When to gut them?

[Ferretryan 74]

Hi, was out ferreting this weekend and invited the father in law who's a shooter, when we done the first warren and lifted the nets he went to gut the rabbit I told him not coz I find the smell is strong and the ferrets seem to stay out the warrens more. At the end of the day we gutted them and he complained that it was hard to gut them because the stomach had swollen and u should gut them as soon as. What's ur views on this? Is he right or doesnt it make much difference?

(And I had no problems gutting them)

[jayjay 264]

always gut mine at the end of the day, they are cleaner to carry around that way, and not only that.......if the dogs get a whiff of them opened up, mine would rather be by your ankles waiting for a lick or a chew rather than hunting and looking for more rabbits,

 

all the best,

 

jay.

[oldred58 340]

I gut my bunnies first chance i get when out hunting, reason being,they are a lot lighter to carry,but makes no difference if you gut them as you go along,or at the end of day/night

[Westy76 546]

Either way as I go or end of day always empty there bladder ASAP though.

Tell to sharpen his knife

[oldred58 340]

always gut mine at the end of the day, they are cleaner to carry around that way, and not only that.......if the dogs get a whiff of them opened up, mine would rather be by your ankles waiting for a lick or a chew rather than hunting and looking for more rabbits,

 

all the best, If you can carry your bunnies and gear in your hands, you are not doing that well. and if your dogs are following dead bunnies,rather than working on after a catch, theres something wrong

 

jay.

[Ferretryan 74]

I didnt think it made a difference when u did just personal choice and my dirty little fit has been known to go bk and eat the guts. I alway empty bladder as soon as and he needs a shape knife haha can't b to cheeky Iam sorting his only daughter out

[Bunny Boiler 177]

I do mine at the end of the day. It's swings and roundabouts. Gutting as you catch them carries benefits such as them being lighter, the stomach not being so swollen and the meat almost definitely not being tainted, but it carries downsides such as ferrets/dogs being attracted to smell, a source of contamination etc.

 

On the other hand, it also holds benefits to gut them at the end. This includes the skin being slightly more "leathery" and easier to puncture with a knife, also, cold guts or semi warm are less likely to tear as you pull them out and there is no way the rabbits are going to be contaminated if selling to a butcher. However, if left too long, the stomach can begin to taint the meat, so don't leave them over night or anything like that.

 

I personally do mine either when I drop them in the car (if I'm having a good day and have to drop them off) or just at the end of the day on the last warren and bury them a little walk away.

 

Atb, Bunny.

[jayjay 264]

always gut mine at the end of the day, they are cleaner to carry around that way, and not only that.......if the dogs get a whiff of them opened up, mine would rather be by your ankles waiting for a lick or a chew rather than hunting and looking for more rabbits,

 

all the best, If you can carry your bunnies and gear in your hands, you are not doing that well. and if your dogs are following dead bunnies,rather than working on after a catch, theres something wrong

 

jay.

your entitle to your opinion, but.......

you obviously dont know how i opperate......... , i will openly admit, i'm not a numbers man, and just happy to be out doing my bit, and keeping the land i hunt over under control, i am more than capable of taking numbers, when needed, and with regards to carrying gear, i have drop, off points where i leave my rabbits, to pick up later, as i'm not in the upto date world of 4x4's and quads to carry my equipement and its not dead bunnies the dogs are after..... its the smell of fresh meat and blood and guts,

as i said gut mine at the end of the day, just my way of working which suits me, we're all different,

 

all the best,

 

jay.

[oldred58 340]

always gut mine at the end of the day, they are cleaner to carry around that way, and not only that.......if the dogs get a whiff of them opened up, mine would rather be by your ankles waiting for a lick or a chew rather than hunting and looking for more rabbits,

 

all the best, If you can carry your bunnies and gear in your hands, you are not doing that well. and if your dogs are following dead bunnies,rather than working on after a catch, theres something wrong

 

jay.

your entitle to your opinion, but.......

you obviously dont know how i opperate......... , i will openly admit, i'm not a numbers man, and just happy to be out doing my bit, and keeping the land i hunt over under control, i am more than capable of taking numbers, when needed, and with regards to carrying gear, i have drop, off points where i leave my rabbits, to pick up later, as i'm not in the upto date world of 4x4's and quads to carry my equipement and its not dead bunnies the dogs are after..... its the smell of fresh meat and blood and guts,

as i said gut mine at the end of the day, just my way of working which suits me, we're all different,

 

all the best,

 

jay.

[The one 8,523]

If there's a few i pile them up where i can pick them up later and leave all the gutting till the end of the day and dig a hole and bury it ,

[jimster68 123]

i normally gut rabbits at the end of the day ,i just hang them on a branch or hedge as i go along and then pick them up on the way back and gut them all at the same time ,i use a pair of disposable gloves and drop them in a hole with the guts and the jobs a goodun.nowt worse than walking around with hands stincking of rabbit shit/guts.

[events co-ordinator 353]

We always gut them as we go they are lighter to carry and the meat cools quicker with no taint.Saying that not too many rabbits about our way just now.

[Rake aboot 4,936]

end of the day, but always piss them straight away.

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Both...

 

Sometimes ill gut and leg them as i go, Hanging them from a tree or fence (whatever) and just keep doing that adding legged rabbits to the tie, But when i think about i tend to do this if the goings slow and its something to do.

 

Other times its just leave them and gut at the end of session but my ferreting trips anit long couple of three hours at the most so they anit sitting to long with guts in... Dont think theres a wrong and a right to it think its down to preference....

[shabadoodoo 16]

i do all mine at the end of the day,