Randy King is a revenue contributor at Idaho Fish & Game and lives in Nampa, Idaho. He is a trained chef, avid hunter and fisherman, author of the cookbook “Chef in the Wild” and has written articles on gastronomy in numerous national publications..

The 20 caliber looks huge next to my oldest son. The unique move is his now, a gift from Grandpa, and he’s trying to harvest his first bunny. Or hare. Or whatever. The goal is to have something that jumps, has big ears and eats well.

My son and I are not silent as we walk through the trashy mugwort. We are deliberately trying to scare the rabbits away, or at least to move. It is almost impossible to sneak up on rabbits; these ears are very attentive to locate predators. Unless you’re a ninja, the bunny will likely hear you approaching before you see it. The cool thing about rabbits, however, is that they usually only walk short distances when not being chased. That said, a running shot is common, and that’s why I prefer to hunt rabbits with a shotgun.

The boy finally managed to shoot a rabbit that had stopped under a large bush. There is always an emotional toll with any harvest – especially the first, but the proud glint in his eyes as he hoists his first rabbit lets me know he’s okay with hunting for his own food.

Butcher’s shop :

When I break a rabbit, I get four distinct cuts of meat. Two front legs, two back legs, two kidneys and bones for cattle. First, I disarticulate the hind legs by first pulling the kneecap out of the hind legs, then sliding my knife over the ball. The leg should come out cleanly with a cut. The front legs are also easy; they are not even attached with bone. I simply slip my blade into the rabbit’s armpit and make a quick cut. The leg should come off cleanly.

To remove the kidneys, I run my knife on either side of the spine from the base of the neck to the tail. The blade should stop on the ribs of the hare. Then, pull the meat away from the bone and slide the knife under the loin. It should stand out in a large section. Think of it as a very small back strap. The remaining bones and stomach flaps make excellent broths and flavor the soup.

On a rabbit, I will fry all the separate pieces like chicken. The meat is white and tender. They all take different cooking times. Fry the thicker hind legs longer than the kidneys or front legs!

Ingredients:

• Chicken Fried Rabbit
• ½ cup of milk
• ½ cup ranch dressing
• ½ cup of flour
• ½ cup of cornstarch
• 1 cup fine crushed cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon Ms. Dash Original seasoning
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• Salt
• Black pepper
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 lime, juice and zest
• Ziploc 2 Gallon Freezer Bags

Recipe:

In a bag pour the milk and the ranch, mix well. In the other bag, add the flour, cornstarch, cracker crumbs, Ms. Dash, paprika, salt, pepper and cumin. Mix well.

Rinse the rabbit sections under the tap and shake off excess water. Add them to the cracker and seasoning mixture. Remove to a dry plate. Then add them to the ranch dressing mixture.

Remove to a dry plate, then add to the cracker crumb mixture, making sure to press some of the dry coating onto the flesh. Once coated, remove the rabbit sections completely. The coating will last up to three hours. So breading them in advance is ok.

In a medium sauté pan, add about ¼ inch of oil. Heat the pan for five minutes over medium-low heat. Add a section of the coated rabbit, if the pan does not sizzle considerably, remove the section and increase the heat a little.

Brown the rabbit sections, about 3 to 5 minutes, then turn them over. Most pans will have lost a considerable amount of heat by now, so I make sure to turn the heat up to medium when I turn the sections over. This will allow for even browning.

When it is golden on both sides, lower the heat to minimum and pour in the rest of the oil. Take the larger piece of rabbit and cut it in the center to check doneness. Continue cooking if the meat is pink. The internal temperature should reach 150+ degrees to ensure that all foodborne illnesses are destroyed.

Just before serving the rabbit, sprinkle with lime zest, then squeeze the lemon on top of the rabbit. This will give the fried rabbit a little extra boost.