Quote:
Check with your DNR (State Wildlife Agency) to find out what they know about incidence/prevalence in your area. Here, in MO, they can carry Parvo/Distemper but only very rarely Rabies. If all droppings in trap are diarrhea/coon `looks'/acts `unthrifty' - harvest and deliver to turkey vulture feeding station.
Since I open up all harvested preds (like to know what/how much they've been eating), anyway, it isn't that much of an effort (after gutting/remove head/tail/paws) to place carcass in plastic bag and toss in freezer until almost frozen. This makes removal of hide much easier (like to use the wife's Joyce Chen sewing/utility scissors - as good as any surgeon's snips). Also immediately remove scent glands under fore legs and along spine near small of back (when gutting get the picky glands) DO NOT cut into glands. Soak in brine/white vinegar overnight at room temp. Back in freezer until nearly frozen (makes cutting away fat - toss out/chopping meat into chunks easy. Saute meat chunks in small amount of oil. Cool meat, place in double plastic bag and freeze. Repeat process with every coon until we have enough coon to can (2.5lb. per qt. - 6 qt. Mirromatic Pressure Cooker). Beef broth/a little cheap Merlot/half a cup of coffee for a base add meat, heat the `soup' - bottle up - 15psi x 1hr.45min.
Pretty tasty with noodles or rice (not as good as Snapping Turtle).
Never have prepared any other way.
ed: clarity
Do you happen to have a diagram of exactly where the scent glands are? Dh keeps giving the coons away. He's got coonzilla out there now, it has broken the cage four or five times so he's finally ready to butcher this bad boy.
Did you know the 1930 issue of "Joy of Cooking" has a recipe for raccoon? Edit to say, my 1972 edition has a recipe as well. Checking out cookbooks now.
