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Roast muskrat. We prepare delicious dishes from muskrat meat. Baking in the oven

Here is a wonderful food: muskrat. By the way, in English muskrat is muskrat, and folk etymology understands it as a “musk rat,” especially since it has musk glands (now we will cook it, and they will have to be removed). In fact, the name is believed to come from the word mòskwas (in the language Indian tribe Abenaki.)

Mòskwas - how much in this sound merged for the Russian heart, how much echoed in it.

So. Remove the skin and remove fat from the back and front legs. Remove musk glands from the abdomen and groin. Keep in boiling water for 45 minutes, without bringing the water to a boil (this process is called poaching, I couldn’t find a translation). Remove, dry, chop, wrap in ribbons of bacon (well, you can skip this stage, since the bacon is now covered with a copper basin), add a glass of weak broth, chopped onion, bay leaf (Is Abkhazia ours? Am I not confusing?), three cloves ( Didn’t we quarrel with Thailand?) and half a teaspoon of thyme.

Close the lid and place in the casserole dish over low heat until cooked.

That's all, fools, why are you alarmed? Serve with celery béchamel sauce.

And by the way! Importing muskrats into New Zealand is prohibited! It's not easy there either. New Zealanders walk around angry and dejected.

Or a porcupine. Bunnies, who would refuse a delicious porcupine? I think Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev himself would be happy, after work, tied with a linen Kremlin napkin, with a silver knife and fork, and with a glass of good Massandra!.. And most importantly, businesslike: hang him on hooks by his hind legs, rip skin with needles, again remove the glands that are on the back and between the hind legs, and let it hang in a cool, dry place for 48 hours. Afterwards, soak it overnight in salted water, and boil this water in the morning, what’s easier. Boil, dry, and then proceed in exactly the same way as the muskrat. But without cloves. Yes, it’s even better without cloves!

But you will have to tinker with the possum. There is nothing to be said here. You must catch the opossum and feed it milk and grain for 10 days before killing it. Gut it, but do not peel the skin yet. Place the opossum in boiling water and keep checking by tugging on the fur: is it already coming off or not? When yes, then take it out of the boiling water and rip off all its hair, and then boil it in three waters and bake it for your health, like pork. It is recommended to serve possum with turnip tops. This is right. It's even some kind of staples.

Today I won’t tell you how to cook beaver tail on coals; this knowledge will be useful to us when we go to live in the forests. But experts praise it!

And at the end - a picture of how to skin a squirrel. Be sure to wear gloves, as the squirrel may have tularemia.

Dear women!

Here's a tasty start: We men love meat.

And no matter what government ideologists say, instilling that you need to earn little and live in poverty and hunger, the miraculous properties of meat have long been known to us men.

In our country, little literature has been published over the last 20 years confirming healing properties meat; As in any crisis country, we are told about the benefits of bread cutlets. However, it is not without reason that in all centuries they have tried to support the weak and sick with meat broth on the bone. This broth is even beneficial for our joints and cartilage, and improves the quality of interarticular fluid.
It is enough to drink such a broth and eat it with jellied meat, so that in your old age you will not have to be treated with expensive shark cartilage tablets...

But we’re not even talking about that, but about the high energy output of meat.
It is known that muscles, which make up a larger percentage of tissue mass in men (in contrast to women, who accumulate fat, which is why in the old days they said “a woman is an empty meat woman”), require a huge amount of energy, more than fat mass. This energy, whether you like it or not, where - you need to take it.
This is where meat comes to the rescue.

It has been noticed that wolves who eat... correctly, meat, after having a hearty dinner, may not eat for several days afterwards. After all, the energy they accumulate from meat lasts for a long time.
Darwin described a similar effect in his notes on his trip around the world on the Beagle. He noticed that Latin American justice was strict, and there were often criminals who tried to hide from him in the open spaces of the prairies. The pursuit of the criminal, consisting of mounted men, could last 3-5 days in a row, during which the representatives of justice did not have a “dewdrop of poppy” in their mouths... because the day before they large quantities ate meat. Darwin observed the same effect in cattle breeders who ate fresh meat and retained strength and vigor even during forced multi-day fasting.

I am not a doctor or a biologist, but now I am offering facts that are worth thinking about. If you, dear ladies, have beloved men, feed them meat so that the men are hardy.

By the way, there are known facts when overweight people “placed” on a meat diet lost weight. Meat does provide energy, keeping human muscle tissue in good condition, but does not encourage the accumulation of fat deposits in the body.
I note that in some sanatoriums of the Soviet Union there was such a diet - meat, which doctors prescribed to their patients.

In many countries, muskrat meat is a delicacy and is very expensive. Muskrat dishes can be found in the most sophisticated restaurants. In our country, the meat of this rodent is not so popular and few people know about its benefits and taste.

Many residents of our country consider muskrat meat “dirty” because the animal lives in water and is also a rodent. However, this is just a myth that does not have a single compelling argument or basis:

The muskrat is a very clean animal, devoting a lot of time to cleaning its food before consumption.
The muskrat feeds mainly on plant foods; the share of food of animal origin in its diet is negligible,
The muskrat categorically does not eat carrion, any type of waste, or spoiled food.

Animal meat is not only one of the cleanest and safest, but also healthy.

The only point that needs to be taken into account when preparing is the proper removal of the perianal musk glands.

It is these glands that are responsible for the secretion of odorous secretion, and if they are removed incorrectly, the meat may acquire a not entirely pleasant taste. However, in this case, there is a way out - soak the meat for several hours and change the water periodically. The taste of muskrat is more reminiscent of rabbit, although some lovers of this game claim that the taste is closer to duck.

Beneficial features

Muskrat meat is quite healthy and is considered dietary. In many respects, muskrat meat is superior even to rabbit meat, which many nutritionists consider the best dietary meat. That is why in some European countries, as well as in the USA and South American countries, doctors strongly recommend eating muskrat meat for people suffering from:

digestive problems,
problems with the cardiac system,
improper metabolism,
diabetes,
excess weight.

In addition, the meat of this aquatic rodent is very useful for people who have undergone surgery or are weakened by long-term diseases of a wide variety of nature.

Muskrat meat cannot be classified as fatty, but even its fat is well and quickly absorbed. The melting point of fat is low - only thirty degrees, so by the end of cooking, not a trace remains of the rare veins. Animal fat contains a lot of different acids that are not formed in the human body, but are very useful. In addition to acids, muskrat meat contains a large amount of protein. In the muscle fibers of the animal, the protein content can reach twenty percent, which is much higher than that of lamb, pork, beef and even rabbit meat. It is also important that most of the protein is of the complete type.

Don’t forget about the benefits of muskrat meat for men. In Eastern medicine, animal meat is a very strong aphrodisiac and is sold in dried form in many stores.

Regular consumption of the protein-rich and pure meat of this small animal can forever relieve many male problems associated with potency.

Use in cooking

In Europe and the USA, muskrat meat is served as a delicacy. It is prepared with various sauces, served on a bed of vegetables, with views wild rice, stewed, fried and grilled. In our country, the meat of the animal is known mainly to hunters and fishermen, for whom catching this animal is not particularly difficult.

Hunting recipe for muskrat

The hunting recipe is the simplest.

a carcass or two muskrats, previously cut into portions,
several onions,
several carrot roots,
Bay leaf,
a few spoons of mayonnaise,
salt,
black pepper,
chopped fresh herbs.

Before cooking, the carcass must be washed well, or better yet, soaked in water for several hours, and cut into small portions. The onion is cut into rings, the carrots can be grated on a coarse grater. In a frying pan with a thick bottom or in a cauldron, fry onions with carrots and pieces of muskrat until an even golden crust forms. Mayonnaise, salt and spices are added, the cauldron is covered with a lid. The dish is stewed over low heat for about 20 - 25 minutes. The finished dish is sprinkled with fresh herbs. As a side dish you can serve boiled or mashed potatoes, rice, and any vegetables.

Many people prepare muskrat meat according to this recipe, changing only the recipe for the preparatory process. Before cooking, the muskrat can be marinated for an hour and a half with kiwi. For the marinade you will need several ripe kiwi fruits, a little salt and olive oil (if desired). Kiwi is cut into rings and placed in a container with meat. Mixes well. Add salt and a couple tablespoons of oil. Kiwi juice makes the meat soft and eliminates any unpleasant odors. Unlike vinegar, kiwi marinade does not break down meat fibers and does not add any strong aroma or taste.

Muskrat meat in cream

To prepare you will need:

kilogram of muskrat meat,
55 ml oil,
lemon juice - three large spoons,
about one hundred grams of finely chopped garlic cloves,
a little ground ginger
on the tip of a knife - ground nutmeg,
several peas of multi-colored peppers (white, black, pink),
salt,
medium head of cabbage,
several medium onions,
ten percent cream - about 300 ml.

First you should prepare the marinade - to do this, beat the butter (you can use a whisk or blender) with garlic and spices until smooth. The muskrat carcass must first be beaten off. Cut the onion into rings and place on the bottom of the baking dish. Place the meat on top of the onion and pour in the prepared marinade. Any wooden board is placed on top and a weight is placed. The minimum marinating time is two hours. After time, the meat is removed from the mold, and the bottom is covered with cabbage leaves. Pieces of meat are laid out on the cabbage. Everything is filled with cream. Next, the muskrat should be salted and covered with another layer of cabbage leaves. Be sure to close the mold with a lid. Stew in the oven at 120 -130 degrees for about two hours.

Muskrat stewed with vegetables

To prepare you will need:

muskrat carcass, weighing about 500 - 700 grams,
about 450 grams of finely chopped cabbage leaves and grated carrots,
medium bulb,
tomato and Bell pepper,
120 grams of fat sour cream,
50 grams of butter,
salt,
a mixture of black, white, red pepper,
Bay leaf,
vegetable broth.

Rinse the carcass well, cut into portions, salt and sprinkle with a mixture of spices (you can add any to your taste) and fry in a deep frying pan with a thick bottom until golden brown. Then the pieces need to be placed in a duckling pan, with grated carrots, cabbage, onion cut into rings, tomato and bell pepper cut into slices, and a few bay leaves on top. Salt and pepper again. Place sour cream on top and pour hot broth over everything so that the broth covers the entire contents by about half. If desired, you can use hot water instead of broth, but the taste will be less rich. Place the duckling in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and simmer for about 35-46 minutes. Can be served with any vegetable side dish or rice as a separate dish.

The muskrat belongs to the class of rodents, and even those that live in water. Perhaps this is why most of us have formed a strong prejudice against these animals from the point of view of eating their meat. Meanwhile, in South American countries, muskrat meat is considered a delicacy, and local residents they even lovingly call her the “water bunny.”

We invite those who are not afraid of culinary experiments to learn more about the benefits and harms of muskrat meat, in order to perhaps change their minds and include this exotic product in their diet. Perhaps the information below will seem interesting even to food conservatives who do not even think about taking a step away from established food traditions.

The Myth of the Dirty Animal

One of the main arguments of opponents of using muskrat meat in cooking is that it is a “dirty” animal. This is due to the fact that the muskrat is a rodent, and all animals of this species have a certain image. In fact, in relation to the muskrat, it has little in common with reality, just as there is little in common between a muskrat and a mouse or an ordinary rat.

Firstly, the muskrat is an aquatic rodent with all that it implies.
Secondly, the diet of these animals consists exclusively of plants. No waste or carrion, as some “experts” believe, having never seen a single muskrat in their lives.
Third, these are very clean animals and if you had a chance to witness how a muskrat washes its food before taking it into its mouth, you would be convinced of this.

So, all this talk about a dirty animal is a pure myth and, when discussing the benefits and harms of muskrat meat, you should not take it into account.

Muskrat meat in cooking

As already mentioned, the muskrat occupies a worthy place in the cookbook of the peoples of South and North America. By appearance the meat of this animal is very similar to rabbit meat. The only difference is a darker and more saturated color, which is explained by the content in the tissues large quantity muscle hemoglobulin.

As for the taste of the muskrat, in this sense its meat is something between a wild bird and the same rabbit or hare. That is, the taste, of course, is specific, one might say, for an amateur and a connoisseur. But here it must be noted that the final result of cooking, as well as the benefits and harms of muskrat meat, largely depends on how correctly it is done.

It is best to cook muskrat on the grill or in the oven, but to prevent the meat from becoming tough, it is recommended to boil it first - keep it in lightly salted water over very low heat for at least an hour. If you plan to fry the meat, it is advisable to marinate it with spices several hours before. In general, it should be noted that properly cooked muskrat meat goes well with any traditional sauces.

Beneficial features

If we consider muskrat meat from the point of view of its potential for organizing dietary nutrition, then, first of all, it is necessary to note its excellent digestibility by the human body. In this indicator, it surpasses even rabbit meat, which in traditional dietology is considered a recognized leader and an unattainable record holder in terms of ease of digestion.

In this regard, muskrat meat can and should be included in the diet of people whose bodies are weakened by long-term illnesses or for some other reasons, for example, in the postoperative period. It can also be useful for diseases of the digestive system.

It is especially important to emphasize the fact that Not only meat, but also muskrat fat is easily digestible. The fact is that it melts and begins to disintegrate at a temperature of about 30 degrees, which distinguishes it favorably from pork or lamb fat. In addition, muskrat fat contains many unsaturated acids, which are very useful for our body, since they are not formed in it naturally. At the same time, they are practically absent in pork, lamb or beef fat.

Another advantage of muskrat meat is its high protein content. Their concentration in muscle fibers reaches 18-21%, which is an order of magnitude higher than that of traditional types meat. Moreover, most of the proteins from muskrat meat belong to the category of complete proteins, which is also very important.

And, finishing the conversation about the benefits and harms of muskrat meat, for those who, even after reading this material, still shake their heads and repeat: “it’s a rat, ugh,” let’s give an example of the prejudices of the past that you will find difficult to believe. For example, just 200 years ago, Siberian residents disdained hare meat, and in the Kuban, crayfish were considered fiends of hell, and therefore could not even think about eating them. And even potatoes, once brought from America, did not immediately take root in the gardens and tables of the Russian average person. What about today? So you shouldn't be so persistent and tinny.

Muskrat- a mammal of the subfamily of voles of the order of rodents, brought to our country. Its homeland is North America. The Indians called the animal "musquash", which means "musk rat". They hunted him because delicious meat, and, of course, the magnificent skin attracted miners. In the fur trade of the United States, the muskrat occupied the same place as the squirrel in our country. During the day, the hunter caught twenty-five to thirty animals. Over the course of a year, there are fifteen to twenty million skins throughout the country. In large areas of the United States and Canada, muskrats are still abundant.

IN Soviet Union The “swamp beaver” was brought in not without fear, but just in case, it was first settled only on the northern Solovetsky islands. But the very first two years produced amazing results - the prolific rodents increased their numbers eightfold. In 1929, the muskrat (now “our own”) began to spread throughout the Arkhangelsk region and everywhere from the lakes of Kazakhstan to Yakutia, from the western borders to Kamchatka. And everywhere the beast took root. In the first years, the increase in numbers was striking (the phenomenon of a “biological explosion”), then the number of muskrats decreased, but almost everywhere they felt good, and our country became the second homeland of the “musquash” - “the beaver’s younger brother.”

Externally, the muskrat resembles a rat (it is often called a musk rat) - the weight of adult individuals can reach 1.8 kg, although, as a rule, they weigh 1-1.5 kg. Body length is 23-36 cm, tail length is almost equal to body length - 18-28 cm. The lips, like beavers, are overgrown with incisors, isolating them from the oral cavity, thanks to which the muskrat can bite off plants under water without choking. The tail is flattened on the sides, covered with small scales and sparse hairs.

The muskrat's fur consists of coarse guard hairs and soft undercoat. The color of the back and limbs ranges from dark brown to black. The belly is lighter, sometimes grayish-blue. In summer the color brightens. The fur is very thick, dense and lush, which makes it waterproof. The muskrat constantly monitors its fur: lubricates it with fatty secretions and combs it.

The muskrat is nocturnal. It feeds mainly on plant foods, but is not averse to eating mollusks and aquatic insects. He eats fish extremely rarely. With high fertility, the population is not excessive due to the large number of enemies.

Muskrat in cream

Ingredients:

For 1 kilogram of carcass net weight (butchered):
100 milliliters of boiled, cooled water;
50 milliliters unrefined sunflower oil;
3 tablespoons lemon juice;
100 grams of crushed garlic;
half a coffee spoon without the top of ground ginger and ground nutmeg;
a quarter of a coffee spoon without the top of bay leaf ground into powder;
five dried clove buds, ground into powder
three peas each of black, white and pink pepper.
Salt - to taste.
Cabbage,
Onion
10% cream.

1. Beat the marinade in a blender until smooth.

2. Then you need to prepare the carcass. We take the animal and hit it on the back. We don’t beat it to pieces, but we don’t beat it completely weakly either.

3. After we have prepared the carcass, cut the onion into rings and line the bottom of the baking sheet with it. Place the game on it and pour marinade over it.

4. Place another smaller baking sheet on the carcass and place a weight.

5. Let it marinate: for each kilo - 1 hour. Plus 1 hour.

6. After the expiration date, release the carcass from the baking sheet and prepare a place for baking... or stewing. Whoever likes it. Line the bottom of the baking sheet with cabbage leaves and fill with cream. According to the recipe, 1 cm, approximately 400 ml. We place the carcass on the leaves. You can add more salt, because... they will take away the cream and salt.

7. Then fill the carcass with more cream (approximately 250-400 ml). And cover with cabbage leaves. Then put a smaller baking sheet and place the load.

8. By that time, preheat the oven to 110-120 degrees and place our carcass. It will be stewed there for 1.5 - 2 hours, depending on the volume of game. So that the onion does not disappear, you can stew it in cream.

Regular mashed potatoes will do as a side dish.

The taste of a muskrat is somewhat reminiscent of a rabbit. In North America it is called the "water rabbit".

The second recipe from sanchez in Cooking (THE ABC OF AN AIR HUNTER).

Udod 03/10/2013 - 01:14

Well, this is a message, like a reserve, to insert something found 😊
Purely from my own observations, they begin to show activity at dusk. While fishing on the same Paletskoye, I repeatedly observed them swimming along the shore literally 4-6 meters from the fishermen. At the same time, they managed to hook the line of almost all the abandoned donks and cause a commotion among the fishermen 😊, they also rustled all night in the thickets of coastal reeds. The lake, by the way, is very overgrown and surrounded by peat bogs and swamps, so the places there are hardly passable and rarely visited by people. I have not seen any huts on this lake, but it is quite possible that they exist in the reeds, which are very thick and high on this lake.

We also had to meet muskrats in a holiday village near Perkhushkovo. A small stream flowed right between the plots. There was a bridge near the stream from which they peeled potatoes ( running water). In general, the owner of the site, a hunter, found footprints on the clay next to the bridge. Over the course of several nights, the set traps caught either 4 or 5 pieces. (Just for the hat). By the way, muskrat hats are quite good and in Soviet times were highly valued and in short supply 😊
Again from my own observations: I didn’t notice that they were afraid of weak scattered light at night: they caught crucian carp at night, illuminated by homemade lanterns from a candle inserted into a glass jar. So they easily swam past us, not afraid of such light.

Fil55 10.03.2013 - 01:18

You have to shoot a muskrat not only on land, but also on water (hunting season starts from October 1, when water is no longer suitable for swimming) 😊.

It is convenient to remove the carcass from the water with a fishing rod with a small wire net or large tee attached to the end. The most convenient are 6-meter Chinese fishing rods - light, durable, cheap. They are both folding and telescopic, which is very convenient in terms of carrying.
For hunting, anything from 4.5 to 6.35 will do. If from 4.5 it is desirable to hit the head, then 5.5 and 6.35 allow you to hit the body (in the area chest). The animal is nocturnal, and therefore you will need either a night vision device or a designer based on the MNV (topic:).

P.S. I promised information support. And you design it as you see fit. The topic was returned to its original place in the NAVIGATOR.

Hunting for muskrat begins on October 1 and is carried out in several ways, the main of which is hunting with a trap.

Since the muskrat is a brave and curious animal that is not afraid of traps and snares, they are not even camouflaged. Installation locations can be very different: in front of the entrance to the burrow, on artificial or natural feeding areas - “tables”, inside feeding huts, along the water’s edge. Traps are set in such a way that the animal caught in them immediately falls into the water, and does not remain on land, since the muskrat, having chewed its paw, can simply leave.

The second method is rifle shooting. They use a small-caliber rifle and shoot in the head so as not to spoil the skin (pneumatic guns are a very convenient weapon for catching muskrats). Unlike the beaver, the muskrat practically does not drown, and if it goes under water, it emerges after 15 minutes. So a broken muskrat is found in 100% of cases.

In winter, under the ice, the muskrat is constantly active, but this is exclusively for catching it with traps. The hunting season is the same as for beavers.

It should be added that they swim much faster than beavers.

BDA 10.03.2013 - 10:36

Fil55
The animal is nocturnal, and therefore you will need either a night vision device or a designer for
EOM database

Mikhail, this is absolutely unnecessary! An LED flashlight with a lens is enough; the muskrat is not afraid of light.

kombat0302 10.03.2013 - 13:24

BDA
An LED flashlight with a lens is enough; the muskrat is not afraid of light.

Quite controversial! 😊 I had to watch different model behavior with different reactions to the light source, from instant diving to attempted attacks! Therefore, everything depends on the specific conditions of the habitat and the internal mood of the inhabitants. 😀 But the NVG is definitely a winner!

BDA 10.03.2013 - 14:01

Guys, a flashlight without a filter. Shined and killed from 4 meters. I turned the light quickly left and right, turned on the strobe mode, the result was the same - it sits and swims calmly, without diving. We'll leave the NVGs for other hunts.

Stepan 82 10.03.2013 - 14:11

What can I add about the daily lifestyle of this animal?!

They are also active during the day, but not as much as at night, of course - but still! Much, of course, depends on the place - where to guard it; if it is a remote place overgrown with reeds on a pond, then they feel good there even during the day. And if you stand quietly, you will definitely want to.

At one time I caught them a lot with traps, you used to put a trap in a hole and it would swim towards the hole, you quickly disguise the trap, cover the hole with turf cut along the hole - and wait for the trap to work! From one hole I got 5-6 pieces per season.

I didn’t eat, I didn’t eat, but the dog was always happy!

Fil55 10.03.2013 - 14:26

Stepan 82
At one time I caught them a lot with traps

It's clear! Step, you didn’t have a Huntsman then. Now you can hunt with a gun, and at the same time taste it (I’m not kidding).

Stepan 82 10.03.2013 - 14:37

No... I definitely won’t try them, they won’t work. 😀

Now it’s the other way around, there’s something to hunt for, but nowhere, I’ve seen it a couple of times on the river. Moscow, but didn’t touch it - let them swim.

Udod 10.03.2013 - 15:12

No... I definitely won’t try them, they won’t work.

Come on... This is not a garbage rat. This environmentally friendly animal eats fresh grass, almost like a bunny, only its ears are short and its tail is long 😊. First, a drink for courage and.... 😊

Stepan 82 03/10/2013 - 16:52

Udod:
An environmentally friendly animal, it eats fresh grass, almost like a bunny, only its ears are short and its tail is long.

Well, I’m not particularly picky about food, I can calmly watch “Fear Factor” as they eat all sorts of delicious things, 😀 and at the same time I can calmly eat myself without wincing and closing my eyes. But the wife runs away immediately closer to the toilet. 😀

But with “Anatra” love from childhood did not happen! Although... 😊

Fil55:
Stepan, if there is enough “Firewood”, you won’t even notice

If you don’t know what it’s made from, and it’s also delicious and in nature with “Firewood”, I think I’ll gobble it up on both cheeks! 😀

Fil55 10.03.2013 - 17:58

Stepan 82
It’s delicious and in nature with “Firewood” I think I’ll gobble it up on both cheeks!

That's what we're talking about! How cooked!!! Especially if you have something to eat! I use beaver just fine without anything! 😊 After all, it’s also a rodent!!! 😀

sanchez 03/11/2013 - 05:06

Villenich, I myself shaved off the previous “muskrat” because of the incomprehensible stubbornness of some who prove that there is a muskrat “fell” and all sorts of veterinarians who are tired of writing in Latin a “bouquet” of diseases among muskrats 😞.... And I eat... I eat... and I will eat! 😊 and the wife eats and the guests and everything is normal! 😊

SERGEEVIC 03/11/2013 - 08:16

Guys, what about your muskrat fur trade? We (ZabVo) have a lot of it, but no one needs it. It’s not even like that: in our country, no one even needs a mink, let alone some kind of rat (that’s what the hunting service said). But what about this in other parts of our vast Motherland?

kombat0302 03/11/2013 - 10:05

SERGEEVIC
What about this in other parts of our vast Motherland?

Yes, almost the same! 😞 Everything has been ruined and no one needs anything...

SanSanish 03/11/2013 - 13:05

Udod
eats fresh grass, almost like a bunny

And he washes himself every day. 😊

SERGEEVIC 11.03.2013 - 14:12

Yes, almost the same! Everything has been destroyed and no one needs anything...

Looks like you won’t surprise anyone with a muskrat cap now...ehhh... 😞 okay, in the fall I plan to do a test for meat 😀 according to the methods: I tried at night (early in the morning) to sit on a hole near the water (30 meters away) but unfortunately the muskrat didn’t arrive... and like that for four days in a row 😞

Fil55 03/11/2013 - 19:35

SERGEEVIC
Looks like you won’t surprise anyone with a muskrat hat now...ehhh...

Nowadays, more and more people are running around in knitted ones... They don’t look like anything, they can’t be compared with a muskrat, but they are mobile. But in the cold weather outside, knitted fur will not replace!!!

RDX 11.03.2013 - 23:03

I ate muskrat, the meat is delicious, it doesn’t smell of anything, it’s very soft, I don’t even know what to compare it with.
From experience, a child with a speed of ~200 kp is enough for 0.68 up to 30 meters without problems, further, with such characteristics, it’s not worth shooting only at the head, because what the heck, what if something happens, and the head is such an organ that it turns off everything carcass

Stepan 82 03/12/2013 - 11:23

:
according to the methods: I tried at night (early morning) to sit on a hole near the water (about 30 meters away), but unfortunately the muskrat never swam... and so it was for four days in a row

Maybe the hole was uninhabited!? 😞

The muskrat usually swims up to the hole/hut underwater, so you might simply not notice it.
Try to sit on its nests/gnaws, but only on fresh ones - it will definitely come.

You can also sit not far from the place where she floats in the “00” office - she should also pass - but just first let her do this thing, and shoot the flood. 😀 😀

RDX 03/12/2013 - 11:34

let her do this first

😀 otherwise he’ll suddenly get scared

BDA 03/12/2013 - 13:00

Muskrat meat smells, and the smell is peculiar. Duck tastes much better. I also want a muskrat hat, I will sew it myself. I want a hat like earflaps, but inside there is only a fabric lining so that it is soft and takes up minimal space when folded.

kombat0302 03/12/2013 - 13:25

BDA
Muskrat meat smells, and the smell is peculiar.

Dima, the smell rather depends on your diet. 😊 I got it in different regions The Kuban muskrat is incredibly stinky, but in Siberia or the Orenburg region they don’t smell!

Duck tastes much better.

Well, just like with felt-tip pens, they all have different tastes and colors! 😀 Muskrat's meat is much more tender and juicy, while duck already has a pronounced gamey taste. For example, I won’t eat a goose, it won’t fit into my throat and that’s it, but I’ll eat a swan with great pleasure. Instead of goose, I prefer frogs. 😊 Muskrat is an excellent prey, the meat, like nutria, is very healthy because... it has a high content of ash elements, and the skins lend themselves well to dressing and are very durable, you can use them to make mittens, a warm hood or fur tunics for boots.

RDX 12.03.2013 - 13:25

Muskrat meat smells, and the smell is peculiar

Who knows, I didn’t even notice this 😊

Frol Frol 03/12/2013 - 13:38

The muskrat's fur is lousy in terms of quickly drying on the folds. But there is an undeniable advantage even compared to mink: if it gets wet during snow or rain, after drying you shake it and that’s it, the fur doesn’t stick together.
As for taste, it's a matter of how you cook it. And the main thing is how to cut it correctly!!! Otherwise there will be a stink!!! Having cut along the womb, we cut out and tear out everything in the groin ( bladder and glands) in one movement, grabbing it with a knife blade (being careful not to crush or cut)!!! The meat begins to smell peculiar when it cools, if you reheat it, the smell disappears again. It smells like dry fish. Be sure to add crushed dill seed to the marinade (buy at a pharmacy, it will last for several years, it costs a penny). I butcher one rat for about three minutes :-) this is if the skin is not needed, but I don’t need it. A lot of subcutaneous meat remains on the skin. Then it will interfere with the dressing. The spring rat turned out to be tastier, although in theory it should have smelled stronger. They say it depends on the body of water. In the winter the year before last, our water level dropped significantly, so I regretted not hunting as much. In the past there were very few rats. I set up a reserve for them :-) I hope this year there will be a lot of water.

Frol Frol 03/12/2013 - 13:56

The NVG image intensifier-1 showed a complete ram on the rat, the parallax is too far away, it needs to be about 5 meters away. The light from the bushes and grass greatly interferes. Be afraid of the lantern!!! Hunting 15 minutes before sunset and 15 before sunrise. At night it’s probably better to use a laser target and hit from the waist at a short distance, as a rule you can see it with your eyes, but you can’t see it through the sights. Or an open sight. The full moon helps out, it is clearly visible on the silver path from the moon. You can get into the tower up to 30m, but don’t have time to dive; at half a mile and beyond, you hear the noise of a shmul and manage to dive. You need to aim at the water between the protruding tower and the butt a little closer to the head, then during the dive just at the ridge-lungs-liver, then after 5 minutes it will float up, if it doesn’t get caught somewhere, it will definitely float up in the morning. Be sure to check the hunting area for any drafts. Swims fast, you can't catch him jogging along the shore :-) It's good to have a drum. After the first miss, it immediately pops up to find out who it is here oh.el :-) as a rule, he swims to the meeting to look, quickly hit with the second one, aiming for the back of the head, he will dive and you will get exactly where you need to be. It can sit quietly in the water a few meters away, sometimes at 1-2-3, when you look in the other direction and watch you. Stsuko is a cunning beast. But he loves the same route and schedule. So tomorrow at the same time he will be sailing in the same place.

Frol Frol 03/12/2013 - 14:09

Do not feed the woman to the muskrat!!! I warn you!!! I've already fallen for this. Everyone snorts at the beginning, but if they try it, they'll get sick of it. For some reason, women really like rat meat. Inexplicably. If it seems to me that this time it was not cooked very well, then they don’t care! They eat both cheeks. It’s good that they can’t eat much at once. The meat is very filling. One hind leg is usually enough for one woman to overeat, if with a side dish.

SERGEEVIC 12.03.2013 - 14:14

Maybe the hole was uninhabited!? The muskrat usually swims up to the hole/hut underwater, so you might simply not notice it. Try to sit on its nests/gnaws, but only on fresh ones; it will definitely come. You can also sit not far from the place where she floats in the “00” office - she should also pass - but just first let her do this thing, and shoot the flood.

😀
The fact of the matter is that on the morning of the previous day I saw a muskrat near this hole. I’m really curious about this: if I don’t have a propeller with me, I’ll trample a black grouse, a hazel grouse will land on my head, or a muskrat will come out at the most inopportune time. And tomorrow at the same time in the same place no, no
😀
But what they say is true: the muskrat does not shed, and you can beat it all year round? (I know this is contrary to the official deadlines, just interesting)

kombat0302 03/12/2013 - 16:17

SERGEEVIC
Is it true what they say that muskrats do not shed and can be killed all year round? (I know this is contrary to the official deadlines, just interesting)

Bryakhnya, summer and winter fur coats are different. In summer it’s kind of thin, but in late autumn there’s a dense and warm underfur under the awns. It’s just that muskrats, like beavers and nutria, pay a lot of attention to their fur coat, so it always looks neat. 😊

ARUBA-NAME 03/12/2013 - 17:16

RDX
I ate muskrat, the meat was delicious

I agree wholeheartedly!) Delicious, sweetish, juicy meat) The smell, no matter how you cut it, is still musky from legonets) The skins are cool, I took them off with a stocking, put them on a bottle, rubbed them with salt, then took them to dressing)

RDX 12.03.2013 - 17:57

Delicious, sweetish, juicy meat

Wow, but I still don’t understand why it’s a little sweet

So they put sugar instead of salt!

😊 Is this at birth? 😊 I cooked it myself, it’s still a bit sweet

airbolf 715 03/13/2013 - 09:52

kombat0302
but in Siberia or the Orenburg region they don’t smell!

Definitely.! ---- In Siberia, it is still customary to cook and eat muskrat, hot and cold, and everything is done as usual in the field, just like fish. Households mainly fought over hot smoking of muskrats, heh!

ARUBA-NAME 03/13/2013 - 10:39

airbolf 715
In Siberia, it is still customary to cook and eat muskrat using hot and cold smoking

I would like to try it!)))

airbolf 715 03/13/2013 - 10:48

ARUBA-NAME
I would like to try it!)))

SERGEEVIC 03/13/2013 - 12:31

This will surprise you! I have one myself - I mostly travel in the car, and it’s hot in there.
Nowadays, more and more people are running around in knitted ones... They don’t look like anything, they can’t be compared with a muskrat, but they are mobile. But in the cold weather outside, knitted fur will not replace!!!

Agree. In our -40 winter, you can’t really wear knitted clothes

and also rice and buckwheat porridge with smoked muskrat. It turns out excellent. It tastes and smells like smoked sausage. They even made Olivier with HK muskrat (it crackled behind the ears)!

airbolf 715, why did I immediately start drooling as soon as I imagined it? 😀 😀 😀

SERGEEVIC 03/13/2013 - 12:46

Bryakhnya, summer and winter fur coats are different. In summer it’s kind of thin, but in late autumn there’s a dense and warm underfur under the awns. It’s just that muskrats, like beavers and nutria, pay a lot of attention to their fur coat, so it always looks neat.

I’ve read a lot about Hansa, now I’m sitting waiting for autumn. Thanks for the info on the fur coat.

Fil55 03/13/2013 - 13:38

SERGEEVIC
I'm sitting now waiting for autumn

So hunting for it only opens in the fall, like beaver and other fur-bearing animals.

SERGEEVIC 13.03.2013 - 14:17

So hunting for it only opens in the fall, like beaver and other fur-bearing animals.

I was falsely informed by local hunters that there is muskrat hunting all year round. They said that you can beat it in the summer, they say the skin is still the same because it does not shed. Well, I sat in that hole in the summer. And then he thought about it - well, it shouldn’t be like this, that there won’t be a hunting deadline. Even from a moral point of view, it shouldn’t be. Thanks kombat0302 - dispelled the myth.

Seva13 03/14/2013 - 10:42

I often met a muskrat during the day while fishing. He carries grass and shells. In the fall, in a small quarry, I met many crayfish without necks on the muskrat's feeding table, apparently she was stocking up on fat for the winter. Having read the old topic about the muskrat, I was inspired to try it out. In the fall before that, we swam directly on the floats , and more than one since the spring. It looks like some kind of pestilence. I haven’t seen it for a couple of years. And not on the same body of water. At that time I had an overclocked murka. Now I bought a QB-78 in 5.5 for the sake of the beaver, so I’m afraid that they won’t disappeared 😊 . A neighbor at the dacha says a muskrat is swimming in the oxbow, I’ll look for it in the fall. During underwater hunting, I often saw muskrat feeding tables consisting of pearl barley shells. The diameter and height were about a meter, or even more. I saw one swimming underwater with a shell in teeth (freshwater mussels). Not particularly shy if you don’t make noise or make sudden movements. You stand on the shore, she will swim past, come ashore and take care of her fur, comb herself.