temps are colder, do taste better. Not really sure if it's a subjective thing.

I would assume that rabbits down under would have a better chance of having worms and such as the temperatures remain warmer year around.

As for tularemia... I define "rabbit fever" as the uncontrollable urge to get up early on a frigid morning, leaving the warmth of a comfy bed, to tromp up and down hills through thick brush in the hopes of getting a shot at a long-eared rodent.

homesick · January 9, 2012, 02:55 PM

I have eaten many rabbit cotton tail and only one jack rabbit as it was tough as tacks. My gramma used to say if I shoot it I had to eat it which we did for the most part till one day I shot a skunk, that ended that. Thats been 50 plus years ago.
I also remember some years back I lived in So. Dak. and the jack rabbits were at their 7 year high cycle. It was unreal how many rabbits there were. The farmers/ranchers were loosing crops/trees(shelter belts) to rabbits. I remember driving into a farmers yard and asking if he had a rabbit problem. He looked at us and said the snow is to deep to drive back there with your Scout I'll get the tractor and give you a ride. The 2nd thing he asked was how many shells ya got. Our answer was about 100 rds each, his comment was well thats a start. I recall riding down that shelter belt with a picked corn field on one side, a pasture one other and seeing hundreds of rabbits. Well we shot for about an hour and ran out of ammo walked back to the farm and was asked how we did. We had shot probably 75 to 100 rabbits, and the farmers comment was well thats a lot better then the last guys that were here. We had several calls from other farmers in that area asking us to trim down the their rabbit population which we did. We even had one guy offer to buy our ammo if we would just come out an shoot rabbits. I can see why Australia is concerned about their rabbit problem if they are as bad as S.D.
was.

homesick · January 9, 2012, 03:21 PM

I have eaten many rabbit cotton tail and only one jack rabbit as it was tough as tacks. My gramma used to say if I shoot it I had to eat it which we did for the most part till one day I shot a skunk, that ended that. Thats been 50 plus years ago.
I also remember some years back I lived in So. Dak. and the jack rabbits were at their 7 year high cycle. It was unreal how many rabbits there were. The farmers/ranchers were loosing crops/trees(shelter belts) to rabbits. I remember driving into a farmers yard and asking if he had a rabbit problem. He looked at us and said the snow is to deep to drive back there with your Scout I'll get the tractor and give you a ride. The 2nd thing he asked was how many shells ya got. Our answer was about 100 rds each, his comment was well thats a start. I recall riding down that shelter belt with a picked corn field on one side, a pasture one other and seeing hundreds of rabbits. Well we shot for about an hour and ran out of ammo walked back to the farm and was asked how we did. We had shot probably 75 to 100 rabbits, and the farmers comment was well thats a lot better then the last guys that were here. We had several calls from other farmers in that area asking us to trim down the their rabbit population which we did. We even had one guy offer to buy our ammo if we would just come out an shoot rabbits. I can see why Australia is concerned about their rabbit problem if they are as bad as S.D.
was.

BikerRN · January 10, 2012, 02:36 AM

The last time I was down under I went 'roo and rabbit shooting.

It was summertime there and no "rabbit fever" to be found. In fact they were quite delicious.

Biker

langenc · January 10, 2012, 10:29 AM

phil mcwilliam · January 12, 2012, 10:02 PM

I've shot hundreds, if not thousands of wild rabbit here in Australia. The wild rabbit in Australia is classed as a pest & must be legally controlled on privately owned farms & ranches. The Australian wild rabbit descended from the European wild rabbit, which was released in Australia for early settlers to hunt as a food source.
The Australian government has released 2 diseases specifically to try & control rabbit numbers. Myxomatosis is spread by mosquitos & was released in the 1950's. Calicivirus is spread by fleas/ flies & was released in the 1990's. Both viruses proved initially to be effective, but the rabbits soon built up some immunity.
Whilst rabbits with Myxomatosis or Calicivirus should not be eaten, rabbits unaffected by the disease are fine to eat. Some people find the rabbits a bit strong in flavor so they soak overnight in either milk, or a dilute vinegar/water mix, but others will cook & eat the rabbits as is.
My best tally for a weekends rabbit shooting was 98, & they were all shot with a .22 lr while out walking, not using a spotlight.

farmerboy · January 12, 2012, 10:05 PM

Australia is to dog gone far for me to go shoot a rabbit. To many round east Texas

January 7, 2012, 09:18 AM	#1
gringojosh Member Join Date: December 1, 2011 Posts: 42	rabbits in Australia Has anyone on this board shot rabbits in Australia? I was wondering about it since the country is supposedly overrun with them. Are they worth eating?

January 8, 2012, 12:19 PM	#7
Jo6pak Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: West Coast...of WI Posts: 1,663	In 25 years of bunny hunting in WI, I have found that rabbits shot later in the season, when the temps are colder, do taste better. Not really sure if it's a subjective thing. I would assume that rabbits down under would have a better chance of having worms and such as the temperatures remain warmer year around. As for tularemia... I define "rabbit fever" as the uncontrollable urge to get up early on a frigid morning, leaving the warmth of a comfy bed, to tromp up and down hills through thick brush in the hopes of getting a shot at a long-eared rodent. __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF contributor.

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January 7, 2012, 04:27 PM	#2
warbirdlover Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2009 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 2,324	Rabbits are good eating if you cook 'em right! Ever heard of hasenpfeffer? http://www.cookadvice.com/recipes/ra...799-recipe.htm

January 7, 2012, 06:13 PM	#3
Shotgun693 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2011 Location: Poteet, Texas Posts: 959	I honestly don't know what their Winters are like. If they get some good freezing weather then rabbits ought to be right to eat.

January 7, 2012, 11:52 PM	#4
warbirdlover Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2009 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 2,324	I'm used to eating rabbits hunted during the cold Wisconsin winters. Does that make a difference as far as flavor or toughness?

January 8, 2012, 12:14 AM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Cold weather rabbits are less likely to have "rabbit fever" -- tularemia.

January 8, 2012, 11:25 AM	#6
warbirdlover Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2009 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 2,324	Ah, can that be transmitted to humans? Never mind, just checked. It can be transmitted during handling but not through eating if the meat is cooked good. I might never eat a rabbit again!

January 9, 2012, 02:55 PM	#8
homesick Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: Central Florida Posts: 378	I have eaten many rabbit cotton tail and only one jack rabbit as it was tough as tacks. My gramma used to say if I shoot it I had to eat it which we did for the most part till one day I shot a skunk, that ended that. Thats been 50 plus years ago. I also remember some years back I lived in So. Dak. and the jack rabbits were at their 7 year high cycle. It was unreal how many rabbits there were. The farmers/ranchers were loosing crops/trees(shelter belts) to rabbits. I remember driving into a farmers yard and asking if he had a rabbit problem. He looked at us and said the snow is to deep to drive back there with your Scout I'll get the tractor and give you a ride. The 2nd thing he asked was how many shells ya got. Our answer was about 100 rds each, his comment was well thats a start. I recall riding down that shelter belt with a picked corn field on one side, a pasture one other and seeing hundreds of rabbits. Well we shot for about an hour and ran out of ammo walked back to the farm and was asked how we did. We had shot probably 75 to 100 rabbits, and the farmers comment was well thats a lot better then the last guys that were here. We had several calls from other farmers in that area asking us to trim down the their rabbit population which we did. We even had one guy offer to buy our ammo if we would just come out an shoot rabbits. I can see why Australia is concerned about their rabbit problem if they are as bad as S.D. was.

January 9, 2012, 03:21 PM	#9
homesick Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: Central Florida Posts: 378	I have eaten many rabbit cotton tail and only one jack rabbit as it was tough as tacks. My gramma used to say if I shoot it I had to eat it which we did for the most part till one day I shot a skunk, that ended that. Thats been 50 plus years ago. I also remember some years back I lived in So. Dak. and the jack rabbits were at their 7 year high cycle. It was unreal how many rabbits there were. The farmers/ranchers were loosing crops/trees(shelter belts) to rabbits. I remember driving into a farmers yard and asking if he had a rabbit problem. He looked at us and said the snow is to deep to drive back there with your Scout I'll get the tractor and give you a ride. The 2nd thing he asked was how many shells ya got. Our answer was about 100 rds each, his comment was well thats a start. I recall riding down that shelter belt with a picked corn field on one side, a pasture one other and seeing hundreds of rabbits. Well we shot for about an hour and ran out of ammo walked back to the farm and was asked how we did. We had shot probably 75 to 100 rabbits, and the farmers comment was well thats a lot better then the last guys that were here. We had several calls from other farmers in that area asking us to trim down the their rabbit population which we did. We even had one guy offer to buy our ammo if we would just come out an shoot rabbits. I can see why Australia is concerned about their rabbit problem if they are as bad as S.D. was.

January 10, 2012, 02:36 AM	#10
BikerRN Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2007 Location: "State of Discombobulation" Posts: 1,333	The last time I was down under I went 'roo and rabbit shooting. It was summertime there and no "rabbit fever" to be found. In fact they were quite delicious. Biker

January 10, 2012, 10:29 AM	#11
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551

January 12, 2012, 10:02 PM	#12
phil mcwilliam Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2007 Posts: 573	I've shot hundreds, if not thousands of wild rabbit here in Australia. The wild rabbit in Australia is classed as a pest & must be legally controlled on privately owned farms & ranches. The Australian wild rabbit descended from the European wild rabbit, which was released in Australia for early settlers to hunt as a food source. The Australian government has released 2 diseases specifically to try & control rabbit numbers. Myxomatosis is spread by mosquitos & was released in the 1950's. Calicivirus is spread by fleas/ flies & was released in the 1990's. Both viruses proved initially to be effective, but the rabbits soon built up some immunity. Whilst rabbits with Myxomatosis or Calicivirus should not be eaten, rabbits unaffected by the disease are fine to eat. Some people find the rabbits a bit strong in flavor so they soak overnight in either milk, or a dilute vinegar/water mix, but others will cook & eat the rabbits as is. My best tally for a weekends rabbit shooting was 98, & they were all shot with a .22 lr while out walking, not using a spotlight.

January 12, 2012, 10:05 PM	#13
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	Australia is to dog gone far for me to go shoot a rabbit. To many round east Texas