Last year we hammered the 'chucks after they declared our garden veggies a free for all. Wife live trapped 5 and someone else CZ 452'd 6 more. They've been shy this year but just caught the first I've had a chance at this year, a young female, in with the zucchini. I've heard they're good eating but never bothered messing with them. This one was taken about 10 minutes ago and is in the 'fridge to cool off but I suppose if I'm going to eatit--or feed it to the girls--I guess I better get guttin' and skinnin'. Anything suggestions or input appreciated. Otherwise I'll just leave it in the 'fridge for the wife to find when she gets home and gets to preparing dinner. She loves these gags. OK, so maybe 'love' ain't the right word for it, but she's usually a pretty good sport about it...
If it isn't a young one of two pounds or so, forget it. It's been decades since I had one, but IIRC, there are a couple of glands in the small of the back that you need to very carefully remove. LINK
I posted the same link as Muffin, at almost the same time.
No mystery involved. I like to at least try to try eating things that I've killed, assuming they're edible and can be transformed into something that tastes good. I also always like trying new things and I've been told they can be good eating so thought I'd ask and see if anyone who has actually eaten them could offer some insight.
I sent STX a pic of the small beast and asked him about it. He wrote back, 'you damned Asians will eat ANTHING!' Damned laciss, he is.
No mystery involved. I like to at least try to try eating things that I've killed, assuming they're edible and can be transformed into something that tastes good. I also always like trying new things and I've been told they can be good eating so thought I'd ask and see if anyone who has actually eaten them could offer some insight.
I sent STX a pic of the small beast and asked him about it. He wrote back, 'you damned Asians will eat ANTHING!' Damned laciss, he is.
“Laciss”…it took a couple of seconds for that to sink in 😀 We don’t have them this far south but I’ve also wondered what they would be like as table fare. Some details if you pull it off. I don’t know if I’d try the chuck in the fridge joke though. 😳 make sure there are no sharp things in reach.
even a small one will need some tenderizing. pressure cooker idea is good. then treat as any other rodent meat. potpie, deep fried chunks, stroganoff, etc.
worthy venture. i did it years ago with less than good results. fyi, roasted ground hog is not as good as rancid crabtree makes it sound.
A neighbor cooked one a long time ago. Looked like a fetus in the pan, headless and slathered in barbecue is sauce. It wasn’t bad, not chewy and mild tasting.
I've eaten a good many of them. Young of the year are good battered and fried just like you'd do rabbit or squirrel. Funny the people that will eat a shyt eating bird like a turkey but won't eat a woodchuck. Woodchucks are vegetarians, don't pick through/eat shyt and are actually a pretty clean animal. Older ones are good in a stew slow cooked in a crock pot. They are a bitch to skin. If you like liver take note that a woodchuck has a big one for it's size and they are very good. Just be sure to remove the bile sacks before you fry it. Much better/ milder flavored than beef, calf or deer liver.
Grandpa said not eat critters that live in the ground, and they ate all sorts of stuff, so I am going with his guidance.
Interestingly a buddy has been killing woodchucks all summer that raid his garden. He claims they will climb a tree to eat leaves. In fact he got one today in a connibear (sp) trap. He eats a lot of wild stuff, even diving ducks but won’t touch groundhog.
Grandpa said not eat critters that live in the ground, and they ate all sorts of stuff, so I am going with his guidance.
Interestingly a buddy has been killing woodchucks all summer that raid his garden. He claims they will climb a tree to eat leaves. In fact he got one today in a connibear (sp) trap. He eats a lot of wild stuff, even diving ducks but won’t touch groundhog.
I can attest greydigger is the diving duck of squirrel fare. This is what prompted his advice, and it was plaguecentric and western. So, I would pass on marmot, ground squirrel, at least jack rabbit.. Porcupine yes, badger no.
Kamo would love the Korean food buffet on the highway going ESE outta Seoul towards the Chip yong ni battlefeild.
Actually pretty damm good. Only buffet I ever seen my 3 tours over their. We arranged for 8th U.S Army, 2ID, and ROK Army General staff,s to eat their after the Battlefield tour for 2 hours to ourselves. The ROK Army General staff actually put the feed bag on and said the food was very good. The Korean owners had some big write up about it in some Big paper in Seoul couple days later.
Lotsa different vegetable dishes. Beef and pork bulgogi Plenty of seafood stuff. Ect ect ect...
I pretty well stuck to the bulgogi and vegetable dishes. Not a big fan of much seafood....
Kamo would love the Korean food buffet on the highway going ESE outta Seoul towards the Chip yong ni battlefeild.
Actually pretty damm good. Only buffet I ever seen my 3 tours over their. We arranged for 8th U.S Army, 2ID, and ROK Army General staff,s to eat their after the Battlefield tour for 2 hours to ourselves. The ROK Army General staff actually put the feed bag on and said the food was very good. The Korean owners had some big write up about it in some Big paper in Seoul couple days later.
Lotsa different vegetable dishes. Beef and pork bulgogi Plenty of seafood stuff. Ect ect ect...
I pretty well stuck to the bulgogi and vegetable dishes. Not a big fan of much seafood....
the chicken feet they sold in the street carts in the ROK were one of the very few things i would not eat over there. that and Whisper Alley poontang were a no-go for this cheap charlie.
Kamo would love the Korean food buffet on the highway going ESE outta Seoul towards the Chip yong ni battlefeild.
Actually pretty damm good. Only buffet I ever seen my 3 tours over their. We arranged for 8th U.S Army, 2ID, and ROK Army General staff,s to eat their after the Battlefield tour for 2 hours to ourselves. The ROK Army General staff actually put the feed bag on and said the food was very good. The Korean owners had some big write up about it in some Big paper in Seoul couple days later.
Lotsa different vegetable dishes. Beef and pork bulgogi Plenty of seafood stuff. Ect ect ect...
I pretty well stuck to the bulgogi and vegetable dishes. Not a big fan of much seafood....
the chicken feet they sold in the street carts in the ROK were one of the very few things i would not eat over there. that and Whisper Alley poontang were a no-go for this cheap charlie.
Worried about the chicken feet but not the dog for protein. At least you knew the chicken feet......
Remove the glands and then cook them as you would pork for BBQ. There used to be a neighborhood cookout on July 4th and my next door neighbor would fix BBQ groundhog for the crowd. Most didn't know it was groundhog when they ate it, but they liked it. There were several of us involved in acquiring enough groundhogs to provide enough BBQ.
Kind of funny,all these guys saying they wouldn't try it but eat the hell out of chicken and pork,two of the nastiest animals on earth,all ground hogs eat is plant based and are pretty good pets. My uncle used to dig them out in the spring time and sell them,said they had one area to sleep and one for waste. I've ate several in my younger days they are mild tasting and tender if younger and cooked right.
I don't doubt they are edible if your willing to work at it. Reminds me of eating carp. I have heard that handling them is not recommended, as they are a vector (their ticks) for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Not sure if their ticks are any more likely to give it to you than any other animal with ticks on them, you may want to research it a bit before you go all in.
I don't doubt they are edible if your willing to work at it. Reminds me of eating carp. I have heard that handling them is not recommended, as they are a vector (their ticks) for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Not sure if their ticks are any more likely to give it to you than any other animal with ticks on them, you may want to research it a bit before you go all in.
Isnt this why we're pushing vaccines......so we can try new wet markets?
Cookie has a cookbook containing Basque sheepherder suggestions. It suggests gutting the animal leaving heart, and liver therein. Inserting some spuds, celery, onions, and carrots before stitching up the cavity, and tossing the whole hairy deal into a good flaming woodfire. Dig it out of the ashes after an hour, pry off the rind, and have at it.
Cookie has a cookbook containing Basque sheepherder suggestions. It suggests gutting the animal leaving heart, and liver therein. Inserting some spuds, celery, onions, and carrots before stitching up the cavity, and tossing the whole hairy deal into a good flaming woodfire. Dig it out of the ashes after an hour, pry off the rind, and have at it.
Good enough for a Basque sheepherder, good enough for.... Wait, I bet they f:ck sheep too! I'm still hesitant....
When we first moved out here in what used to be rural middle TN, the old timers in the neighborhood traveled the rods looking for young of the year groundhogs. That generation is mostly gone now and McMansions are popping up in the groundhogs habitat.
Groundhog and beaver are two critters that I have always wanted to eat. Diet for both should be pretty clean/green.
Kamo would love the Korean food buffet on the highway going ESE outta Seoul towards the Chip yong ni battlefeild.
Actually pretty damm good. Only buffet I ever seen my 3 tours over their. We arranged for 8th U.S Army, 2ID, and ROK Army General staff,s to eat their after the Battlefield tour for 2 hours to ourselves. The ROK Army General staff actually put the feed bag on and said the food was very good. The Korean owners had some big write up about it in some Big paper in Seoul couple days later.
Lotsa different vegetable dishes. Beef and pork bulgogi Plenty of seafood stuff. Ect ect ect...
I pretty well stuck to the bulgogi and vegetable dishes. Not a big fan of much seafood....
the chicken feet they sold in the street carts in the ROK were one of the very few things i would not eat over there. that and Whisper Alley poontang were a no-go for this cheap charlie.
Lol!!!
I regret to this day trying dog at one of the road side grill in Tongduchon.... Drunk as hell..... 1st tour 89 90.
Wish I had never did it. 2 bites Then I said fugg this and threw it away....
Had an old man that lived next to us growing up. I stopped by to see him once as a teenager and he was just sitting down to eat some groundhog. Invited me to try some. It smelled good, and tasted pretty good too. I recall it being a little greasy. No idea how he prepared it.
Most of the time when I hear something isn't worth eating, I'm gonna try it. Cause they probably can't cook and think mystery meat made of pressed pea extract and processed oils is good food.
I don't have any experience with woodchucks, but I have a lot of experience with nutria rats. They're all just big rats (or squirrels). I like squirrels okay...but don't really care for a big slab of squirrel meat.
When we first moved out here in what used to be rural middle TN, the old timers in the neighborhood traveled the rods looking for young of the year groundhogs. That generation is mostly gone now and McMansions are popping up in the groundhogs habitat.
Groundhog and beaver are two critters that I have always wanted to eat. Diet for both should be pretty clean/green.
My dad was a cook in the Army. Every year they’d do a wild game dinner for the officer’s mess. He took me along a couple times to do prep. He’d roast the whole beaver, sans guts and hide. When it was done, rip the head off and serve it.
A few years later the base commander got busted for poaching moose from a helicopter.
I've eaten a good many of them. Young of the year are good battered and fried just like you'd do rabbit or squirrel. Funny the people that will eat a shyt eating bird like a turkey but won't eat a woodchuck. Woodchucks are vegetarians, don't pick through/eat shyt and are actually a pretty clean animal. Older ones are good in a stew slow cooked in a crock pot. They are a bitch to skin. If you like liver take note that a woodchuck has a big one for it's size and they are very good. Just be sure to remove the bile sacks before you fry it. Much better/ milder flavored than beef, calf or deer liver.
Fascinating. I have never eaten one but my knee jerk reaction to the idea wouldn’t be “yuck”, for all the reasons you state. Beavers taste good…
I don't have any experience with woodchucks, but I have a lot of experience with nutria rats. They're all just big rats (or squirrels). I like squirrels okay...but don't really care for a big slab of squirrel meat.
This guy’s Georgian (Russian). One of my favourite YouTube cooks. Good channel but he’s started to recycle stuff on the 3-4 different channels he runs now.
There's no doubt some of my ancestors ate Whistle Pig. In the Southern Mountains, every critter was tried (and fried) at one time or another. Hard times call for desperate measures.
I was born right after the depression, on a farm that I was raised there were very few groundhogs to be had . but we ate them when we got them... If you para boil them and dump the grease off they are good when pan fried like chicken...some people left the grease with the meat and made gravy with it... that was also good....
I've eaten a good many of them. Young of the year are good battered and fried just like you'd do rabbit or squirrel. Funny the people that will eat a shyt eating bird like a turkey but won't eat a woodchuck. Woodchucks are vegetarians, don't pick through/eat shyt and are actually a pretty clean animal. Older ones are good in a stew slow cooked in a crock pot. They are a bitch to skin. If you like liver take note that a woodchuck has a big one for it's size and they are very good. Just be sure to remove the bile sacks before you fry it. Much better/ milder flavored than beef, calf or deer liver.
Gerald Almy, IIRC, had an article in the Washington Post many years ago in which he claimed their livers were very good. Never tried it, but I have fried a couple like chicken, and thought it was similar to chicken thighs. Like you said, skinning them is a chore.
I think I’ll pass on any more until maybe the Zombie Apocalypse.
One might think that because woodchucks share the same habitat and diet as cows, that they'd be just as tasty, but there's a reason people don't eat them.
I don't have any experience with woodchucks, but I have a lot of experience with nutria rats. They're all just big rats (or squirrels). I like squirrels okay...but don't really care for a big slab of squirrel meat.
This guy’s Georgian (Russian). One of my favourite YouTube cooks. Good channel but he’s started to recycle stuff on the 3-4 different channels he runs now.
That was great Wannabe.
Someone needs to show him some garlic peeling videos though.
There's no doubt some of my ancestors ate Whistle Pig. In the Southern Mountains, every critter was tried (and fried) at one time or another. Hard times call for desperate measures.
On the 2nd to last day of a grueling moose hunt in NH's White Mountains (D1) after some 14 hours and at least 10 miles in rough terrain, including humping neck deep beaver swamps, we finally busted through the bush near the Canada border on rt. 3. We were into the 90th hour of what was for me the most brutal and physically demanding hunt of my life. We were out of water, completely gassed and half delirious when we arrived at the state trout hatchery. The live-in employee had just arrived at the caretaker's cabin as we staggered in. The 1st thing he said was, 'you kids look a bit dehydrated. Want some cold spring water?' In the next 15 minutes I literally downed 2 GALLONS of water. After, Natureman Jim as he called himself, offered me, Mrs. KG and our 72 years young guide a pile of sandwiches. "Thanks for your kindness and generosity, Jim", I told him. "No worries, gang. Just got done whipping up a batch. God knows a freshly killed 'chuck sandwich always hits the spot!" I think it was then both me and Mrs. KG lost concsiousness and collapsed in his parlor. Ever since been curious about eating the overgrown rats. True story.
One might think that because woodchucks share the same habitat and diet as cows, that they'd be just as tasty, but there's a reason people don't eat them.
Years ago I went to a cookbook signing written by a guy that taught survival at Fort Bragg. He referred to them as "cave dwelling cows".
I started to skin one but as someone else mentioned "It's a chore". About half way through the process I decided "this one maybe to old to eat... ". I did ask an old farmer living way back in the Mountains of NC if he had eaten any of them. He replied, "They were the main source of meat we had back in the day. He described them as pretty good" but mentioned taking the glands out first.
One might think that because woodchucks share the same habitat and diet as cows, that they'd be just as tasty, but there's a reason people don't eat them.
Years ago I went to a cookbook signing written by a guy that taught survival at Fort Bragg. He referred to them as "cave dwelling cows".
I started to skin one but as someone else mentioned "It's a chore". About half way through the process I decided "this one maybe to old to eat... ". I did ask an old farmer living way back in the Mountains of NC if he had eaten any of them. He replied, "They were the main source of meat we had back in the day. He described them as pretty good" but mentioned taking the glands out first.
"Pretty good"? lol Mrs. KG's mom when encountering any foodstuff she finds reprehensible, revolting or otherwise disgusting to the point of being totally inedible will declare it to be, 'not very delicious!'. LOL she's a riot.
There's no doubt some of my ancestors ate Whistle Pig. In the Southern Mountains, every critter was tried (and fried) at one time or another. Hard times call for desperate measures.
On the 2nd to last day of a grueling moose hunt in NH's White Mountains (D1) after some 14 hours and at least 10 miles in rough terrain, including humping neck deep beaver swamps, we finally busted through the bush near the Canada border on rt. 3. We were into the 90th hour of what was for me the most brutal and physically demanding hunt of my life. We were out of water, completely gassed and half delirious when we arrived at the state trout hatchery. The live-in employee had just arrived at the caretaker's cabin as we staggered in. The 1st thing he said was, 'you kids look a bit dehydrated. Want some cold spring water?' In the next 15 minutes I literally downed 2 GALLONS of water. After, Natureman Jim as he called himself, offered me, Mrs. KG and our 72 years young guide a pile of sandwiches. "Thanks for your kindness and generosity, Jim", I told him. "No worries, gang. Just got done whipping up a batch. God knows a freshly killed 'chuck sandwich always hits the spot!" I think it was then both me and Mrs. KG lost concsiousness and collapsed in his parlor. Ever since been curious about eating the overgrown rats. True story.
Freshly killed chuck sandwich—I think he was fugkin with the Japanese people.
I don't have any experience with woodchucks, but I have a lot of experience with nutria rats. They're all just big rats (or squirrels). I like squirrels okay...but don't really care for a big slab of squirrel meat.
Let this serve as official notification: LTPP's former certification of lifetime Coonass (honorary emeritus) is hereby revoked.
There's no doubt some of my ancestors ate Whistle Pig. In the Southern Mountains, every critter was tried (and fried) at one time or another. Hard times call for desperate measures.
On the 2nd to last day of a grueling moose hunt in NH's White Mountains (D1) after some 14 hours and at least 10 miles in rough terrain, including humping neck deep beaver swamps, we finally busted through the bush near the Canada border on rt. 3. We were into the 90th hour of what was for me the most brutal and physically demanding hunt of my life. We were out of water, completely gassed and half delirious when we arrived at the state trout hatchery. The live-in employee had just arrived at the caretaker's cabin as we staggered in. The 1st thing he said was, 'you kids look a bit dehydrated. Want some cold spring water?' In the next 15 minutes I literally downed 2 GALLONS of water. After, Natureman Jim as he called himself, offered me, Mrs. KG and our 72 years young guide a pile of sandwiches. "Thanks for your kindness and generosity, Jim", I told him. "No worries, gang. Just got done whipping up a batch. God knows a freshly killed 'chuck sandwich always hits the spot!" I think it was then both me and Mrs. KG lost concsiousness and collapsed in his parlor. Ever since been curious about eating the overgrown rats. True story.
My only takeaway from this above nightmare is, Mrs. Kg is just as crazy as Mr. Kg.
i grew up in West Virginia in the 60-70's ..granma rolled them in flower and fried them ,mom boiled them ,then baked them with ketchup and chopped up Ramps on them ,..i throw them in the crock pot any of those way's are yum yum
My maternal grandparents talked about eating them, said the young ones were really good. I've never partaken, but some of those bastards back in PA were big! But we always shot them with deer rifles, so wasn't much left to think about lol.
One of the best odd meats that I ever ate was in Peru where they cooked guinea pig over a charcoal fire. Not those little pets, but big ones, like groundhogs. Tasted like slow cooked spare ribs.
One of the best odd meats that I ever ate was in Peru where they cooked guinea pig over a charcoal fire. Not those little pets, but big ones, like groundhogs. Tasted like slow cooked spare ribs.
I'd eat if for sure if it was being served. Meat is meat at the end of the day. .
i grew up in West Virginia in the 60-70's ..granma rolled them in flower and fried them ,mom boiled them ,then baked them with ketchup and chopped up Ramps on them ,..i throw them in the crock pot any of those way's are yum yum
i grew up in West Virginia in the 60-70's ..granma rolled them in flower and fried them ,mom boiled them ,then baked them with ketchup and chopped up Ramps on them ,..i throw them in the crock pot any of those way's are yum yum
What's Ramps?
Grow in the woods in West Virginia ,people dig them up in early spring ,Looks like a small onion ,but with a broad leafy stalk ,has an kinda onion- garlic like taste .People know when you eat it . it do smell bad lol. people will dig up and sale along the road in bread bags ,Vol. Fire Depts will have Ramp dinners to collect money for the Fire Dept. we have Ramp festivals ,good with fried potatoes or by theirselves, it a West Virginia delaciasy
i grew up in West Virginia in the 60-70's ..granma rolled them in flower and fried them ,mom boiled them ,then baked them with ketchup and chopped up Ramps on them ,..i throw them in the crock pot any of those way's are yum yum
What's Ramps?
Grow in the woods in West Virginia ,people dig them up in early spring ,Looks like a small onion ,but with a broad leafy stalk ,has an kinda onion- garlic like taste .People know when you eat it . it do smell bad lol. people will dig up and sale along the road in bread bags ,Vol. Fire Depts will have Ramp dinners to collect money for the Fire Dept. we have Ramp festivals ,good with fried potatoes or by theirselves, it a West Virginia delaciasy
My dad loves those things. I used to dig him a bunch every spring. He'd eat them raw by the handful right out of the fridge. I don't like them that much myself but they aren't bad in a tater salad.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/gallery/80/full/166015.jpeg)
.