Paunching a rabbit

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Paunching a rabbit
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Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 07 12:52 pm Post subject: Paunching a rabbit

First, catch your rabbit

Just after they've been shot, give a good squeeze of the lower abdomen with the back of a fist, to squeeze any urine out of their bladders and prevent it spoiling the meat.

Tools required

Spanners, hammers and the like are not needed. I use a fine-bladed knife which is easy to get razor-sharp, and a Gerber gut hook, here modelled by Miss Deceased Rabbit.

I also prefer not to paddle my hands in rabbit innards (apart from anything else, you can't wash your hands in the field, and you have to paunch them quickly or the meat will spoil), so I use disposable latex gloves, which you can buy for a couple of quid for a great box from your local builders merchants or spray painting/health and safety supplier.

The gut hook helps to avoid splitting open the stomach - it unzips the rabbits without you having to slide knives into their innards. My missus calles the device the 'rabbit ripper'. First, take your knife and make a small incision on the breastbone.

Cut through both the fur and the inner membrane (doing this over the breastbone prevents the knife slipping in too far and splitting the stomach. You really don't want to split the stomach.

Then insert the gut hook and pull downwards (some manufacturers such as Buck Knives do knives with a gut hook built in. Never buy a cheap field knife - they're made from grotty steel and will never be really sharp).

Removing the guts

When you begin to roll out the digestive organs, remember to take care of the stomach sac. This will be stuffed with grass and you really don't want it to break open. Pull the top of the stomach away from where it is attached, just above the liver. Pinch well to make sure you don't get any 'blowback' onto the meat.

This is why you don't want it to break open:

Finally, pull back the pellets that are in the lower bowel before pulling it clear of the anus - pull it away inwards. This prevents any unformed turds smearing across the meat.

Your rabbit is now paunched and ready to be skinned.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 07 11:34 am Post subject:
Nice

KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 07 9:31 am Post subject:
So you aren`t a "swing n flick" guy then Nice to see a bit of hygeine

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 07 9:36 am Post subject:

KILLITnGRILLIT wrote:

So you aren`t a "swing n flick" guy then

Not mastered that fully and it's wise not to stand next to a novice.

The main problem I have is having a knife sharp enough to cut open the rabbit without making a mess. Even a good quality one that seems as sharp as anything had problems, perhaps a gut hook would be better.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 07 11:07 am Post subject:
I simply lift the skin away from the body cavity wall and make the smallest nick in it, just enough to hook my finger inside and then pull the skin open. Using the point of a sharp knife I cut the next layer revealing the intestines and taking care not to rupture them I simply pull the whole lot out and its job done, twenty seconds if that max.

whitelegg1

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 409
Location: Woodford Green

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 07 1:57 pm Post subject:
Rather than buying a probably expensive 'guthook' bladed knife, I find the 'stanley; hook blades for carpet cutting, do the trick rather nicely.... In fact I intend to be giving it a rigorous test on Saturday night, when I field test my new digital NV Pete

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 07 3:16 pm Post subject:

Actually, the Gerber gut hook was only a tenner. And the little knife was twenty. I think Buck do a knife with gut hook for about thirty quid. I've tried quicker measures, but when it's someone else's land I like to be able to roll the innards into a bag and take them all away, especially in the Summer. Rotting rabbit entrails reek to high heaven.

As far as the gloves go, it's either gloves, or carring water, a towel etc, or ending up with sticky innards all over my gun.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 07 6:21 am Post subject:
In the past, I've actualy ground a hook into a blade. I used the hook that I created as a knot cutter and I'm sure it would have been useful for the function we are discussing.

willding2007

Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 33
Location: rhondda valley

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 07 3:41 pm Post subject:
always squeeze urine out of rabbit before paunching ,this prevents tainting of the meat which renders it inedible

StuP

Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 07 10:23 am Post subject:
Just bagged my first bunny this morning - thanks for the info! Noticed him heading towards us up the track so got him from the bedroom window. After paunching, how long would you suggest hanging? - oops, just saw the other thread.....

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 07 10:35 am Post subject:
Don't ! Just skin and guts him ASAP. Let him cool and either cook him or freeze him as soon as he's cooled, especially in this sort of weather.

StuP

Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 07 12:35 pm Post subject:
Thanks! Not to worry - he was paunched immediately as per instruction and I've phoned home and Kat's already skinned and jointed him. Rabbit stew for dinner tonight. A light red to go with it perhaps?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 07 12:41 pm Post subject:
Bunny recipes article.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 07 1:02 pm Post subject:
He'll be okay with the guts in for a bit. I often get them a couple of days old after being shot as vermine, never had a bad one yet.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 07 1:14 pm Post subject:
Could M-J use that rabbit ripper for a DIY tonsilectomy on Gervase?

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