# Groundhog



## moondancer

Anyone out there eat groundhog wondering how it was


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## camo2460

moondancer said:


> Anyone out there eat groundhog wondering how it was


I have eaten Groundhog, and it is very good. It's kind of fatty and a "sweet" meat, sort of like Pork, but it is dark meat. The ones I hunted when I was a kid ate Soy beans, Alfalfa, and clover and that may have been what contributed to the flavor. Either way, I've eaten them roasted over a camp fire, and my mother cooked them like a Pork roast in the oven, good stuff.


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## talob

Havent tried it yet but would given the chance, neighbors around here say if you get a young one they are good eating, have eaten **** and porcupine when I was younger a little gammy tasting as I remember maybe the way it's fixed has a lot to do with it.


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## moondancer

I've not had opossum or **** either but wood love to try them. I'm ramping up my hunting and fishing this year and want to add as much selection as I can


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## jeff47041

We used to eat young groundhog. Old ones were tough. I haven't seen a groundhog in years. Saw one last year, so maybe there will be some on the dinner table this year.
Once a year, we have a party, that we roast something and everyone around brings a dish. There is a guy that brings groundhog every year. His recipe is awesome. I'll try to talk to him this week and post the recipe.


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## camo2460

moondancer said:


> I've not had opossum or **** either but wood love to try them. I'm ramping up my hunting and fishing this year and want to add as much selection as I can


I have eaten both Opossum and Raccoon. Raccoon must be prepared correctly to get the best meat. In the "pits" of all four legs and in the small of the back are musk glands that must be removed before cooking. These glands look like little globs of yellow, waxy fat. Remove them with a sharp knife and cook as desired. If you have a big, old **** pressure cook or par boil to tenderize, I like them roasted, but they can be cooked with BBQ sauce.

Opossum, on the other hand, should be live trapped and kept in a cage for a month and fed table scraps to get rid of that scavenger taste. After that, they should be dispatched and bled like a Hog. In the mean time have a pot of water on to boil, and dunk the Opossum in quickly several times, you don't want to cook the critter just loosen the hair. When that has been done, scrape off all of the hair, then gut the animal, remove the feet, head and tail. Stuff the body cavity with an apple/cranberry stuffing, sew up the cavity with twine and roast at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Or you can wrap with double thick foil and bury it in the coals of your camp fire, bank the coals and let cook for 3-4 hrs.


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## Magus

Make it with your favorite beef stew recipe.its great!

Also, there is a Chinese recipe for those huge cane rats, I bet it'd be good too!


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## camo2460

Magus said:


> Make it with your favorite beef stew recipe.its great!
> 
> Also, there is a Chinese recipe for those huge cane rats, I bet it'd be good too!


Hey meat is meat right? You haven't eaten until you've shared a great pile of Boudin's with you're partner.


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## moondancer

Magus said:


> Make it with your favorite beef stew recipe.its great!
> 
> Also, there is a Chinese recipe for those huge cane rats, I bet it'd be good too!


It good to see ya back Haven't seen ya on for awhile hope all is well


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## Outpost

I just dispatched a nuisance "chuck" this past summer. Unfortunately, she was a rather old girl.... If they're young (up to 2) they're not terribly tough, but this one had to be at least 4. She'd been irritating me for a couple years.

I (unwisely) put her on the grille..... I *should* have stewed her. She was fairly tasty, but I definitely didn't cook her right. The wife though it was a pretty tasty meat as well, and we live next to a swamp! (yup... what they eat makes a BIG difference)

Nope... It does NOT taste like chicken! .... don't really know how to describe it other than it tastes pretty good, and it tastes like woodchuck! (what we call groundhog around here)

Those who have advised you to try a stew recipe, heed that advice. Young ones can be cooked up using a variety of methods, but you just can't go wrong simmering them long and slow in a good broth.

*Oh!
One more thing!
*
They have a gland on the forelegs (for-arms, if you will) that is rather recognizable once you skin them. Put a knife through that gland and you'll wish you were eating raw seasoned cow-pattie..... Carefully remove the glands and all associated plumbing! (then rinse, just to make sure!)

Porcupine, on the other hand, I can't ever remember trying!

We got a few out back girdling the trees about 10' up and I'm thinking we need to thin them out sometime soon, so I may get the opportunity.

Anybody have recommendations for cooking porcupine?

-regards


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## lovetogrow

Never had groundhog but did make some **** jerky once upon a time and it was really good and tasty


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## *Andi

Groundhog makes a nice meal ... the younger the better but an older one can be done ... 

It is all in the parboil ...  (please someone open a window... )

Ramps make a nice side dish... that way you only have to open the window once ...


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## camo2460

*Andi said:


> Groundhog makes a nice meal ... the younger the better but an older one can be done ...
> 
> It is all in the parboil ...  (please someone open a window... )
> 
> Ramps make a nice side dish... that way you only have to open the window once ...


Yeah, I cooked Ramps in the house ONE time. My wife told me that if I EVER did that again I'd be living out in the yard. They tasted good, but OMG does the smell linger. LOL


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## HardCider

Like what was said above, young ones are good, meat is dark, old ones get a little tough. Beaver is way better and you don't need to parboil. Roasted slow, trim as much fat off as you can and it is very good and very tender


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## jeff47041

I've never heard of ramps. Had to look them up. Now I'm gonna have to find some.

I've also never actually seen a live porcupine or a beaver. Man, I gotta get out more.


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## moondancer

jeff47041 said:


> I've never heard of ramps. Had to look them up. Now I'm gonna have to find some.
> 
> I've also never actually seen a live porcupine or a beaver. Man, I gotta get out more.


Wow that just made me think how much damage all the technology of the world has taken us away from life as ppl of nature . Well that and animals aren't as plentiful . You should get out more even if ya don't hunt just get outside it's food for the soul in these days of techno everything


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## HardCider

Actually, beavers are very plentiful to the point of being a problem in many places. You just don't see a lot of the more nocturnal species. The majority of beavers I have seen were at night or pulled from one of my conibears, snares or longsprings. Same with muskrats. The good thing about them is they won't get shot out as fast as large game and the majority of people have no idea how to be an efficient trapper. It's not politically correct any more so it's not taught much any more. You can even catch them in the dead of winter under the ice when others will just walk on by. I also like the silent nature of trapping


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## moondancer

HardCider said:


> Actually, beavers are very plentiful to the point of being a problem in many places. You just don't see a lot of the more nocturnal species. The majority of beavers I have seen were at night or pulled from one of my conibears, snares or longsprings. Same with muskrats. The good thing about them is they won't get shot out as fast as large game and the majority of people have no idea how to be an efficient trapper. It's not politically correct any more so it's not taught much any more. You can even catch them in the dead of winter under the ice when others will just walk on by. I also like the silent nature of trapping


I'm new to trapping and can't find anyone around me that traps ( or they won't say ) so it's a learn as I go and that's fine it's not to make money for me it's for my own use of hides and meet . I like the fact that I can use all of the animal nothing goes to waist but I have a long way to go in skill of trapping


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## HardCider

It would be a great skill to learn. It's silent, unobtrusive, and is out there working for you while you are doing other things. Don't set large conibears on dry land where someone's dog could wander through and size your footholds to your target as small as possible for a humane catch. The new dog proof **** traps are awesome but stand out like a sore thumb to someone who knows what they are looking for. Good luck and look up your state trapping association and you maybe able to find a mentor.


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## LincTex

camo2460 said:


> Opossum, on the other hand, should be live trapped and kept in a cage for a month and fed table scraps to get rid of that scavenger taste.


This is true of many wild animals... they "taste like" whatever it is that they have been eating. Yuck.


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## Jimthewagontraveler

Ground hog is the best meat I have ever eaten.
You do need to remove the fat packs off the back and butt before cooking they smell and taste like skunk scent.
Parboil well then cook like any other meat.
Very tender dark meat.


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## moondancer

HardCider said:


> It would be a great skill to learn. It's silent, unobtrusive, and is out there working for you while you are doing other things. Don't set large conibears on dry land where someone's dog could wander through and size your footholds to your target as small as possible for a humane catch. The new dog proof **** traps are awesome but stand out like a sore thumb to someone who knows what they are looking for. Good luck and look up your state trapping association and you maybe able to find a mentor.


In my state I can't use snares except on my own prop and they have many other regs for trap size


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## HardCider

I hear you about all the regs these days. Hardly any regs against DP traps if you have raccoons. A lot states allow larger bodygrips if you submerge them so check into that and if you have to go below a 6" jaw spread, go with the better made, 4 coil traps for more holding power. A 1.5 or a 1.75 is big enough for most furbearers and still kind of small. And 110 bodygrips come in handy for muskrats, mink and the smaller furbearers most of us have. Also don't discount box traps for some of the less wary furbearers like bobcat, *****, fishers, and groundhogs or colony traps for 'rats


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