This is - sort of - from the survival firearms thread.

In case you're wondering, killing an animal is the easy part. Preparing it to eat is another thing entirely. Like so many things about being "prepared" you think you'll know what to do because you're well read on the subject, but until you actually do it, it's not really "in there".

Case in point - small game. You'd be surprised at how much work goes into preparing a rabbit for a stewpot until you've done it. Even a chicken can take a while to prepare to eat.

I've been trying to increase my small game hunting - and eating - as much as I can, but I gotta tell ya, it's pretty hard work compared to opening the fridge and putting a burger in the pan. Not to mention I can't stand the taste of squirell. Rabbit is OK. Pheasant is wonderful. Duck & Goose is horrid.

Just a few thoughts.

Fry it in bacon grease - it's all good.

As far as prep, you really don't even have to have a knife for rabbits and small birds. Well, for 80% of what you do the knife doesn't contribute a lot. The last 20% is easier and cleaner with something sharp. I won't go into the grizzly details but small animals are thin-skinned.

Yep, with small birds (Dove) I just tear open the breast skin and pull the breasts out. No knife required.

Basic rule of deer camp cooking:

You can eat anything, if you have enough bacon grease and onions.

Hey Marty...
Next time, try broiling the duck with garlic & butter... it's FANtastic.

Troy

Keep working on it, Martin. It becomes second nature. True, after a day of walking (and sometimes a long drive home) cleaning the game is a bit of a pain, but it gets easier with practice.

Tip: Gerber's game shears work pretty darn well. Two pair of those and a Rapala folding filet knife always ride in my hunting bag.

Tip 2: Re the second set of shears: When the other guy says, "Gee, forgot my shears ... I'll just watch" hand him the spares. And if he says, "I don''t know how" ... hand 'em the spares and tell him, "Watch and learn."

Tip 3: Be careful trimming your game if you're very tired ... Was tidying up a pheasant under cool water just prior to freezer-bagging one evening and darn near cut myself to the knuckle.

Observation: There's a little bird that beats 'em all for scrumptiousness: bobwhite quail.

"Next time, try broiling the duck with garlic & butter... it's FANtastic."

I'd like to give that a try. Butter and garlic under skin, then briol?