How to clean a rabbit
- Thread starter MJB
- Start date
So, in the summer months what's a good rule of thumb on how long between the kill and dressing the rabbit? Also, wondering about best methods for dispatching a wounded rabbit? I tried one hand around the neck and a quick jerk to the back legs but wasn't as quick as I would have liked.
Dispatching a wounded one, I just step on its neck. Pretty quick. As for cleaning, others may disagree, but I wait until after the hunt to clean em all. Never had a problem even on warmer days.
I tried the squeeze method late this afternoon with a cottontail I'd just taken, but all I managed to do was turn his insides to goo 
Any tips on how to avoid doing that?
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Any tips on how to avoid doing that?Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
I tried the squeeze method late this afternoon with a cottontail I'd just taken, but all I managed to do was turn his insides to goo
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Yes..........Filet it.........
Noted, lol. I'll just keep working on my fileting (is that a word?) skills thenYes..........Filet it.........
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This is the exact method I use but I typically use a knife and cut at the joints to prevent sharp bones (sharp bones equals holes in your vacuum sealed bags). This is the method I was taught as a boy. I've tried several other quick methods of cleaning rabbits and game birds (stepping on the wings and pulling the legs up) but I always go back to the good ole ways. Tried and True!
Ok cool, thanks! I'll stick to the more traditional method next time. Goofing up the squeeze method made quite a mess!
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As far as best way to dispatch a rabbit. I learned this method a while ago and it works wonders. Quick and easy. Grab the rabbit's legs with one hand. Grab both ears with the other. Turn the rabbit head 180 degrees and re-position your hand on the ears. Think of it as making the rabbit look backwards a bit. Now pull your hands apart extending the neck. Neck breaks immediately and rabbit is toast. It's a very easy method. If you want, for good measure, after, release the hand on the ears and karate chop the back of the neck afterwards. I saw Bear Grylls do this method years ago on TV and have used it every since. It's very effective. I'm too lazy but I bet there is a youtube video of him doing it.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Your hunch that it's on YouTube was accurate. I found it at
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Your hunch that it's on YouTube was accurate. I found it at
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That's it! Instead of holding the head on the ground I just hold the rabbit by his ears. The method is as effective as it looks on TV. It's quick. Try it out next time.
Try stepping on the neck.. quick and easy. Also works for turkey, when they're doing their death flaps and you don't wanna get kicked in the chops.
Bumping this up for any other newbie that might find it helpful. Got my first rabbit today, and let's just say it was a learning experience. It's one thing to watch videos and read how to do something but it's a whole different ball game when you're hands on.