The rabbit I got yesterday I got in daylight; I've never shot a rabbit in the day before - I've only ever got them when I'd camped in ambush as dusk turned into dark - and one or two things struck me. The first one is wildlife-related: rabbits, I discover, have got fleas! I've never noticed them when I'd been gutting rabbits in the field after dark, but in broad, bright daylight the rabbit I approached with my knife revealed a lively colony of the little jumping critters all keen to leave the warm ship that had borne them up till now. Oh, gawd, I thought, this is it: back to being a damn vegetarian or getting meat from Tesco's in pink, plastic packages. In the end, though, I flicked a few away with the blade of my knife and waited a while until the majority of the rest had hopped off before I quelled my yucks and set to work gutting the rabbit.
The next thing that struck me was - ach! - guts in daylight! Once again, I'd never really noticed them, I've only ever flung them away at night - but now I could see what was there and - oh dear - it's pretty awful!
Since I've started shooting, I've tended to sneer at buying meat in supermarkets: Pah! I'd exclaim, It's all alienated! It divorces you from the reality of how animals move from the field to your plate!
Sometimes, though - like in broad daylight with a freshly-killed rabbit in front of you - the attractions of the alienated supermarket can begin to seem rather more obvious.
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I'll bet it tasted good though?
ReplyDeleteI've only killed and skinned one rabbit myself (when I was a nipper...also co-incidentally shot in daylight with a Weihrauch) and I know exactly what you mean.
I think that when you get used to it it will become routine.
It tasted very good indeed, actually! One of the best so far. Thanks for your kind comment.
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I see you have left the fur on and gutted them from the belly. That way there's always the danger of cutting the pelt too deep and puncturing the gut and YUK YUK YUK. If you do not want to keep the pelt try putting a small slit in the back and just pulling the skin off. then you can gut very easily. See YouTube .'The skinning of a rabbilt' by somebody called 00009999 or something like that. I've tried it and it works. I always use rubber gloves. Saves cleaning that blood out of your fingernails. Oh, and I squeeze the bladder area so that it doesn't pee on me.
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