Tried something new today, cooked up a small beaver I caught a couple weeks ago. I've heard they're good eating, especially the small ones, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I tried cooking up like I do the tougher cuts of venison. Lightly brown, then simmer in red wine and bullion with carrots and onions for a couple hours, then serve over noodles. That will turn any venison tender and melt in your mouth.

The beaver was 14 pounds out of the trap, I got maybe 1-1.5# boning out the legs. Wasn't much to cut elsewhere. It's definatley edible, has a flavor like nothing I've tasted before, sort of a strange sweet taste to it. Maybe it's just tainted from the castor. Doesn't hold a candle to deer meat. I'll probably just keep using them for bait....lol.

We caught a big beaver when I was a kid and we cooked it up. Many said the tail is like bacon, but ours wasn't too good. We did like the meat though. It was sweet and I thought tasty. Much of it depends on what kind of tree bark they are eating.

Vic

I commend you for at least trying it, I hate to see anything wasted/
We've got the loin out of my bobcat in the freezer, gonna eat that soon.

Let us know how that cat turns out Barry. I've got a muskrat in the freezer, if I can find a decent sounding recipe, it might makes it way to the grill.

Just saw something on Twitter and it made me think of this thread. Instead of selling beaver pelts maybe you should sell the meat!!!

http://www.exoticmeatmarket.com/beavermeat.html

that's an awefull expensive taste for beaver...lol

I wonder where they get it? Thankfully it's legal to sell coon meat in Va and most of the south, it goes a long way to covering gas