danccooke Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 If it tastes livery, you've over cooked it treat it like a steak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonwolf444 Posted April 17, 2014 Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 Great posts. With ferrets i often end up donating the smaller one's to their feed bowl; Let us know how you get on when you get back to them, and how you eat them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkfire88 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Well done mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noidea Posted April 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Well done that man... A first kill is always full of apprehension for all sorts of reasons and rightly so. You'll find it'll take a lot more before you'll fully come to terms with what you're doing and keep the adrenalin in check..! My advice would be to always try and learn something each time you go, be it where to best find/ambush them or improving range estimation etc. That way you'll practically guarantee bringing home something by becoming a more proficient and clinical hunter. Try to stick to your maximum kill accuracy range (i.e the range that you can always hit a 10p size target) in the conditions you shoot in, there'll still be plenty of chances if it proves to only be 20- 25 yards for a while. Everything from finding quarry and being within range to waiting for a perfect killzone to be presented and being calm enough to execute the perfect clean shot needs to be learnt through experience. Sadly, gaining experience comes at a cost, occasionally needing to learn from mistakes. It's never nice to hear a pellet make contact with a living creature then see it struggle to safety to a probable slow painful end, but regrettably it WILL happen to you in this line of pastime. You'll need to be prepared to minimise the risk of it happening in every way possible (e.g target practice at all ranges from 10 yards out to 40, being patient for the right moment to pull the trigger and only shooting at quarry that's in the open far enough that a strong kick from it's back legs won't see it back down a hole or in cover). From you're description you've made a very good start and showed your quarry the full respect it deserved...... We cook our rabbits quite simply compared to some very fancy and I'm sure delicious recipes mentioned above. I cook the liver and kidneys for our dog as she enjoys them more than us, I joint the rest into 4 legs, a rear third, middle back section and ribcage then if a full grown one that was difficult to skin, we submerge it all in cold salty water for 24 hours to tenderize. Then a quick rinse and put in a slow cooker with a rough chopped whole onion and the contents of a Schwartz Beef and Ale Slow Cooker sachet with boiling water to cover. We leave it cooking from about 11am until 5pm and serve with just green veg and carrots. Some of the liquer is thickened with granules and used as gravy. The sachet takes away any earthiness wild rabbit can sometimes have.. Being a chef though that will probably all sound a bit Heath Robinson to you mate......... ........Atb...... P.S.... Wood Pigeons...an acquired taste, a meat that to me tastes of mild liver. I debreast them and pan fry it 2 1/2 - 3 minutes a side depending on how well done you like them along with two rashers of smokey bacon. Let the pigeon rest (leave the bacon in the pan to go crispy) while I plate up a little lettuce, a couple of small tomatoes and a few slices of cucumber, then slice one side of breast meat per portion (about 5mm thick) and lay it on the lettuce with slices of the bacon criss-crossed on top. Drizzle with balsamic vineger and a small dollop of mayo on the side to enjoy it as a starter... You'd pay five to seven quid in a hotel for that and it only takes 3 hours waiting in a hide then 4 minutes to prepare...!!! Thank you David, sounds like im listening to experience on this one... I know what you mean about the adrenalin, nerves were going and had doubts as to wether I was doing the right thing or not, I guess that's adrenalin. And I can see what you mean about learning all aspects, I have been out again since that first hunt. I spent ages on the actual hunt. and got a rabbit firmly in my sights and then it would move, so I would have to find another position to get into and target it again, then it moved again and I knew it had seen me. I spent about 25 minutes moving round a field and the bushes chasing just this one rabbit. my heart was pounding and filling my scope up was exciting, but when I finally had the thing up a dead end I sighted it up and didn't pull the trigger. I had been given such a run around and such joy from this cheeky little sod that it really brought home to me that theres more to this than just taking an animal for food, I think I understand the sporting part of what ive got into. putting a pellet sized hole in a rabbit is not sport by any ones standards, its the skill and excitement that appeals from the hunt, out witting your quarry. I did on this occasion and I won the chase and that was very satisfying. I had chicken in the freezer so taking this rabbit had no purpose for me this time, I think that is what covers the sporting side I will and have refused a fare few shots in order to get the percentage up and in my favour as far as mistakes go, I know it will happen, and I think I have accepted this, but until it does happen I cannot possibly tell how I will deal with or how I will feel about what I have done, I will just have to think about possible scenerios before I take the shot Thanks for the cooking advice, its always welcome. yes I am a chef but there is always something that someone else will try that I havnt thought of. so anyone giving me tips is not teaching me to suck eggs so to speak, they are giving me recipes to try out, and possibly better ways of preparing the kill before the cooking stage, so always welcome, and pigeon is next on my menu, I think I am ready to start pointing skyward now. ive been up about a hundred trees putting bottle tops in places ive seen birds roosting on and have had a respectable amount of hits to misses from my practiced distance, and with a bit more practice im sure I will be ready to take my first bird, its the permission I have that's putting me off doing that at the moment as my rifle is at about 11.5lb and any miss will result in a pellet shooting through the trees and out of my complete control. but once I have figured out that part of it I will be up for the hunt. I will put up a report when I have been and got one thank you for the reply Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noidea Posted April 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Well done. You always remember your first. Cheers mate, yes, shall stay with me for a long time I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noidea Posted April 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 +1 I sat looking at my first one for ages, after I hit him. The first is the most traumatic. Excellent recipes too. Yes, made me think as well. was almost sick when I saw the size of it. I am hoping this will fade with experience. if it doesn't then I shouldn't be doing this, and wont. but my dog had the biggest smile on her face the night she got that rabbit, so I think you are right, its just that first one that's needs out of the way thanks for the response Paul Great posts. With ferrets i often end up donating the smaller one's to their feed bowl; Let us know how you get on when you get back to them, and how you eat them! Will do mate, thank you Paul Well done mate Cheers mate Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Well done mate and you definitely have the right attitude for hunting. As long as you are concerned about making a bad or messy shot then the less chance you have of making one. Rabbit cannelloni is the nuts btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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