Rats

I hear the muskrats are making a comeback down on The Point after those years of high water and Tularemia (Rabbit Fever) outbreak. Unfortunately a lot of the bulrush floated away which they feed on and make their homes out of but that's Mother Nature just doing her thing.
If my memory is correct the "Marsh Hare" is supplied by a Muskrat farm down Dunnville way and that nickname has nothing to do with rabbits or hares (Leporidae) as Muskrats, beavers, Squirrels, gophers, guinea pigs, porcupines and many more fall under the Rodentia family.
 
Old Cut LongPointer said:
I hear the muskrats are making a comeback down on The Point after those years of high water and Tularemia (Rabbit Fever) outbreak. Unfortunately a lot of the bulrush floated away which they feed on and make their homes out of but that's Mother Nature just doing her thing.
If my memory is correct the "Marsh Hare" is supplied by a Muskrat farm down Dunnville way and that nickname has nothing to do with rabbits or hares (Leporidae) as Muskrats, beavers, Squirrels, gophers, guinea pigs, porcupines and many more fall under the Rodentia family.
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I believe the rats are all wild caught. Not sure muskrat farming is a thing in Ontario?

The rats seem to be doing well on the point and you sure see a lot of houses out in the open water that used to be solid phragmites on your way down the causeway. I'm not sure how they fared in all that phragmites, but they're certainly easier to spot these days!
 
"Farm" may not be the right name but it was what I was told by an old timer. I know the private hunt clubs like Long Point Company, Turkey Point Club and the old Toronto Big Creek Club use to "farm" Muskrats as a way of offsetting their costs. Maybe they still do ? Glad to hear of the return of the Marsh Hare Dinner as it's always been a major fund raising event for the Lions Club and the good work they do.

As for fund raisers ? I hear tickets are on sale now for the Delta Waterfowlers Dinner.
 
Octavius Brine said:
Any word on how it was prepared? Looks well browned and some kind of sauce?
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In my younger years I helped in trapping them in 2 private marshes which provided many rats or "Marsh Beaver" as our meals were referred as at the Dover Rod and Gun and the Grande Pointe Hall back in the day. The family I helped in the trapping process had and still have their way of cooking them which I unfortunately never learned as much as I love eating them. We used to clean a minimum of 150 a day each spring before the mating season started and the rats would get aggressive and start fighting which affected the pelts and reduced the value of the pelts so less money was made. First process was always to boil them and from there they were pan fried or baked in butter and spices and the outcome was always amazing and something I always looked forward to eating every chance I had. It was definitely a lot of work but like most any other meat we harvest and eat it was worth all the effort in the end. I also spent a number of years trapping turtle for various large and small meals in the area when I was younger and learned many different ways to cook it over the years. As much as I miss trapping snapping turtles the ban was definitely a great idea and something I supported knowing how long it takes them to reach their size.
 
@Fshrmn4life that is awesome. Thanks for sharing. You’re absolutely right. With modern processing we can have chicken and pork cleaned, consistent and packed for consumers incredibly cheap. But there is value and tradition in the foods that outdoors people harvest (whether or not everyone realizes it).
 
@Fshrmn4life : you are right on the money with rat cooking, only difference at our place was the salt water soak over night before the cooking started. I can still taste them now..Which area did you help trap in ? Ours came from Long Point area…
 
Red Fisher said:
@Fshrmn4life : you are right on the money with rat cooking, only difference at our place was the salt water soak over night before the cooking started. I can still taste them now..Which area did you help trap in ? Ours came from Long Point area…
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Forgot about the salt soak. I helped in a couple marshes in the Mitchell's Bay area.
 
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