Gutting a frozen rabbit?

[Tow Bow]

I have a hare that I snared 4 days ago but too busy to dress. He has some tissue damage from snare and was not gutted but has been frozen since I retrieved him. Is it safe to eat? Should I just wrap and put in freezer or thaw out, dress and re-freeze? Thank in advance.

Also, what about hares that get chewed on by coyotes, cougars, crow and whatever else?

[bill9044]

First thing personally I wouldn't spend the time if it was fresh ya but freezing and thawing with guts in no way. Second crows ravens cats and yotes have bacteria that can transfer to the meat. Yes if if you cook the hell out of it it should kill the bacteria. In a survival situation I would probably cook and eat anyways. But use this for bait and get another.

[Red Bullets]

4 days later and the gut may taint the flesh if it wasn't froze hard. Sort of a waste of a good rabbit.

In extreme temperatures most of the rabbits you catch will be frozen.
You can thaw them out enough to take the hide off and cut the backstrap and drumsticks off. Don't thaw totally. The guts won't effect the meat if the rabbit freezes hard quickly.

Best to check rabbit snares first thing in the morning, every day. Then you know the meat is ok.

A lot the pioneers lived off of rabbits in the winter. I guarantee they ate a lot of frozen rabbits but they cooked them as soon as possible.

You should never re-freeze any meats as far as I know.

[uglyelk]

you caught bait

[Tow Bow]

Bill, I know about the idea of bacteria transfer but having a hard time finding specifics.

Thanks Red, thats what I thought. Was a waste and I feel bad about it. Best time of year for them as well, imo. I always check snares at first light but spent the rest of that day blood tracking and the next 3 processing a deer. Pulled snares that day as I was going to a blind elsewhere.

Next time, I will try to cut straps out. Not much chance of those pelts coming frozen I gather?

Elk, I don't bait / hunt predators... Yet?

[dmacleod]

crow or yote bait now