Silly question - Are foxes good for eating?

[Kernowek Scouser]

My experience of wild food is mostly limited to snaffling a few grapes from the produce aisle of my local supermarket, so to say I know bugger all about what wild food are safe to eat and what are not, would be an understatement.

So early today I found myself having a random conversation about foxes and in particular shooting them, to keep the population down.

My contribution to the 'debate' made in jest but taken seriously was 'if you are going to kill them, you may as well cook them and eat them too'

This comment was met with blank stares, a couple of head shakes and the odd 'pillock' being muttered affectionately under folks breath, which is fair enough as Fox is not an animal that would immediately spring to mind when listing those that are safe to cook and eat.

But it got me thinking (which is always a worry, especially when I have time on my hands) are foxes an animal you could cook and safely eat?
I imagine as they eat anything (and everything) the meat off a fox could be pretty suspect, but would it be harmful?

I genuinely have no idea, so if anyone would care to enlighten me on the viability of foxes as food (and badgers, hedgehogs and other traditional 'roadkill' if you are feeling expansive) I'd be most grateful.

Cheers,

Colin

[luresalive]

It would not be harmful, it will not poison you nor will it pass on any parasites provided the meat is well cooked, but that does not mean it will taste good! I was on a course when the chief instructor told us they were away for a week in scandinavia, the only thing they caught that they could eat was a fox, they ate it, it provided calories but they said it was rank..but then again, we all have different tastes.

[Marvell]

Here's a useful link for this sort of conversation which is all about pest, vermin and game including seasons.

http://www.basc.org.uk//en/departments/game-and-gamekeeping/game-shooting/shooting-seasons.cfm

Here's a useful thing to know about meat tastes:

Herbivores taste lovely
Insectivores taste porky
Fish eaters taste fishy
Carnivores taste ... potent
Carrion eaters taste disgusting
Rubbish eaters taste rubbish
Pooh eaters taste like pooh

There are exceptions of course, like crocs, which I hear taste rather nice.

So no, a fox is unlikey to be good eating, though I have no friends who have. However, I hear badger and hedgehog are nice, and that's from people who have eaten them.

[Kernowek Scouser]

Cheers fellas, thanks for indulging my curiosity T^

[Marvell]

it will not poison you

The only time it would is if it was poisoned as cooking does not destroy toxins. One might ask why something got hit by a car. Was it woosy?

[Aaron Rushton]

in the words of crocodile dundee "you can live on it, but it tastes like $#!+" i saw a video of a guy who tried it and he said it tasted real bad.

[luresalive]

I've had croc, it tastes fishy and not in a nice way, I didn't like it. A fox is a dog and dogs are eaten in many countries, there was a program on TV when the guy ate road kill including foxes,he said it tasted like petrol!!!!

[AdrianRose]

I've eaten fox and even tho it was bled out almost instantly it tasted very metallic. You know that usual "copper penny" taste from unbled meat.

I think that a word of caution should be passed on here about the inherent risks associated with eating road kill as Steve pointed out earlier.

I know that you said you would be shooting and eating, which is fine but NEVER eat road kill unless you saw it get run over. Don't want to hijack your thread but a friend of mine lost 6 of his prize gun dogs by eating road kill, long story but needless to say its just not safe.

Ade.

[rossbird]

All I'm gonna say is...don't cook it indoors:)

[Aaron Rushton]

I've eaten fox and even tho it was bled out almost instantly it tasted very metallic. You know that usual "copper penny" taste from unbled meat.

I think that a word of caution should be passed on here about the inherent risks associated with eating road kill as Steve pointed out earlier.

I know that you said you would be shooting and eating, which is fine but NEVER eat road kill unless you saw it get run over. Don't want to hijack your thread but a friend of mine lost 6 of his prize gun dogs by eating road kill, long story but needless to say its just not safe.

Ade.
we have broken this rule, but i think it was pretty safe. we went up the road to countrywide for an hours and on our way back down the same road we picked up 2 roadkill pheasants, still warm! tasted lovely.

[Marvell]

when the guy ate road kill including foxes,he said it tasted like petrol!!!!

But then I think Rock Samphire and most of the carrot family taste like petrol too.

[luresalive]

I think most of us have, I've eaten roadkill rabbit, pigeon and pheasant..none of them were warm!

[Roadkillphil]

Back when I was a carnataur, roadkill was a staple for me. I would only take freshly mown that day and would dissect and inspect the creature for signs of disease. I suppose where I live and collected from poisoning is less likely. I hate the idea that animals would be needlessly killed basically because mankind wants to get somewhere faster. But if they could be recycled then it would make me feel better and less hungry :D

As for fox, never tried it, but theym stink and I'd find it hard eating a stinky like they, or a badger I reckon.
I ate a crow I shot once.... Never again unless my life depended on it, twas rank

Cheers

Phil

[Kernowek Scouser]

This is fascinating, thanks fellas :D

[happybonzo]

Here's a useful thing to know about meat tastes:

Herbivores taste lovely
Insectivores taste porky
Fish eaters taste fishy
Carnivores taste ... potent
Carrion eaters taste disgusting
Rubbish eaters taste rubbish
Pooh eaters taste like pooh

There are exceptions of course, like crocs, which I hear taste rather nice.

So no, a fox is unlikey to be good eating, though I have no friends who have. However, I hear badger and hedgehog are nice, and that's from people who have eaten them.

Hedgehogs are OK
Crows, Rooks and Magpies are rank
Snake does not necessarily taste like "chicken" unless you include KFC :)
The old country people used to have Badger Hams
Polecats and Ferrets are also ****ing disgusting
I suppose that I could and would and did eat Fox. An old French blokey once gave me a recipe for Fox. He had me cracked up with larfter as he described cutting of the Fox's floppily-doppolies (thanks Blackadder) and making sure the blood was drained fully and saved for the gravy. It was made up like a Boeuf en Daub...... and it still tasted like c**p :)

[Dan XF]

I remember going out to our air ambulance one sunday morning to drop off some oxygen. I was working with a bloke called Chukumeka and he used to run a catering company and employed Ainsley Harriet before he was famous. One of the aircrew was cooking a fry up for everyone and invited us to join in. He had his own small holding and only ate meat from his own animals. When I told him I was vegetarian he nearly asked which bit of vegetaria I was from. Chuku reckoned the bacon was the best he'd tasted and the sausages were a revelation. He nearly choked when he found out they were rook and pork. maybe rook tastes ok mixed with fresh organic pork. I didn't try them but I greatly respected the man for rearing his own animals and slaughtering them himself and doing the butchering in his garage. Up at hungerford ambulance station they used to take road kill back and butcher it in the garage. apparently a deer hanging near the drugs cupboard was considered quite usual. But the advice from earlier is true, heat will kill bacteria and parasites but the toxins caused by the bacterial metabolising are not destroyed by heat and still remain potent. The same applies to rice left out from the night before. You dan heat it all you like the next day but a large enough colony of bacteria will leave behind enough toxin to do you harm.

[Kernowek Scouser]

Thanks for this, all very useful information T^

Following a youtube from a link in another thread, I stumbled upon this video...

Butchering and cooking a squirrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9nQ7mvoWLM&context=C4fdcdcfADvjVQa1PpcFMph14iPpA-mRLvBr8IYjG8lgQQbVAeflQ=

... and I wondered if any of you had tried one?

[JEEP]

I remember going out to our air ambulance one sunday morning to drop off some oxygen. I was working with a bloke called Chukumeka and he used to run a catering company and employed Ainsley Harriet before he was famous. One of the aircrew was cooking a fry up for everyone and invited us to join in. He had his own small holding and only ate meat from his own animals. When I told him I was vegetarian he nearly asked which bit of vegetaria I was from. Chuku reckoned the bacon was the best he'd tasted and the sausages were a revelation. He nearly choked when he found out they were rook and pork. maybe rook tastes ok mixed with fresh organic pork. I didn't try them but I greatly respected the man for rearing his own animals and slaughtering them himself and doing the butchering in his garage. Up at hungerford ambulance station they used to take road kill back and butcher it in the garage. apparently a deer hanging near the drugs cupboard was considered quite usual. But the advice from earlier is true, heat will kill bacteria and parasites but the toxins caused by the bacterial metabolising are not destroyed by heat and still remain potent. The same applies to rice left out from the night before. You dan heat it all you like the next day but a large enough colony of bacteria will leave behind enough toxin to do you harm.

Young rooks are a delicacy here in Denmark. They are quite tasty.

[Martin]

Young rooks are a delicacy here in Denmark. They are quite tasty.

Coming from a country that considers Surströmming (canned, rotten fish) a delicacy, why does the eating of rook not surprise me?? :D

Martin

[happybonzo]

Thanks for this, all very useful information T^

Following a youtube from a link in another thread, I stumbled upon this video...

Butchering and cooking a squirrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9nQ7mvoWLM&context=C4fdcdcfADvjVQa1PpcFMph14iPpA-mRLvBr8IYjG8lgQQbVAeflQ=

... and I wondered if any of you had tried one?

I think I've already posted this link. It's from the Woodlands TV people who are part of the Woodlands for Sale organistation.

There's plenty of other useful videos on their website WOODLANDS TV (http://www.woodlands.co.uk/tv/) so that's your evenings viewing sorted :)

Personally, Ah done give up orn Squirrel aft' I seed wat it gone done to ma cousins Billy Bob, Bubba and Cleetus :)

[treefrog]

If you eat a lot of eggrolls, you've probably eaten fox...and badger, groundhog, roof-rabbit,....

[Hushwing]

Once was told the best way to prepare Capercaillie (large grouse bird found in Scotland and Scandanavia) for eating was to boil root vegetables together in a large pot, simmering slowly. In the meantime dig a large hole, place the capercaillie into it, cover it over and leave well alone for..... ever. It's meant to be rank also. Apparently the root vegetables taste pretty good though! This version sounds a bit better though - http://www.burnssupper2009.com/burns-night/cocktails/capercaillie.aspx

[Tony1948]

Shore duzz:happy-clapping:

[Bodhi2012]

The only meat deemed unsafe is rat, this is due to leptospirosis (Weils Syndrome) but a general rule of thumb is fur and feathers are OK but you have to consider the diet of what you are going to eat, carrion meat is rank, herbivore meat is good, carnivore meat is not so good, personally I have eaten deer, goat, horse, buffallo, emu, ostrich, hedgehog, squirrell, most fish, most game birds and none game birds, and parts of pig, sheep and bull that normally would be thrown away. I can honestly say I liked them all. I have never eaten any insects so I cannot comment, I would imagine that due to a fox' diet they will taste foul.