Rabbit Stew

Looks like it will be a all bunny diet around here for a while. Apparently this is the boom year for snowshoe rabbits in my area. The swamp is thick with rabbit runs and they are mowing down blueberry bushes and tree seedlings like there is no tomorrow. Either because of the presence of wolves in the area or a low in their cycle, predators like fox and coyote are not here this year. That leaves me to act as predator and bring their numbers down before they eat themselves out of house and home and destroy my orchard. Snowshoe rabbits are not the tastiest wild game you will ever eat but you can eat them, you just have to season it properly. Anytime you are cooking snowshoe rabbits the recipe should start with instructions to boil it for several hours or give instructions on how to sharpen your knives,you will need a sharp one! I believe the proper name of these critters is "Varying Hare" due to the fact that their color varies through the year, they are only white in the winter. If you live in jack rabbit country, this is the northern model. If you decide to eat them, use lots of onions and garlic. We have only got this one so far but we are saving the hides and will be tanning them once we have a few to work with. Although they do shed forever, rabbit furs are very warm and can be used for a variety of garments.