Roadkill, pidgeons,squirl, seagulls, rats, alley cat, etc.

[jeanontheroad]

There was a book out there about 30 gears ago called The Roadkill Cookbook. Don't know if it is still available.

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Yup, just checked. It is.

 

[Zil]

sl1966, Yes the key is in the taste. I find seagulls to be not tasty. rabbit, Guinea pig, all rodents and although a little gamey, not bad tasting. skinned out and dressed, cats look like rabbits.

 

[compassrose]

Excuse me, I am a 7th gen Florida Cracker. I grew up eating venison, mullet and sea turtle (before it was outlawed... bummer). And yes we did eat non-venison roadkill once. Funny story. We were driving over to my parent's house in NC on a two lane back road. Not a whole lot of traffic on it but there was a car in front of us, several vehicle lengths away. As we are winding thru the curves of the road, a squirrel darted out in front of the car. The car swerved to miss it. The idiot squirrel dodged back IN FRONT of the car and we watched it bounce up and down under the car like it was trying to get hit. We had slowed way down so we could watch to see if the car was going to drive into the creek trying to avoid the squirrel. The car managed to avoid both the creek and the squirrel and drove off. The squirrel stood in the middle of the lane and looked at the car, then turned around and looked at us. We were in a full size pickup truck and laughingly figured there was no way we would hit the squirrel unless it ran directly under a tire. The silly fool jumped up and we hit the squirrel with our bumper. We got out and the fool was dead. I told David if it went to that much effort to commit suicide then it was a shame to let all it's efforts go to waste. We plopped it in the back of the truck and took it home to skin, clean and fry up with a nice milk gravy. That was the first time I ever ate roadkill that wasn't a freshly hit deer. Most folks we knew realized it was better to take the hit deer than turn it in to the insurance company as you lost money turning deer damage in because the insurance rates would rise. All the state troopers and game wardens we knew had freezers full of roadkill venison.

I know I would have a problem eating a dog or cat (I still think of them as pets). I would not have a problem eating most other things. I'm not sure about a rat. But I have eaten plenty of what we call "tree rats" (squirrel). I've raised hogs, chickens and rabbits (nasty mean critters) for food. Horse would also not be a problem. I've heard horse meat is tasty. I am concerned about anti-biotics and hormones pumped into animals destined for food consumption.

And BTW.... I hate the renaming of food. It's DOLPHIN not MAHI-MAHI! Morons think they are eating Flipper. Not even close. Calimari is octopus. The list goes on and on. A food by any other name and so on. I grossed a friend out of eating veal (It's beef that is under 1 yo... "you're going to eat BABY COWS!!!" She really didn't know as she thought veal came from "veals") and shrimp ("You know the sand vein is poop"). Yes, I'm evil but I got to eat her shrimp and that is the most important thing. You should have seen her turn green when she ordered "Prime Rib" and after she got it and started eating it, I got into a discussion with the waiter on how long it was "aged" (14 months.... "that means it hung around for over a year before they cut it up and sold it. You realize that meat is over a year old. You're eating OOOOLLLLDDDD meat"). Served her right for being pretentious and ordering over priced meat, not because she really liked but because it was "Prime Rib" and the most expensive thing on the menu.

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Catfish is a "bottom-feeder" or "scavenger". I love a good grilled catfish, second only to deep fried catfish. With grits and coleslaw. Hushpuppies only if they are good and not doughy. A quart jar of sweet iced tea. A pie to go with that would be nice. Like Lemon Meringue. Or maybe some Banana Pudding, the kind made with Nilla wafers and cooked pudding, not instant. Now I'm hungry. Gotta go find some lunch.

 

[Zil]

Calamari is an Italian word for squid. Octopus tastes much better than squid. Imitation calamari is cut from pork bung. (rectum)
MMM fried catfish. Flour, egg/milk dip, flour w/salt pepper to taste, pan fry in about 1/2 inch of hot oil. turn and finish.Wild caught tastes better than farmed, but farmed comes cleaned, and earns some piney a few bucks.

 

[GotSmart]

I am eating rice today. Thankyouallverrymuch

 

[mockturtle]

Hard for me to believe that a rat would be as tasty or filling as beans and cornbread.

 

[akrvbob]

In the Anchorage, Alaska area alone there are over 300 moose killed on the streets every year; each with up to 2000 pounds of great meat. The State Troopers keep a list of charities authorized to get it and they go down the list with each roadkill and call them to come and get it. If they can't, the next charity on the list gets a call.

There's nothing wrong with fresh roadkill. But there is something very very wrong with a society that finds it repugnant!!! That society is what's repugnant.
Bob

 

[Lucky mike]

stuffed Gator Tail!!!!!!...................yummmy!!!!!!

 

[mockturtle]

I don't think very many here find the idea repugnant. I certainly don't. Just pointless, when there are so many easy, tasty and nutritious alternatives. Moose roadkill? Absolutely! Moose meat is wonderful! Alley cat? Really? Only if I were literally starving. YMMV, of course.

 

[Trekking]

I have a friend whose husband sends her out every am to collect road kill. I just shake my head. I have no problem eating a rodent or seed eating bird, I would have to be starving to eat a seagull, or very hungry to eat a cat. There was a man in my piney youth that brought skinned cats into town to sell as dressed rabbit. If any one wants, about in the middle of the novel "Gravities Rainbow" is a very good fireplace recipe for cat. The book "4 hour Chef" by Timothy Ferriss has directions for capturing pigeons, in the park, by stealth. By all reports from Stalingrad and post war Europe, cat does not taste too bad.

Catching pigeon you use a fishing nets under the hwy overpasses as that is where they hide at night.

 

[GotSmart]

This thread is like a band aid. You do not want to open it and look, but are compelled to.

 

[highdesertranger]

ha ha smart. you are so right. highdesertranger

 

[sl1966]

sl1966, Yes the key is in the taste. I find seagulls to be not tasty. rabbit, Guinea pig, all rodents and although a little gamey, not bad tasting. skinned out and dressed, cats look like rabbits.

Zil, very glad that you've bucked cultural customs and tried what's out there. Honestly, any animal is just meat. Same as any plant is just a vegetable. As a species we stand a greater chance of survival by letting go of cultural and especially religious customs when it comes to food. Anyone unwilling to let go of them, well ... sorry to see you go.

 

[camadeva]

Human meat's pretty tasty

 

[sl1966]

Human meat's pretty tasty

Not that I practice or even condone cannibalism (especially with the large variety of animal life available, excluding threatened or endangered species), but it is very much a part of our history/pre-history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism

And it's even been made a humorous addition in some cases ... http://umc.colorado.edu/dining/aprg ... do some further research into Alferd Packer.

 

[Reducto]

Human meat's pretty tasty

Tastes like pork, I've heard.

 

[cannedsquatch]

I was driving back down to the twin cities from guluth, and some girl flagged me down, she had hit a deer, so I called the police. They sent a trooper to help because the deer was still alive, the trooper looked at me and asked if I wanted it, I replied by pressing the trunk button on my keyfob...
I will eat roadkill, after inspection of course, and especially in the winter, always check the eyes, and tongue, also check for rigor mortis...
If I find one that passes my tests, I field clean ot, and deposit the innards (sans liver and heart) in a two plastic trash bags...
The rest is just like I shot it myself...

Sometimes the most effective bullet weighs two tons and has headlights!

 

[Zil]

Tastes like pork, I've heard.

Not really. Kind of funky. More like old tobacco ashtrays smell. Except for vegans, that is more a fishy taste, stronger than old shrimp.

 

[LeeRevell]

Squirrels are excellent eating. I have hunted and eaten them since I was young.
When young, Dad introduced me to some other fine eating.....
Nice fat Robins, the large King Woodpeckers (I'd bag one on most early squirrel hunting trips), coots (a waterbird normally considered 'trash').
I'd take a fat Robin over a Quail or Dove any day. Bigger and meatier.
Dad was a postal employee, and had a Black co-worker who took all the Coots we could shoot while Duck hunting. So we tried them once - a bit greasy but okay.
Dad told me of his youth in the thirties and forties - Ducks were considered 'trash' by the rich folks, and left to the poor to eat. Those rich folks wanted the Geese. My, how things have changed!
The big Muscovy Ducks can be found in many urban/city park settings. Don't know if the foul beasts are protected? They tend to be ill-tempered brutes, unlike a proper wild duck. Never eaten one, but I hear they can taste a bit 'greasy' too.
After having killed two home-invading Possums on two separate occasions late at night, I would not eat one - filthy stinking critters that eat all manner of trash and carrion.
Rat I would consider as no different than it's cousin the Squirrel - both similar sized rodents. A good air rifle is good for bagging both, or a simple trap. Birds are easily trapped too. I have read of the homeless in cities bagging Pigeons this way.

 

[Zil]

One quail makes at least two robins here on the east coastal plain. As far as flavor, a wild critter that lives on a vegetation diet taste better. As rodent goes, rabbit, squirrel, muskrat or groundhog are much better than norwegian (brown) rat. Raccoon, 'possum, and such other small critters if from the wilds, and not from town, do not taste bad, if a little gammy. I bet robins taste after the worms they eat. I rather a dove, rock or mourning, but not from city streets. Most of these small wild birds, even ducks, are not much more than the breast portion. A quick slice through the skin and very easy to dress.
We turn rocks in a fresh water stream to find crawdads to boil, might as well eat beetles. Although the crawdads do have a meaty tail.
Down the shore collect some mussels and steam them up. Just be sure of the water quality. Cape May Point good, Atlantic City bad. Fresh mussels are soooo much better than found in even the best restaurant.