Hunting Games For Kids
Why does everybody say not to hunt rabbit until after the first freeze?
First of all I live in Iowa and everybody I talk to says you don’t hunt any small game until after a frost. But the season is open and my kids want to go hunting.
In the case of rabbits, they are subject to worm infestation in their flesh due to a particular insect laying eggs under their skin. If the meat is thoroughly cooked, the worms will not hurt you but are not pleasing to look at when they pop out of the meat when it is cooking. After a freeze, the insects are much less of a problem to the rabbits and you are less likely to find the worms in the meat. When you shoot a rabbit, carefully run your fingers over the back and feel for little lumps under the skin. If you find several of these, you can bet that the meat has worms in it. The worms are inside these little cysts. Some peole refer to these worm infestations as “weals” because of the lumps under the skin. I don’t know if eating the undercooked meat can result in the worms infesting the person who eats it or if they are simply digested. They do not infest the gut of the rabbit so I don’t know if a human can become a host for them. People have been eating rabbits for years so just be careful and have a good time with the kids. Thanks for taking the time to teach your kids about the great out of doors and the fun of hunting.
Blairsville Scottish Festival and Highland Games