Caribou Gear

First rabbit hunt... digestion problems!

H

Hunts4Food

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Dec 17, 2017
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Hey guys. I am new to hunting but a friend of mine came out with his dogs and ran out some rabbit. I ate the wild cotton tail. It was most definitely fully cooked. After about an hour or so my stomach has been very bad since. Lots of cramping and such.

My question is - Is this normal for people to have a hard time digesting wild rabbit? Especialy for the first time?

I have had wild turkey and deer but never a rabbit. I have had raised rabbits that I can eat with no problems.

Also when I was skinning it, the smell was pretty fishy. Is that normal?

I cleaned the rabbit right away and I cooked him about an hour later.

Thanks for the help!
 
I have never had one smell fishy. Was it off color?
Also, fresh protein sometimes has the "farts with claws" effect.
 
I think the color was good but it was my first time ever cleaning one.

The organs where good too.

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I never had a problem, never had one smell fishy either. Did you eat anything else? Possible that you contaminated a plate/cutting board/hands or something?
 
How many hours from shooting the rabbit until the cramps? Usually takes two days or longer for rabbit fever to manifest. A few people will experience a feeling of increasing warmth while eating rabbit or rat meat but that is a reaction to an enzyme in the meat. Cramps would not a typical reaction for those persons experiencing flushness and warmth as eat the meat. You mentioned you had eaten rabbit meat previously without a similar reaction.

Rabbit fever blurb: Francisella tularensis (Tularemia or Rabbit Fever) is a naturally occurring disease carried by wild rabbits and the insects which feed on them such as deerflies and ticks. People are at risk of catching this illness by way of skinning and/or eating contaminated rabbits or by being bitten by infected insects. Symptoms of infection such as aches, fever and chills typically will present themselves two to ten days after exposure. Those most at risk for contracting this disease are those who handle wild rabbits, but the illness is easily treated with antibiotics.
 
I only had rice that day and rabbit for dinner. I don't think it would be the rabbit fever as it came on so quickly. Its only cramping, no fever, aches, just cramps. Its been over 24hrs now mostly discomfort but sometimes its a bit much.

If it was a fresh protein problem then what should I do to make it less fresh?

I dont think I contaminated anything as the onset happened within an hour of eating. I just figured I had a reaction to the meat and wanted to know if any one knew why. The fart with claws seems to be about right as I have no other symptoms.

Thanks for all the input so far!
 
LuketheDog said:
It could be completely unrelated too, just a stomach bug or something...
Click to expand...
That's my guess.

I personally soak my rabbits in salt water for 12hrs or more before eating. No real reason why other than that's how I was taught.
 
I've never had a problem with rabbits either. On a couple of occasions I did skin a rabbit that had a larvae just under the skin. I don't know if it was safe to eat but I tossed it because I didn't want to take any chances.
 
Gr8bawana said:
I've never had a problem with rabbits either. On a couple of occasions I did skin a rabbit that had a larvae just under the skin. I don't know if it was safe to eat but I tossed it because I didn't want to take any chances.
Click to expand...
Those are still safe. Look like hell and give one a good cases of the heeby jeebies.
 
It can happen with a new protein. When I first started butchering and eating lamb, the same thing happened to me up until I had a couple of meals. It happened in Iraq eating goat for the first time in villages. It even happens if I go for a long period of time without eating elk and have it for the first time out of nowhere after a long time without. It's similar to vegetarians when they have meat for the first time. It can be a shock to the system and cause GI issues. Don't give up on rabbit! Have real little bits of it a few times and your body should adjust after a while.
 
JohnCushman said:
It can happen with a new protein. When I first started butchering and eating lamb, the same thing happened to me up until I had a couple of meals. It happened in Iraq eating goat for the first time in villages. It even happens if I go for a long period of time without eating elk and have it for the first time out of nowhere after a long time without. It's similar to vegetarians when they have meat for the first time. It can be a shock to the system and cause GI issues. Don't give up on rabbit! Have real little bits of it a few times and your body should adjust after a while.
Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me in Afghanistan eating boot leather popsicles (wild dog on a stick). We would lay down a bunch of wild dogs on our way into a couple of different villages and the second the shooting was over the locals would haul butt out to pick up the dogs. They would cook them up in their brick ovens and want to share with us. I had a pretty good stomach so i always got stuck eating the crazy stuff.

Just so you know you probably have some of the most forceful farts you have ever experienced on their way!
 
By fishy do you mean it literally had a fish smell or it kind of smelled bad? I find that rabbits do stick from the time you clean them until they are brown. Gut shot rabbits especially stink!
 
Sounds like a good way to end up featured on an episode of Monsters Inside Me.
 
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