How to Hunt & Cook Rabbit in the Wild

To become truly skilled at hunting rabbits, you'll have to get out into the field and learn the tendencies of wild rabbits in their natural habitat. As a beginner rabbit hunter, there are certain techniques that can increase your chances of success. Once you have your hands on a rabbit, the next step is to cook it over an open fire. Create excellent taste and texture for your wild meal, even with minimal tools.

Things You'll Need

  • Camouflage, thorn-proof pants
  • Long sleeved shirt
  • Hunting cap
  • Hunting boots
  • Hunting vest (optional)
  • Wood chopping block
  • Meat cleaver
  • Running water
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Celery
  • Pepper
  • Salt
  • Large pot
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Instructions

  1. Hunting

    • 1

      Wear camouflage, thorn-proof pants, a long-sleeved shirt, hat, boots and, optionally, a vest. The camouflage will disguise you in the habitat, and the thick thorn-proof material will protect you from contracting sharp, painful thorns.

    • 2

      Leapfrog the area you wish to hunt rather than scattering randomly about the landscape. Leapfrogging is a technique that involves sitting and waiting in one spot. The more you walk around, make noise and show yourself in the habitat, the less likely you are to see a rabbit. Choose a spot and stay there, as quietly as possible, for up to an hour. Move to a new spot and repeat if you aren't having any luck.

    • 3

      Locate the fringes of fields, roadside cover, briars and thickets. These tall grasses are where rabbits are most likely to seek refuge. Approach these locations as quietly as possible, crouch in the grass and wait. The thicker the brush is, the more likely rabbits are hiding there.

    • 4

      Hunt on the coldest day you can handle being outdoors. Rabbits are more likely to take shelter on cold days, as their bodies have poor insulating capabilities. Rabbits will escape from the cold into thick brush, rather than move around, making them easier to flush out.

    • 5

      Build suspense. The Bass Pro website writes that rabbits have a hard time handling suspense. Walk ten firm paces, then stop. Wait two or three minutes and repeat. This suspense will often cause rabbits to run wildly away from the noise, revealing themselves.

    Preparing and Cooking

    • 6

      Lay the rabbit on a hard wood block or chopping board. A flat tree stump will work well if you're left to use only things you can find in the outdoors.

    • 7

      Chop off the feet just above the knee-joint. Use a newly sharpened meat-cleaver. Remove the head using the same tools.

    • 8

      Lift the fur up at the belly. Make a horizontal incision into the fur, but avoid puncturing the stomach. Cut the skin all the way from the belly to the neck.

    • 9

      Pull the skin away from the flesh. Turn the skin inside out, working your way around the body.

    • 10

      Grip the shoulders of the rabbit. Pull the skin down over the legs. As you pull the skin, it resembles removing a jacket.

    • 11

      Make a horizontal cut across the belly of the rabbit. Try not to pierce the intestines. Grasp the intestines completely with one hand and pull them out of the rabbit firmly. Try to get them with one pull.

    • 12

      Cut through the diaphragm at the top of the chest. Pull out the lungs and heart.

    • 13

      Wash the rabbit under cold water. Make sure to rinse out any remaining droppings from the rectum.

    • 14

      Make a simple stock for your rabbit. Boil carrots, onions, celery, pepper, salt and any other ingredients you desire in a pot of water over an open fire.

    • 15

      Simmer the rabbit in this stock for two hours. Remove the stock and let the rabbit cool completely. The meat falls off the bone, ready to eat.