Has anyone tried making rat jerky..?

I like to think of myself as pretty open minded when it comes to food, but I think I'd have to be on drugs to try that, even post-apocalypse.

Those of you that are squeamish may not want to read this lol. Yes I have eaten rat. It's a little chewy imo. I've also eaten dog, cat, snake, bear, horse, elk, deer, skunk, coon,goat, grub worms, and a whole lot of other little critters lol. If its served to me and I get a fork in it before it gets off of my plate its ate. Most of the truly weird stuff was eaten over seas. I grew up dirt poor and hunted my entire life so killing and skining an animal isn't even a little weird to me. Trust me if we were stranded far from civilization you wouldn't go hungry with me around. Just don't ask what's for dinner you are probably better off not knowing. Lol

I'll try just about anything once. I would probably give it a shot if I raised the rat and knew exactly what it had been exposed to. Wild rats are another story but in a survival situation I wouldn't even think twice.

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Originally Posted by Bellatrix_LeSnake

I'd have to be on drugs to try that, even post-apocalypse.

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You can make a safe bet that if there is an apocalypse during my lifetime, I will be stockpiling and abusing drugs rampantly.

Dear god. My female agouti FINALLY dropped a massive liter for me! Not sure how many babies I got, but before this one shes only popped out 5 or 6 at a time.

Anyway, im glad to hear so many people would at least do it if they needed to haha. For those of you who have experience skinning game, is it like you cut it open and want to instapuke? Or does it just wear on you as you go? I feel like if I WAS cooking rat, id probably try to mkae it all chinesey. An orange or lemon sauce, some lo mein, maybe some peppers. If you put the right stuff on it I bet you wouldnt even taste it much.

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Originally Posted by Riv

For those of you who have experience skinning game, is it like you cut it open and want to instapuke? Or does it just wear on you as you go?

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Congrats on your agouti litter! :)

I don't know about other food animals, but I've opened up quite a number of rats and mice.
For me, the odor isn't really instant and doesn't hit me in the face. It smells mostly like that iron-y blood scent. It's once you get down to the intestines, it really smells nasty. All that gross poopy smell starts wafting out.
Basically, if you've smelled fresh wet rat poop, that's about the worst it gets.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Congrats on your agouti litter! :)

I don't know about other food animals, but I've opened up quite a number of rats and mice.
For me, the odor isn't really instant and doesn't hit me in the face. It smells mostly like that iron-y blood scent. It's once you get down to the intestines, it really smells nasty. All that gross poopy smell starts wafting out.
Basically, if you've smelled fresh wet rat poop, that's about the worst it gets.

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Wow I might be okay then. Ive gotten nose bleeds incessantly since I was a kid, and every time I get one that irony blood scent lingers for the entire day, so im used to that. And the rat poop smell has never bothered me too much. I mean I can man up to a NASTY cage with no gloves, and without holding my breath if I have to.(Have to shower afterwards, but I get the job done first haha)