What do you do with the quarry you’ve taken down?

I’m curious about what happens to your kills once the dust settles. Do you burn it, bury it, or give it a new purpose?

Here in the UK, we enjoy rabbits and wood pigeons (and my personal favourite, collared doves, though they’re now off the legal menu). Some folks eat squirrels, but not me—I send corvid feathers and squirrel tails to a fly-fishing merchant.

Is it similar across the pond? You shoot a wide variety of quarry, and I’d love to know what you do with it. I’ve heard iguanas are often turned into leather goods or eaten, which I find quite fascinating.


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For the most part, the chipmunks, squirrels, and house sparrows go to the kitties.

Napoleon making quick work of a chipmunk:
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Twix enjoying a house sparrow:
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And this cat:
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proudly bringing back a gray squirrel dropped from the pear tree
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But on occasion I'll pressure cook several squirrels and separate the meat
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and lay on a blanket of bacon
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And enjoy it with some other fixings
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For the most part, the chipmunks, squirrels, and house sparrows go to the kitties.

Napoleon making quick work of a chipmunk:
View attachment 502259

Twix enjoying a house sparrow:
View attachment 502258

And this cat:
View attachment 502255
proudly bringing back a gray squirrel dropped from the pear tree
View attachment 502260

But on occasion I'll pressure cook several squirrels and separate the meat
View attachment 502261

and lay on a blanket of bacon
View attachment 502262

And enjoy it with some other fixings
View attachment 502263
That looks delicious!
 
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I won't eat the iguanas, they are eating grass that might have been treated with Round-Up I compost the suckers to give back to my garden.
wait, what goes in the ground might venture into your garden. wifey is a biologist and she stopped me when i told her what you posted.......:oops:
 
Rabbit and squirrel go in the stew, smaller critters feed the kitties
 
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Depends on the kill. Ground squirrels make coyotes happy and so do European starling and house sparrows. collared doves make great dove nuggets. when in season cottontails get taken and eaten As well.
Thanks for the insight. Do you usually prepare your cottontails a certain way, or do you mix it up? I find rabbit is pretty versatile, but I always enjoy hearing new ideas. Guess you're keeping the local coyote population happy and well-fed, huh? They are not pests around your way?
 
if im hunting, i plan on eating my quarry. if pesting, its bait for other pests. :sneaky:
Nice! I do the same with baiting. Do you find one species works better as bait than others? I’ve found a gutted rabbit attracts more attention than a squirrel for example, but I’m always curious to hear what works best for others.
 
I eat the Eurasian dives and turkeys. I have a permission where I shoot starlings and ground squirrels. The owner is ok with me leaving them where they’re shot. Coyotes and other critters will take care of them
Sounds like a great setup! I love eating doves too, but over here they’ve been taken off the general license, so sadly, no more dove dinners for us.

Leaving starlings and ground squirrels for the local critters seems like a practical way to handle things. Do you shoot on farmland? Are coyotes not considered pests?
 
For the most part, the chipmunks, squirrels, and house sparrows go to the kitties.

Napoleon making quick work of a chipmunk:
View attachment 502259

Twix enjoying a house sparrow:
View attachment 502258

And this cat:
View attachment 502255
proudly bringing back a gray squirrel dropped from the pear tree
View attachment 502260

But on occasion I'll pressure cook several squirrels and separate the meat
View attachment 502261

and lay on a blanket of bacon
View attachment 502262

And enjoy it with some other fixings
View attachment 502263
Haha, I love the kitty feast photos! Seems like they’re living the dream with their gourmet 'snacks' and squirrel retrievals.

I have to say, the pressure-cooked squirrel wrapped in a bacon blanket looks fascinating, wouldnt mind trying that.