# Rabbit Question...



## JCR (Sep 17, 2007)

I know this may seem like a dumb question, but here it goes...is it okay to eat rabbits that have fleas and/or ticks in their fur?


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Yes! But when you gut them, check the liver, if it has white spots or blemishes on them, don't eat them.


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## JCR (Sep 17, 2007)

Bears Butt said:


> Yes! But when you gut them, check the liver, if it has white spots or blemishes on them, don't eat them.


Great. Thanks for the quick response!!!


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I shot a cottontail tonight and it was loaded with flees. So I stuck it in a bag and will freeze it overnight. I would have liked to skin it while it was still warm but those **** flees were jumping all over me. I can't stop itching now. :evil: Is there a quick way to kill the flees. I've heard boiling hot water would do the trick but I just didn't want to handle it any more with hundreds of them bugs jumping ship. :shock:


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## InvaderZim (Sep 7, 2007)

ridgetop said:


> I shot a cottontail tonight and it was loaded with flees. So I stuck it in a bag and will freeze it overnight. I would have liked to skin it while it was still warm but those **** flees were jumping all over me. I can't stop itching now. :evil: Is there a quick way to kill the flees. I've heard boiling hot water would do the trick but I just didn't want to handle it any more with hundreds of them bugs jumping ship. :shock:


When I used to trap ALL the critters would have fleas. I just sprayed them with RAID (the flea and tick killer) and put them in a plastic bag for about 10 minutes. Fleas dead! And it made skinning a breeze!

Not sure if that'd be safe to do for consuptive critters...but there's only one way to find out. :wink:

Critters with fleas give me the heebie-geebies, even if they aint on me!


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

InvaderZim said:


> ridgetop said:
> 
> 
> > I shot a cottontail tonight and it was loaded with flees. So I stuck it in a bag and will freeze it overnight. I would have liked to skin it while it was still warm but those **** flees were jumping all over me. I can't stop itching now. :evil: Is there a quick way to kill the flees. I've heard boiling hot water would do the trick but I just didn't want to handle it any more with hundreds of them bugs jumping ship. :shock:
> ...


RAID won't hurt you, I used to use it to keep ticks off me, and I'm prefectly normal acting, except for a slight trembling in my limbs. :lol: :wink:


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## Grumpy Granny (Mar 5, 2008)

It is all very, very simple. Just let the rabbit lie dead on the ground for a few minutes. As the body starts to cool, the fleas will leave. You can then pick it up, behead and clean it and carry it in a clean plastic bag back to your vehicle. Much less weight to carry after cleaning. At the vehicle, place in a cooler with enough water to cover the rabbits, 5-8 pounds of ice cubes and a good shot of salt. As you drive, the ice will cool the bodies and the water will somewhat clean them, and the salt will draw the blood out. Of course, this works best in the back of a pickup where spills are not critical.


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## 71nova (Jan 9, 2008)

If your gettin fleas, what's takin you so long to skin em. I save my skins and tan em (so they come out pretty square). the trick is not to hold the bunny at one time too long, the cold fleas are slow too. Hunting elk in the estended season this year I noticed about a zillion fleas under the cedars and in deer tracks so it is possible you are just itchy out of a placebo thing. I'm sure you've all had em on you before and didn't even know.

The real question is, yes, I have eaten the flea infested rabbits, even the ones with white livers, who cares. They say as long as you cook your food to at least 165 f it is ok to eat. You might get a little sniffly(mild case of rabbit fever) for a few days after guttin one though. Soak the fresh ones in salt water overnight or a couople days, not the freezer.

I fon't know everything, they're just my favorite thing ot hunt.


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