Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Trapping How to cook a beaver...?

While up dear hunting, my bud got a beaver from an old timer who still traps. He gave it to me and I need some ideas on how to make it edible. The old guy did not part with the tail. Any suggestions appreciated.

Nail it to a cedar board. Cover in butter and garlic. Bake at 325 for 3 hours.

Throw beaver away and eat the board.

It's wonderful stuffed.

I love stuffing beaver

An added note is to make sure the beaver is hairless before stuffing it.

Sounds to me like you guys are doing a little wishful thinking...

Well you did say you were "dear" hunting.......

Good grief, the loons are coming out of the woodwork..

From an old 1970's era South Dakota Game & Fish cookbook:

"Remove kernels in small of back and under forelegs between rib and shoulder. Hang in cold for several days. Poach in salted water for 1 hour. Braise as for beef until tender."

Mrs. K. L. Harrod
SD

Hey now............

I will go look in some of my other wild game cook books...but you gotta quit calling me a loon....more like an old buzzard

I was hoping for something from the 1870's...

OK!

Had to boot up a computer with a real keyboard, laptops are convenient but I hate the keyboards.

From old NAHC cookbooks........

From the 1985 edition, typed verbatim

Baked Beaver or Raccoon
Serves 2 to 4
Prep Time: 2.5 hours

1 beaver or raccoon, skinned and defatted
salt and pepper
garlic powder
celery top from one rib of celery
1 onion peeled
2 carrots peeled
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups water

Season the meat with salt, pepper and garlic poweder.
Place in a roast pan with celery tops, onion and carrots.
Bake covered at 350� for one hour.
Add the brandy and water.
Bake one hour and 15 minutes longer,
Baste occasionally with the liquid in the pan.

M McKenzie
Yukon Canada


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From the 1986 edition, typed verbatim


Atlanta Special
Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time: 4 hours

1 beaver (8 to 10 lbs)
1 bay leaf
2 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
celery leaves
flour
fat
salt
pepper

Remove all fat from beaver. The meat is dark, fine grained, moist and tender. The fat is objectionable both in flavor and odor and should be removed entirely before cooking. Cut up as you do rabbit. Soak over night in salt water. Parboil until about half cooked in water with the bay leaf, onion and garlic, Celery may or may not be added. Drain, roll in flour and brown in hot fat, season with salt and pepper. Bake in a covered pan in a moderate oven until tender. Gravy may be made from the drippings. Plan the same number of servings as from a similar weight in pork. Beaver is very rich.

C.H. Bishop
Georgia

This is how it was done in 1850

LOL...didn't know they could take a pitcher back then...

Sear floured chunks in grease and build a fantastic stew around it...

Chili is also a very good option. Trapped tons of beaver for many years and it is very, very good.

Back when I trapped, beaver made up a large percent of our meat. It got used in tacos and chili. Once a year we'd load up the pig roaster with beavers and do a slow smoked BBQ. The left overs we canned.

I haven't trapped since the late 70's but I still have my traps. Every once and awhile my wife bugs me to sell em but I've always said, as long as there's critters in the woods and fields a trapper will never starve

Native folk up here regularly eat beaver. The best I've had was half dried for about three days with a little cottonwood smoke, but fruitwood smoke would be okay too. It's then cut into quarters and roasted in the oven for a couple hours or better at 350. Make sure the meat is elevated above the juices and that as much fat has been cut off as possible.

The whiteman method is to trim off all the fat possible, parboil, remove and roast in oven again elevating it above the juices and residual fat that cooks out of it.

No matter what, you better remove the scent glands on the hind feet and back or it will never taste right. It's kinda like opossum. It's good if you can cook the grin off his face!