What kind of critter is this?

[MeekandMild]

Traveling north up to the Tennessee Valley, we saw several critters on the side of the road (live, not road kill). They are about the size of a swamp rat (nutria) but don't have the big long yellow teeth and their fur is a lighter, almost chestnut color. We did not see their tails but the notable absence of a nutria rat tail and beaver flat tail was obvious. Ears were little rounded things like rat ears not at all rabbit-like. More than anything they looked like big double sized guinea pigs.

These critters appeared to be grazing on the side of the road! What were they?

 

[Bruz]

Sounds like a Piecost to me...

 

[Mal H]

No! Stop! Don't ask!

Actually I did see a Piecost pictured on a Grecian Urn at the Smithsonian. They've been around for a long time.

 

[one-shot-one]

let me guess a piecost is much like a henway!?!?

 

[gun-fucious]

groundhog

 

[shooter10mm]

You've witnessed the actual sighting of a groundhog, whistlepig, hedgehog whatever you wanna call 'em. They're loads of fun to shoot at long range!

 

[MeekandMild]

Groundhogs, eh? Well sunovagun! They did look a might pale to be Nutria!

BTW, I hate to tell you yankees, but it looks like there were some 'dillos up there too, moving north. Didn't see any live ones, but these possum on a half shell were roasting on the centerline, slowly simmering to make a tasty treat for the vultures and crows.

There is an obscure prophecy that once 'dillos reach the New York state line the world as we know it will end.

 

[Ol' Badger]

Musk Rat most likely. My Grandpa made me eat some once. Nasty stuff, but he seemed to enjoy it.

 

[winwun]

Groundhog, most definetly, and they can climb trees, too. My old Golden gave one the impetus to do just that about a year ago. They were rare around here in East Tennessee as little as 20 years ago, but they have bounded back with a vengeance. In fact, practically ALL wildlife has came back with a vengeance in that time. Seems like the more it grows up around here, the more foxes, coons, groundhogs, deer, etc. I see. I sort of like it, as long as they stay out of my garden. Oh, speaking of G-pigs, did you know that if you hold up a G-pig by its tail, its eyes will fall out?

 

[standingbear]

its eyes will fall out..lol

is that before you have run over it or after?yea an if you hide behind a white sheet,you can sneak up on them and scare them into having a stroke.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Groundhogs can be shot from long range, or taken at close range with a shorter range weapon. Good practice with archery tackle,handguns like the 357 or MLs.

22 LR is a little light for them,unless you're putting it right in the brain.22 mag works on body shots, but you want them to die before they make it back to their holes.

Don't hunt them before June, some of the biggest ones are females, but by June the kits can make it on their own.

BTW, they're delicious. Young ones can be fried like rabbits, older ones stewed or quartered, browned and simmered in tomato sauce. Either case, simmer until the meat comes off the bones, then remove the meat, debone and dice, add it back into the sauce/gravy.

 

[gun-fucious]

the eternal question...

 

[Watchman]

There is an obscure prophecy that once 'dillos reach the New York state line the world as we know it will end.

Never happen. Dillos dont like the cold.

Does that mean that TEOTAWKI will never happen ?

Dang it...all that ammo for nothing...

 

[MeekandMild]

Never happen. Dillos dont like the cold.

They don't have to travel under their own power. Could be a Texan truck driver carrying his box lunch for all I know.

Young ones can be fried like rabbits, older ones stewed or quartered, browned and simmered in tomato sauce. Either case, simmer until the meat comes off the bones, then remove the meat, debone and dice, add it back into the sauce/gravy.

This first step of browning sounds like it would be a good start for a roux if one put in some bacon fat. The tomato sauce (if chunky style) sounds a lot like Justin Wilson's starter for duck, crawfish and squirrel gumbo, then he puts in okra, spices, the roux, rice, et cetera.

What else do you put into your stew?

 

[Dave McCracken]

The tomato sauce for pasta would have oregano, garlic,basil, a hint of fresh rosemary, and maybe a teaspoon of wine for the aroma.

Stew, dredge the pieces in flour and brown in a bare non stick pan with just a little olive oil. Add a pat or two of butter after the browning to start the roux.

Use a bit of beef suet to brown some carrots, celery and onion,maybe a few leftover Portobellos, then add venison or beef stock. A touch of fresh ground ginger, a few caraway seeds and a bay leaf go in now. Cover and simmer,not boil for a good hour. Add diced potatos and simmer another 30 minutes, then add a little corn,peas, and a half tsp of Kitchen Bouquet. Another 15 minutes and you're ready...

 

[Bruz]

BTW, they're delicious.

Reckon it depends on where you grow up, but round here I do not know one person that eats rodents...probably tastes great, especially the way you prepare it, then again pig anuses would probably taste great in your stew, but I would have to be perdy hungry to try it out!

 

[standingbear]

what bruz said..lol

im with him,i dont think i could eat one either.especially the mangy ones ive shot.

 

[Dave McCracken]

To each his own, guys. Rabbits are rodents also.
Chucks eat grass, grain and fruit. The meat is a little like lean pork, a little like chicken, and delicious when cleanly killed and well prepared.

Sometime, ask me why I don't eat catfish or possum...

 

[Art Eatman]

Ah, Dave, the psychology of food!

I was on a passenger-freighter that put in to a lumber port on the east coast of Luzon, back in 1950. Filipino kids would dive into the harbor waters, catching jellyfish and climbing back onto a wharf-piling to sit and eat the jelly portion...

, Art

 

[inGobwetrust]

Sometime, ask me why I don't eat catfish or possum...

I'm asking!

 

[Bruz]

Rabbits are rodents also.

Hmmm, good point. OK, I don't eat rodents unless they hop and have long ears!

 

[sm]

Dave - sounds as if you need to do a "Cooking Satori".

Well we don't do Groundhogs here ( that I know of). We do have a BIG annual BBQ Coon supper in Gillette though. Tickets are sold way in advance, politicians 'stump', prison rodeo bands...

Must be a demographics--word is years ago a fellow was selling a fancy fish croquoet (sp?) dish in NYC at $20.00...we called it Carp...one of those fish we throw back...ugly and full of bones.

 

[Chuck Dye]

Actually, rabbits, hares, and pikas are lagomorphs, Order Lagomorpha, and NOT rodents.

 

[Cadwallader]

Groundhogs do indeed make tasty eating (don't tell my wife, she thinks they were pork or beef, depending on how I cooked them), especially when they've fattened up in early fall. I only take one occasionally, when they move in under a shed or woodpile and wear a path into the garden to feast on vegetables - they seem to enjoy the tomatoes as much as I do. I prefer to take head shots at close range: I lay down maybe ten yards downwind from the hole in late afternoon (the asparagus makes a perfect blind) and wait for piggie to stick his head out to look around. A subsonic .22 in the eye does it every time.

I've tanned a few skins for various uses - their toughness is second only to squirrel skin, and the fur (guard hairs and undercoat) comes in handy for tying a number of fly patterns - a very useful animal indeed.

They're protected on state land here in WI, and they seem to know it - I've run into several on the edges of woodlots, where they often climb a tree to about eye level to get a good look at me.

 

[MeekandMild]

Dave, in defence of the American catfish industry, farm raised fish eat commercial fish food mostyly soybean and corn based.

Two other questions? Do you have to tenderize these critters or just simmer a long time? (I notice deer roast seems to do best if it is slow cooked or pressure cooked and deer is the only wild critter I usally cook.)

Does it taste enough like pork to where it might do well in a pineapple, clove and cherry sauce? Mrs. Meek dislikes this but I think pork does well with it and those who have tried alligator in it tell me it does just as well.