Hey Ya'll, was wondering if anyone could help me out. I was looking to do some small game, rabbits mostly, this winter around N.E. Wyoming. However I am hearing reports on the news and among local FB groups that the rabbits are carrying tulerimia pretty bad this year. And there has already been one reported case of a man dying from it. My question is, will these rabbits be safe at all this winter? Maybe after a good hard freeze? I'd love to put some extra meat in the freezer and try my hand at tanning some rabbit fur. But I don't want myself or my family in harms way.
Rabbits
- Thread starter jozwiak22
- Start date
I have always read that this is very common during warm weather. I would do some further research to see if a good cold spell will diminish the risk. I've been hunting rabbits here in Nevada for over 40 years and never gave it a second thought.
Found this article and thought it was interesting.
http://www.unluckyhunter.com/2011/07/myth-or-fact-are-summer-rabbits-safe-to.html
Found this article and thought it was interesting.
http://www.unluckyhunter.com/2011/07/myth-or-fact-are-summer-rabbits-safe-to.html
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Did some hunting around the Fetterman monument near Sheridan. There was a disturbing amount of mice just running around every which way and an equal amount of rabbits. You have to wonder if high numbers of both in close proximity to each other can cause these problems.
tdcour
Veteran member
I'm not much of a rabbit guy, but I know my grandpa and uncle always waited a couple weeks after some good hard freezing weather before eating rabbits to make sure the sick ones were killed off. If you aren't hurting for meat now, I'd wait until cold weather. Otherwise I would look to see if there are outward symptoms that the rabbits may exhibit prior to shooting or if there is a visual difference anywhere in or on the body as you are cleaning them.
I'm not hurting for meat. But I do like rabbit. I also thought it would provide a good opportunity for my son to do some hunting. He is going to miss Elk and deer seasons this year due to a lame foot after an ATV accident. Waiting for a good hard freeze is the rule of thumb I have always lived by passed on by Dad and Grandpa. But locals are saying the Tulerimia is bad this year and not to try it at all. I have tried to research online but opinion s are mixed there as well. One article says NO GO, another says as long as the meat is well cooked.
JScams
Member
Wear gloves in the field when dressing rabbits out, use bug spray ( more likely to get it from ticks) and make sure the meat is above 160 degrees when u cook it. 160 is suppose to kill off bacteria. I just want to know if the cold makes a difference. I too have always been told only eat em after the 2nd freeze.
JScams
Member
Apparently cold does nothing to it. The cold just kills off the weaker infected rabbits more quickly.
libidilatimmy
Veteran member
Tulerimia is ever existent in the rabbit and rodent population, and years that it is worse than others are usually directly correlated to influxes in the rodent population. Growing up, we'd wait till after Thanksgiving to go out and hunt bunnies as there are usually multiple hard freezes by this time. The old wives tale is to not eat rabbit in months that don't have an "r", but this obviously isn't a hard and fast rule.
RICMIC
Veteran member
As I recall in my younger years when snowshoe hares were at their peak, we always checked for a spotted stomach as signs of tuleremia. If present, then do not eat. We never had latex gloves back then. It's just nature's cycle. In a year or two you likely will have a hard time finding any rabbits to hunt. Don't trust your life to this....I would look it up.
brianboh
Active Member
I will let tall know in a week of it's ok. I moved to Cody Friday and mowed the rabbits down sat. Being from GA we don't worry about stuff like that. Then a buddy told me Sunday they carry bubonic plague after I cleaned and ate them sat. Fingers crossed
Wyoming Hart
Very Active Member
They were like a plague around Buffalo when I was there a few weeks ago. I've never seen anything like it. Saw maybe 200 in just a short drive up the road. Can't think that that could be healthy for them.
Bubonic plague is spread by fleas. Though it can be contracted through exposure to tissue from an infected animal.
I couldn't find any info about whether there are any visual indications of infection. Cases of the plague are so rare you would probably have a better chance of being attacked by a shark while rabbit hunting. Also fatalities are quite rare in people who get infected.
hunt1up
New Member
- Aug 23, 2011
- 45
- 0
If you're hunting rabbits in NE WY it will be a target rich environment. On our hunt earlier this month they were EVERYWHERE. And when I say everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. You couldn't walk 25 yards without one busting out of a bush 4 feet away. We were driving back to camp one night on a dirt road and I bet I ran 15 of them over. I simply couldn't avoid it. We could have killed them with rocks, baseball bats, sticks, whatever.
Hilltop
Veteran member
Sounds like the coyote hunting will be excellent up there next year... With that much food their population will boom.
shootbrownelk
Veteran member
Rabbits infected with Tularemia have yellowish flecks in the liver. Wear rubber gloves and cook meat thoroughly, otherwise it can kill you. I don't like rabbit meat enough to take a chance, your mileage may differ.
shootbrownelk
Veteran member
Careful eating that Coyote meat Hilltop, those Coyotes are eating those rabbits undercooked!
HiMtnHnter
Active Member
We're infested with rabbits this year. I encourage anyone to come on out and kill em.
6mm Remington
Very Active Member
My dad told me that you should only kill and eat rabbits in months with an R in them. September through April. I think it was because of the colder weather typically in those months that went below freezing to kill some of the mites and things they carry. That make sense?
That is just a myth. While it MAY kill some of those mites and fleas, if the rabbit is iinfected with tularemia it wouldn't matter anyway.
We really enjoy stewed rabbit so I don't think I'm going to stop shooting and eating rabbits anytime soon.
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