What do you do with killed small game?

Question

I am 13 and just got done with Hunters Safety. I live in Wisconsin. They just did not cover what you do with your small game after you shot it. I know what to do with killed deer but not small game and I plan small game hunting. I understand that you can eat some small game like squirrel but not all. Like what do you do with a killed coyote or other small game? So what do you do with killed small game? Thanks!

Answer 1

Birds are easy - the breast meat is usually the only part removed and it can be cooked like any chicken dish or receipe.

Squirrel and rabbits - the front and rear little quarters are taken apart much the same way a chicken is taken apart.  These do well for stews and BBQ.  Normally the the meat off the back, ribs and legs is put into a plastic bag and frozen until you have enough to make a full meal out of.

Coyote, fox etc you want the hide for a wall hanging or save up the hides to make hats from.  The skuls are boiled in salt water to remove the meat, then left in a mix of water and bleach - makes a nice trophy for you nick nack shelf.  You do not want to eat the meat - however - it can be boiled and used as dog food no problem, or, kept and used on your trap line.

What you need is a 'Small Game Cookbook'.  This will tell you everything you need to know - especially what animals to take and how to properly care for the meat after it has been shot.  

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Well you can sell the coyote to a fur trader, or if they are thick in Wisconsin like they are here in Missouri, you coul dalso leave em lay after you kill em. Now I realize some people will find that distasteful but the fact is, Im not eating a dog and if the hide is bad its best to just thin em out and let the crows have em. They have no natural predators so they tend to get a little heavy on numbers. Rabbits and squirrels well you eat those. Same with quail and pheasant. Most other small game you are thinking of probably would be considered furbearers and as I said if they are legally in season. and you choose to shoot one the hides can be sold.

Answer 3

coyote and other game you would not like to eat i suggest feeding to your dogs or other carnivorous wildlife and with the game you would find suitable to eat you have to skin it gut out the unedible parts and cook the rest you can look it up and use diagrams to help you if you need and last but not least you can sell the pelts and hides for quiete a bit of cash (up to 50 dollars) and some you can tan such as rabbits

Answer 4

you just do the same thing with them as you do w/ deer,

gut um, skin um, bbq um(or what ever else you might do 2 make them), eat um ..... but coyotes i woud NEVER eat

Answer 5

I eat Rabbits, Grouse, Doves, Woodcock, Groundhog, Pheasant, Deer, and Squirrels.* I also share what I harvest with the land owner, friends, and fellow Hunters.*  

Answer 6

I wouldn't shoot anything unless I planned on eating it.  Why would you kill coyote unless it was killing your animals.  In that case I would shoot it, drag it into the woods, and leave it lay for other animals to eat.  Or you could always mount it.

Answer 7

There is plenty of edible game to be had. If you feel like it's wasteful to shoot game you do not intend to eat, then don't hunt those animals. As has been stated, pelts can be sold to commercial tanneries or tanned for personal use.

Personally I only hunt edible game, but there are perfectly good reasons to hunt predatory game which has over bred and is entering urban areas to feed, or is killing livestock, or is devistating populations of smaller wild animals. In these instances man must assume his role as dominant predator and set the balances right once again.

God bless you, and good hunting.

Answer 8

feed it to the dogs, keep the pelt, and mount it.. i wouldnt eat coyotes or something that could be classified as a 'scavanger' (racoon, possum, squirrels)

Answer 9

If you don't have a reason for killing it, I'd suggest you don't.

Answer 10

Coyotes are considered varmints.  With the farmers permission, you can just leave them where you shoot them.  Some farmers don't want to leave them laying around because they will decay and stink.  Most often, though, when you have left a coyote lay in the field where you shot him, you have just fed a family of scavengers such as buzzards.  They need to eat, too.

Game animals are a different thing.  Game laws require that you not waste any edible part of a game animal.  So, if you kill it, you are required to eat it or give it to someone who will eat it.  If you don't know how to skin and gut squirrels, etc. you need to get someone to teach you how or get a book and learn how to not only skin and gut it but how to prepare it in the kitchen.  These books are available from such places as Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain and your local library.

Answer 11

there are 3 general categories of 'small game'

true 'small game' like rabbits, opossum, squirrel, muskrat, etc.  This is for eating.  If you don't want to eat it, don't shoot it.

'fur bearers'  these are animals that are shot for their pelts.  You would only want to shoot them during the winter when their pelts are thick to keep the animal warm.  If you don't want to skin it, don't shoot it.

varmints.  These are animals that are undesirable to have around.  It could be prairie dogs that dig up everything and where cattle can break their legs in a prairie dog hole, or it could be coyote or fox who are shot so they don't eat farm animals like chicken or sheep.  Only shoot the animals if they are causing you or your neighbors difficulty, or to keep the population in check.  No need to eat coyote

Of course there is some overlap.  Some people shoot foxes for fur, some people shoot foxes to keep them out of the hen house.

Some people shoot rabbits during the spring for food and then shoot them during the winter for pelts.  Of course if your goal is to get the skin, but it could be eaten, eat it anyways I say

Answer 12

As for coyotes, they carry many diseases such as the dog parvo virus and rabies. So do not handle the dead coyote with out gloves and wear latex gloves when you skin it out for the pelt. And never let anything come in contact with the coyote and then your dogs or where your dogs live or play.

As for small game many are eatable; raccoons, possum, rabbits, squirrels etc. Rabbits can carry rabbit fever in the warm months better to wait until after a few hard frosts before eating them.

Here is a link with ways to make them all taste tasty;

  http://www.wildgamerecipes.org/

If I shoot any small game I eat it. But I never eat coyotes, barn rats and other vermin.