Strange smell when cleaning rabbit.

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theblah

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I have just started hunting rabbits that are getting into my garden and when skinning one earlier I found it smelled really bad once I opened the stomach....so bad that I ended up throwing it out.
I been Googling around and it seems that the smell is normal, but I wanted to get a second opinion.
Is the really strong smell normal?


Thanks,
 
If you hit any of the internal organs, specifically the stomach and intestines, it will smell like crap from a vegetarian animal. It will also ruin your meat. When skinning, try pinching a little bit of skin, and cutting a little notch where you pinch. then use that hole, with your finger inside alongside the knife blade, to make sure you don't puncture or cut any organs while skinning.
 
Try using game shears or penny EMT shears, it makes rabbits real easy. I start behind the head, rip off coat in one motion. Snip off feet, then get to guts and take it all out in one compact mass. If find doing it like this, I dont need to use a knife. You can snip off its head easily.

I also look at the liver for yellow spots or streeks which could indicate Tularemia. If you see this, dispose of whole carcass, wash hands really well and dont breathe to much of the fur or area you area in. Its a nasty biohazard. Its suppose to be getting more common in some areas.
 
you dont open up any of the internal organs. it will smell like stomach acid or crap. can also contaminate the meat. all you want to do is remove the organs with as little damage as possible.
 
Follow the above methods and make sure you wash it out thoroughly afterwards. Sounds like it was gut shot, if that's the case, best thing you can do is wash clean and wash thoroughly IMMEDIATELY. If it was gut shot, you will learn how to avoid it in the future like the rest of us. It does happen though, easy to do at close range with a shotgun for example.
 
The first animal I ever saw cleaned when I was 10 or so was a rabbit. It stunk so bad when it was opened up, and this was snared not shot, I thought "screw this." Smelled like rotten eggs.
 
They all smell bad, whether the internals are open or not. Even if bunnies are dressed as soon as they are killed, they still stink. The smells from big game animals have never bothered me, but I find that rabbits make me I'll.

Try a cigar or Vick's paste on your top lip while prepping bunnies next hunt.
 
They all smell bad but taste good. Must be your first rabbit. Wait till you get a grouse or partridge.
Rabbit coated in shake & bake ummm!
Ever wonder why they have huge suction fans in operating rooms, we stink inside too! If you doubt you stink inside, just hunker down the next time you fart and take a whiff.
I built the framework to hold up the fans and lights in the operating rooms.
 
Man, thats a good deal. I have to figure it out how to do it myself as my dad didn't hunt. These video's help a lot. This year I got a turkey and I was concerned I couldn't clean it but as soon as I saw it done I was like " crap i've been doing that for years with bone in chicken breasts." This year I'll get some rabbits.
 
1bighead said:
Man, thats a good deal. I have to figure it out how to do it myself as my dad didn't hunt.
Click to expand...

The downside is that the kids caught her eyeing their pet lop ear rabbit. We gave him to another family soon thereafter, and got a dog instead. :D
 
theblah said:
I have just started hunting rabbits that are getting into my garden and when skinning one earlier I found it smelled really bad once I opened the stomach....so bad that I ended up throwing it out.
I been Googling around and it seems that the smell is normal, but I wanted to get a second opinion.
Is the really strong smell normal?


Thanks,
Click to expand...
Are you sure a Liberal didn't walk by at the time??
 
Its funny, the first one I shot a few months ago didn't smell at all. I must have got lucky and didn't hit him in the gut.
Guess I just gotta get used to the smell...
 
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