Possums

[woolybear]

When DH and I were first married he did a lot of trapping. So we got the bright idea to try muskrat....yeah his family dog got that meal.
DH started trapping when he was young...you know that saying "a chicken in every pot"? well DH's family had roast coon every Sunday.

[Ozarks Tom]

Our mechanic, Coop, was raised out near Ft Leonard Wood, a very poor part of the Ozarks. Talking one time he said if he hadn't been out hunting rabbits regularly the family wouldn't have had any meat to eat. He's never said anything about bringing home possum, but I wouldn't doubt that was on the menu at times too.

When I say he's our mechanic, in reality he's the owner of the shop with 6 employees, has a contract with the city police department to service their vehicles, and has a steady return customer stream that keeps his parking lot full.

But, you've never seen a happier guy than we I bring him a couple 5+ pound rabbits. The ones he brought home were probably around two pounds dressed at most.

I may have told this story before, so please indulge me. Many years ago the harmonic balancer on the Bronco went out, and I asked around for an honest mechanic shop. A couple people told me to go to Eaglecrest Automotive. When I took it in I said it probably needed a new serpentine belt, as the harmonic balancer must have nearly shredded it by then. When I picked it up that evening I noticed they hadn't charged for the belt. I asked why, and he said "you didn't need it". That's how you build a business. I've sent several people there over the years.

[sugarspinner]

Dec 30, 2022 13:55:33 GMT woolybear said:

When DH and I were first married he did a lot of trapping. So we got the bright idea to try muskrat....yeah his family dog got that meal.
DH started trapping when he was young...you know that saying "a chicken in every pot"? well DH's family had roast coon every Sunday.

Over the years, I've tasted, and often cooked, a lot of strange meats and muskrat was one.  A sil and her husband were involved in that and they smoked the legs before cooking them.  It wasn't my favorite meal but neither was it the worst.  BTW, I rarely eat meat anymore.   I can take any veggie-type food and usually really enjoy it,  but I've completely given up on strange meat.  Tasted possum once years ago but I wouldn't do so now--not if there were some nice green weeds to gnaw on instead! 

[joebill]

Seen far too many of them dining INSIDE of a dead and bloated cow, only to come crawling out of the anus when we shot the bloated cow from a distance to let out the gas. Gimme a nice clean coon any day.....Joe

[ceresone]

i remember, at 7 years old i started hunting with a 22 rifle. i got good skinning a cleaning for supper, i found you tie the hind legs to a fence to pull skin off.
now that im grown, i know that was the only meat we had. and as for hunting at 7 ? i took my nephew with me at 4, but 5 he had a rifle too. many times i sent him up a tree to scare a squirrel sround to the side of a tree so i could shoot it, in our age now, i asked him about it, he said he was never scared, he knew i could shoot.
can you imagine this it todays times?/ this was in the 40 s

[wildhorseluvr]

Jan 29, 2023 22:40:59 GMT ceresone said:

i remember, at 7 years old i started hunting with a 22 rifle. i got good skinning a cleaning for supper, i found you tie the hind legs to a fence to pull skin off.
now that im grown, i know that was the only meat we had. and as for hunting at 7 ? i took my nephew with me at 4, but 5 he had a rifle too. many times i sent him up a tree to scare a squirrel sround to the side of a tree so i could shoot it, in our age now, i asked him about it, he said he was never scared, he knew i could shoot.
can you imagine this it todays times?/ this was in the 40 s

In a nutshell, heck no. Today’s adults think it’s not safe to come out of mom’s basement and have panic attacks/meltdowns if someone uses the wrong pronoun.