Groundhog for supper?

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H

Heartbroken

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Just wondering if anyone has tried it. The darn critters are pests here. They're cute just sitting in the backyard chomping on dandelions and I'd leave them alone if they weren't causing so much damage, undermining my sheds and the new cement by the new shop building. I've lost count but must have shot almost a dozen this summer. The last couple have been big and fat and would have made quite a big batch of stew, but I'm not that hungry, the idea of rodent for supper just isn't appetizing. But since they seem to eat grass and the apples that fell from my tree, I got to wondering what they taste like. On the plus side I've gotten to be a pretty good shot from the upstairs window so guess I'm in good practice for the zombie apocalypse.
 
Nope, never had ground hog, which is a close cousin of squirrels. Eaten lots of squirrel dumplings though... Made just like chicken-n-dumplings.

Oh, those fat fuzzy blobs can climb trees too. I didn't believe it until I saw it. Was up in the orchard one morning (200 peach trees). Dogs were going nuts around one tree so I investigated.

I pushed a heavy limb of peaches aside and found myself face to face with a fat ground hog eating my peaches. Sitting on a limb like he owned it. Granted, these trees are heavily pruned, a commercial orchard and not very tall. But still, I didn't know what to think!
 
I used to sell them whole, got from ten cents to a quarter each. I was about eleven y/o and that was the start of my professional hunting career. Blossomed into 39 years Alaska Big Game Hunting Guide.
 
I love groundhog! they're vegetarians, so no need to put them up and let them clean out. you can crock pot them with potatoes, carrots and cabbage or roast them in the oven with sweet potato wedges and corn draped in bacon, or just stew the meat and make groundhog stew or sloppy Joe groundhog! Parboil cut up pieces about half done and fry it like chicken and use the grease to make gravy for the taters and biscuits! I have heard they can be cured and smoked as well.
 
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Pearl said:
YEP, ate them as a kid!! Better than snapping turtle soup!!
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A bowl of dishwater is better than snapping turtle, I've eaten it 3 times, it was terrible each time.
 
It's a war, I swear. I though the one I just shot was the one digging in my garden, but no. I have a small birdbath in my garden and I glanced out the window and thought what the heck? Finally realized what I was seeing was fat hairy groundhog bum hanging out of the birdbath. The darn thing was relaxing in the birdbath! I tried to open the window real quiet-like, but it heard it and vanished down the hole so I didn't get a shot. Grrr. After work tomorrow I'm going to fill the hole with gravel, it's undermining the new cement between the garden and the shop building. I don't know anything about the traps laying around here, but if I can figure a couple of them out I'm going to set them right next to the hole. I really hate these destructive critters.
 
Heartbroken said:
It's a war, I swear. I though the one I just shot was the one digging in my garden, but no. I have a small birdbath in my garden and I glanced out the window and thought what the heck? Finally realized what I was seeing was fat hairy groundhog bum hanging out of the birdbath. The darn thing was relaxing in the birdbath! I tried to open the window real quiet-like, but it heard it and vanished down the hole so I didn't get a shot. Grrr. After work tomorrow I'm going to fill the hole with gravel, it's undermining the new cement between the garden and the shop building. I don't know anything about the traps laying around here, but if I can figure a couple of them out I'm going to set them right next to the hole. I really hate these destructive critters.
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Eat 'em!
 
I used to be inundated with them here, they must have gotten tired of losing family members, consequently I rarely see one anymore. :cool:
 
Nutria....think I saw one on that swamp people show, along with the gators and snakes and spiders as big as my hand. o_O I could never survive south of the Mason-Dixon. I prefer the nasty critters to freeze to death or at least hibernate for a while and give me some peace.

With my luck the groundhog would give me a belly ache in revenge.
 
Heartbroken said:
Nutria....think I saw one on that swamp people show, along with the gators and snakes and spiders as big as my hand. o_O I could never survive south of the Mason-Dixon. I prefer the nasty critters to freeze to death or at least hibernate for a while and give me some peace.
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Naa, you just need a good cook that knows how to make a good Roux or gumbo. :thumbs:
You'd be amazed what all they can make taste fantastic.
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Nutria are headed north, they've sighted them here in a few creeks.
When I sight one I'll let you know what kills them best and what the BBQ tastes like.
 
Never tried ground hog, "whistle pig"... There are several varieties of the animal from ground hog, marmot, maybe more..

My Sweetie went to the wild game feed fund raiser for a conservation, wild life management organization and said cougar was very good...
 
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