Anybody eat possum

[rast]

 Couldn't help it. Heres how my Grandaddy did it. Take his dog, a long pole and a croaker bag. Go out and shine a possum, get it down with the pole, while the dog kept it occupied he'd grab it by the tail and stuff it in the croaker bag. He'd dump it in what he called his cleaning cage. To clean it he fed it table scraps for a week or so. Then he'd kill and clean it and Granny would bake it.   No, I don't (yet).

[Jerrymac]

There's a road kill possum close to here. Been there a couple of weeks. I figure if the coyotes haven't dragged it off they must not he worth eating.

[TwT]

not no but h*** no, some where that thing been in a dead animals rear, I wouldn't do it on "fear factor" but i wouldn't eat hardly anything on there either , besides being from Louisiana I heard they are greasy   

[asprince]

Does it taste like chicken?

Steve

[HAB]

Had a taste as a Kid down at my Great Grandparents Farm.  Was the most greasy thing I ever tasted.  Other than that wasn't to bad.  But that was fifty years ago.  It probably doesn't count.

[iddee]

>>>>some where that thing been in a dead animals rear,<<<<

But you eat eggs. Does it really matter whether the animal's rear was dead or alive.   

I ate possum from the time I could set at the table until I was big enough to go to the neighbors to eat. I haven't eaten it since.
My father loved it. He did the same, except instead of table scraps, he fed them nothing but bread and milk.

[HAB]

>>>>some where that thing been in a dead animals rear,<<<<

But you eat eggs. Does it really matter whether the animal's rear was dead or alive.   

I ate possum from the time I could set at the table until I was big enough to go to the neighbors to eat. I haven't eaten it since.
My father loved it. He did the same, except instead of table scraps, he fed them nothing but bread and milk.

My Great GrandFather kept them in cages also.  About a foot apart, fed them soaked corn and sweet potatoes. There were NO table scraps except for bone from his table.  If you put it on your plate you sat there til it was gone.   

[asprince]

Had a taste as a Kid down at my Great Grandparents Farm.  Was the most greasy thing I ever tasted.  Other than that wasn't to bad.  But that was fifty years ago.  It probably doesn't count.

Then it must taste like pork?

Steve

[Scadsobees]

I'd guess it tastes like kangaroo.  Same family, anyway....

[JP]

Was never offered it as a kid, never knew anyone who ate it, but may have innocently tried it then. Now, no way, no how. Like Ted, I've seen them come out of the wrong end of a cow more than once.

Seems the people who put them on a clean diet before butchering have the right idea though, but no thanks.


...JP

[Big John]

not bad if you cook it in a pressure cooker for about 10min and then fry it like breaded chicken, meat is a little greasy and the bones is kinda white.  I would say it depends on how hungry you are.   

[danno]

In the 80s when i lived in Alaska a group of guys I knew snared a fox, cooked and ate it.  They said they wanted to know that they could in a survival situation.  How dumb is that. I told them they could eat each other to survive but they didn't need to try it first.  Not everything tastes like chicken

[JP]

There's a funny recount of the famous archer Howard Hill having killed a fox with his bow and instead of cooking one of the wild pigs they had hanging at camp he cooked the fox. Everyone at supper had seconds and even thirds. One guy however, found a unique bone in his food that was no pig bone and the cat was out the bag.

The guy who found the bone was very upset even after he had eaten two plates worth of fox.

BTW, the book is titled Hunting The Hard Way. If you have any interest in archery or hunting it is a must read. Amazon.com: Hunting the Hard Way: Howard Hill: Books


...JP

[pdmattox]

I have never been that hungry.

[poka-bee]

Ick   They smell awful & have "cooties" but they are easy to catch & if you keep em a month or so feeding clean type veggies & cooked enough to kill any parasites they would do better than starving & watching em eat your chix...I'd have to be pretty hungry though..would rather eat pine bark & squirrels.  J

[Brian D. Bray]

Ick   They smell awful & have "cooties" but they are easy to catch & if you keep em a month or so feeding clean type veggies & cooked enough to kill any parasites they would do better than starving & watching em eat your chix...I'd have to be pretty hungry though..would rather eat pine bark & squirrels.  J

Hey, squirrels are delish.  My brother and I used to bark squirrels* and chipmonks when we were teenagers.  Kind of a Davy Crockett phase.  Mostly they were so small that the only meat worth eating was the hind legs and loin of the back.  Very much like rabbit only sweeter.

*Barking squirrels is the art of shooting at a squirrel so that the bullet hits and fragments the bark on the tree.  The bark then flies up and kills the squirrel by blunt force.  If you shoot a squirrel directly, chances are there isn't going to be enough left to eat.  It takes a good eye, a steady hand, and a lot of target practice.

We also used to make spears out of willow branches.  We'd then dive in the river and spear suckers and bull trout which we cooked over an open fire.  We would then gut the fish, wrap them in maple leaves and place it on a large piece of work or stone.  The leaf wrapped fish was then plastered to the wood or rock with mud and sand from the river bottom.  Very delish, and if stuffed with whatever wild berries were in season was even better.

All this comes under the heading of  stories and  entertainment.

[danno]

BTW, the book is titled Hunting The Hard Way. If you have any interest in archery or hunting it is a must read. Amazon.com: Hunting the Hard Way: Howard Hill: Books


...JP

JP
Haven't thought about Howard Hill since the 70s.  I have read the book.  He shot a real mans bow.  90# bamboo stick bow at thing like elephants

[JP]

Danno, there weren't then or now that could hang with Howard. Actually if my memory serves me right he shot 95-100 lbs, the man was naturally very strong!

Was having trouble posting links earlier, here's another try http://www.bowhuntershalloffame.com/members/hillhoward/index.html

Another very cool thing he did was bowfish under water with a weighted suit. Now I've bowfished on the shore and in a boat but underwater bowfishing! It seems to defy certain laws that it can even be done. If my memory serves me on that one I belive he used a bow well over 100lbs draw to accomplish that task.


...JP

[danno]

The following is a partial list compiled from Howard Hills field notes showing his BOW & ARROW KILLS:

GAME KILLED IN AFRICA

BIRDS

Egyptian Goose......1
Sand Grouse......4
Guinea Fowl......10
Lesser Bustard......6
Greater Bustard......2
Golden Crested Crane......1
Marabou Stork......2
Spur Fowl......6
Ducks......12
Hornbill......1
Buzzard......3 
BIG GAME

Elephant......3
Buffalo......1
Lions......2
Leopard......1
Zebra......1
Impala......4
Wildebeest......2
Thomson's Gazelle......2
Hartebeest......1
Grant's Gazelle......2
Wart Hog......3
Forest Hog......1
Cheetah......2
REPTILES & FISH

Crocodile......13
Rock Python......3
Spotted Cobra......1
Black Mamba......2
Horned Viper......12
Catfish......12
Captain......1
OTHER ANIMALS

Jackals......2
Hyenas......4
Bat Eared Fox......3
Mongoose......4
Spring Hare......6
True Hare......8
GAME KILLED IN NORTH AMERICA

BIG GAME

Buffalo......1
Moose......4
Elk......3
Wild Jackass......12
Black Bear......6
Grizzly Bear......1
Mule Deer......27
White Tail Deer......7
Dwarf Deer......2
Black Tail Deer......36
Pacific Coast Deer......4
Pronghorn Antelope......4
Mountain Sheep......3
Wild Goat......129
Mountain Goat......2
Peccary......6
Wild Boar......101
Cougar......5
Jaguar......1
Lynx Cat......3
Bobcat......12
Timber Wolf......1
Coyote......5
Bull Hairy Seal......6
Bull Elephant Seal......1
SMALL GAME

Badger......6
Fox......12
Raccoon......25
Beaver......3
Armadillo......3
Rabbit (estimate)......1500
Opossum......6
Gray Squirrel......20
Red Squirrel......9
Ground Squirrel......500
Flying Squirrel......3
Rock Chuck......7
Ground Hog......4
Chipmunk......9
Marten......2
Mink......3
Weasel......6
FISH

Shark......40
Sailfish......3
Black Marlin Swordfish......1
Salt Water Rock Bass......3
Tuna......30
Ray......25
Swordfish......8
Sheephead......12
California Flying Fish......7
Mango Snapper......30
Salmon......25
Royal Chinook......64
Rainbow Trout......30
Broadbill Swordfish......2
Brook Trout......20
Small Mouth Bass......3
Large Mouth Bass......50
Cut Throat Trout......20
Scissor Bill Gar......250
Alligator Gar......2
BIRDS

Eagle......4
Hawk......17
Owl......8
Buzzard......20
Crow......7
Raven......3
Sand Hill Crane......3
Blue Grouse......26
Dusky Grouse......18
Ruffed Grouse......31
Fool Hen......40
Partridge......6
Bittern......1
Chukar Partridge......8
Sage Hen......35
Prairie Chicken......8
Ducks on the Wing......20
Other Ducks......30
Chinese Pheasant......21
Wild Turkey......4
Canadian Goose......2
Woodcock......4
Wilson Jacksnipe......8
California Mt. Quail......6
California Valley Quail......40
REPTILES

Alligator......8
Snake......100
Gila Monster......4
Iguana......6
Desert Swift......30
Fresh Water Turtle......20
Loggerhead Turtle......6
Giant Sea Turtle......3

[JP]

Nice list Danno, I wonder when it was he killed the captain?


...JP