Mathews Inc.
Kill it? then eat it!
Small Game
Contributors to this thread:
Paul@thefort 20-Dec-22
fuzzy 20-Dec-22
RK 20-Dec-22
Huntiam 20-Dec-22
MA-PAdeerslayer 20-Dec-22
buckfevered 20-Dec-22
Jim McNamara 20-Dec-22
Bigdog 21 20-Dec-22
Corax_latrans 20-Dec-22
Corax_latrans 20-Dec-22
Corax_latrans 20-Dec-22
TrapperKayak 20-Dec-22
Paul@thefort 20-Dec-22
Jim McNamara 21-Dec-22
fuzzy 21-Dec-22
Groundhunter 21-Dec-22
PushCoArcher 21-Dec-22
Highlife 21-Dec-22
JohnMC 21-Dec-22
Brian M. 21-Dec-22
fuzzy 22-Dec-22
DL 22-Dec-22
APauls 22-Dec-22
fuzzy 23-Dec-22
From: Paul@thefort
20-Dec-22

Paul@thefort's embedded Photo
Paul@thefort's embedded Photo
Ok, I have to admit that I have killed a crow, a coyote, and ground squirrel, a racoon that I did not eat. But that could change.

As most of you know I like to waterfowl hunt and most of the geese I have killed is with the bow and arrow, from a tent blind over decoys., Ie, the Yard Hopper goose series which is now showing on this same small game conference.

No doubt, mallard ducks are our favorite and we have a variety of recipes to prepare some mouth watering meals. Actually, the same for Canada Goose but here is a new one that I just tried for the first time. Goose burger

GOOSE BURGER: I cut out the goose breast from the three geese I killed the other day and then cut each breast into three long pieces. I bathed all of the meat in salt water to eliminate the blood. I did this 4-5, and well drained and washed the meat in cool water. The last bath in salt water was bagged in a zip lock and place in the refrigerator over night for the last bath.

The next step was to cut away all of the silver skin and any fat. I ended up with 3 pounds of meat which I partly froze for three hours, and then ground up in the meat grinder to burger consistency.

Step three: I purchased 1.5 pounds of hickory smoked thick cut bacon and used half, of it for this goose recipe of which I also ran through the grinder.

Step four: I blended in the grinder, the goose meat and the bacon together and also added a hand full of white chopped onion and a few hand-full of Progresso breading mix, again blending all together. I let this set for a few hours out side in the cool ness to all blend together and then made into 1/2 pound paddies. The bacon and the breading mix helped the meat stick together, gave the meat some sizzle, and added some bacon taste to the meat.

Step five: To cook, I use vegetable oil in a frying pan, med heat and cooked for at least 3.5 minutes per side, to more that medium done but not well done, with very little to no pink in the middle. The final stages of cooking, I added some grated cheddar cheese to melt.

We made a salad and had some cranberry sauce on the side. After a few test bites of the goose burger, Tricia and I both agreed it is winner and we will do this again. As a "ham burger on a bun" it would also be good with lettuce and tomato.

Kill it, yea, eat it!. My best, Paul

From: fuzzy
20-Dec-22
Don't under rate Crows and raccoons for eating. Crow breast fillets are excellent battered and fried (tenderize with meat mallet) raccoon is great as pulled "pork" barbecue

From: RK
20-Dec-22
Fuzzy. You are special

From: Huntiam
20-Dec-22
Coon is better than black bear imho ..

20-Dec-22
I have heard stories or bbq pulled coon…..never tried it tho

From: buckfevered
20-Dec-22
Served a lot of bbq pulled coon to disabled deer hunters, they’re high school aged helpers, and volunteers. Everyone looked forward to it.

From: Jim McNamara
20-Dec-22
Paul that's a great idea. We slow cooked young ones, sliced for jerky and ground for summer sausage but NEVER thought of making burgers. Can't wait to try it. Although I have never tried crow I can say coon roasts up great. Now I have to wonder how it would be as burger!??

From: Bigdog 21
20-Dec-22
Had some duck made into sausage.

20-Dec-22
Man, I’ve eaten a LOT of crow over the years, but at least its Brain Food when digested properly….

20-Dec-22
Man, I’ve eaten a LOT of crow over the years, but at least its Brain Food when digested properly….

20-Dec-22
Oh, and dutch-oven jackrabbit with apples, raisins, onions and sour cream. Now that I have a crockpot, I’d probably go that route.

Pine squirrel over a twig fire tastes awfully good too, when you’ve been hiking all day and getting cold. They just need some salt…..

From: TrapperKayak
20-Dec-22
Muskrat...yum!

From: Paul@thefort
20-Dec-22
Jim. I make burger from the turkey breasts also but just use the smoked, thick cut bacon, 20% as the only add to. Very good.

From: Jim McNamara
21-Dec-22
Thanks Paul. I usually grind my turkey as well, making it into sausages. Appreciate the added bonus to your goose hunt. Your pup is in good hands!

From: fuzzy
21-Dec-22
Trapperkayak you know it! Muskrat is my favorite meat of the small critters. RK you're right. I'm not real bright but I can cook! Lol

From: Groundhunter
21-Dec-22
I sold muskrat meat as a kid. My dad advertised it as "marsh rabbitt"

From: PushCoArcher
21-Dec-22
Those goose breast make good pastrami as well. I've had coon it's not bad use to be fairly common around here not so much anymore. Still a few that eat it I had 5 people want one last year already up to 3 this year. They have become inexplicably popular at super bowl parties the last few years where I live. I'm on board with eat what you kill for the most part but I ain't eating coyote, skunk, or opossum. I've had bobcat and it's not bad at all better then coon but beaver is the best by far just tastes like beef. Make sure and pressure cook or crockpot the back legs or else they're tough only issue I've had with beaver.

From: Highlife
21-Dec-22
Bbq coon mmmmmm it's what's for dinner!

From: JohnMC
21-Dec-22
Paul I think it the bacon over whelming the goose that makes it taste good.

From: Brian M.
21-Dec-22
I've ground up beaver and made burgers, didn't add anything to it. Very good, but soft before cooking.

From: fuzzy
22-Dec-22
PushCoArcher I've had a lot of problems with Beaver and they usually start with the back legs

From: DL
22-Dec-22
I’ve eaten a lot of crow. Much of it on this site. It always has a bad after taste, kinda bitter.

I’ve heard of people eating coyote. The one conclusion I’ve come to is don’t let any hair get on the meat and wear gloves. Skin change gloves then remove meat. Other wise it will taste like the coyote smells. But maybe they just taste like that anyway.

From: APauls
22-Dec-22
Ground goose is the favourite in our extended family of all the ground meats. Mixed with beef fat at time of grinding.

From: fuzzy
23-Dec-22
If you follow my canning threads consider canning some "non traditional protein sources". Almost everything is improved by canning. Squirrel, duck, goose, groundhog etc. Speaking of groundhog, the best bratwurst I've ever made was groundhog. Brunswick stew is another good use for them. I dress and freeze them and make a huge pot when I have enough, then can it.

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