Watermelon ripe? How do you tell?

[Pat]

Bird, I like rabbit and used to be able to find it at the super market in San Diego when I wasn't raising my own but haven't seen any in a meat counter since coming back to Oklahoma. The last rabbit I ate was 2-3 years ago. It was eating way too much of my wife's head lettuce. I have already been scolded for eating a rabbit shot in summer so save your effort. We have plenty of bunnies in our yard but my wife would pop a gasket if I shot one. She'd kick me out if I shot one of "HER" little red squirrels or any of the Bob White quail that feed undere our bird feeders.

I did get approval to shoot a BIG FAT RAT that was eating bird food she puts out on the ground for birds that prefer eating off the gound rather than perching at a feeder. Overkill! I went for the first long gun I could load and it was a 20 ga. I wish my Ruger 10-22 with the supressor had been handy. It is very stealthy and accurate with nice scope. I sometimes get distracted trying to decide exactly where to place a shot on a varmint instead of just popping off a quick round or two at the center of mass.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Bird]

Pat, I've often wondered why we don't see rabbit (and goat) in our supermarkets. Obviously some parts of the country do have them, but not around here as far as I know.

[egon]

I was told that some of my ancestors that arrived in the late 1800's surved several winters on rabbit, dried turnips and cabbage. The rabbits were trapped as they no guns.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Bird]

I wouldn't doubt that a bit, Egon, as far as surviving on such a diet, and I could certainly understand trapping to save ammo, but would have thought a lack of guns in that century would be very unusual.

[egon]

Actually not so unusual for the religious nature of the imigrants. The father did not like guns and as such there were none.

But the Sons were slightly different. Many a moose, elk or deer passed over their tables. The one son was able to hit flying crows with a .22.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Bird]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
The one son was able to hit flying crows with a .22.

[/ QUOTE ]

That would be some good shootin' for sure, and I oughta know, as many .22 shells as I wasted as a teenager shootin' at crows. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[egon]

Think I wasted a few too. We used to get 5 cents for a pair of crow or magpie legs. Never did hit anything that was moving. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Cooyee bolt action reapeater with 4 power scope and then a winchester model 66? semi auto with 4 power scope. Still got them.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Bird]

Egon, my first rifle was a new Remington single shot bolt action .22. I later traded it in on a new Stevens semi-auto model; didn't get any more game, but used a lot more ammo. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I never had a scope on any of my guns, but I later traded that Stevens to one of my brothers, then he traded it to our dad, and when he got older, Dad had a scope put on it for squirrel hunting. And then it was stolen in a burglary and never recovered.

[Pat]

Bird, If you can't find goat, look for cabrita. Given the hispanification of America maybe it can be found under a Spanish label. I don't know but I have heard that goat suffered a decline as a backlash because so many people associate goat with middle eastern cullture which UNFORTUNATELY in many minds of course translates to Radical Fanatic Terrorists.

If there is an identifiable "Mexican" part of town with ethnic markets (especially a carneceria), you would likely find goat there.

I like shopping ethnic markets. I wish I wasn't so ignorant when it comes to knowing what the products are and what they are used for.

My last foray into an ethnic market was to "Spices of India" in OKC. They recently moved to larger nicer quarters in a medium sized strip mall. Just so many interesting looking products and I have to pick up and read the label which frequently lists the ingredients but only sometimes gives a hint what it is used for. I bet the folks in the know would crack ribs laughing if they saw how I used some of the prepared sauces. I got one called pickle sauce and it has a lot of ginger in it and chili pepers BUT (as proclaimed on the label) contains no garlic! I put a big spoonful in a bowl of beans and liked it fine. IF only I could read Hindi, Farsi, and such, I would have even more fun. Some of the labels are in Arabic script and are from one of the "stans" Paki, Hindu, Kariki, or whatever. I only buy what I can read the labels on so I don't drive the nice shop keeper lady crazy with questions.

They sell Indian CD's and DVD's also. I inquired about Ravi Shankar music and they said they only had "Modern music." It was probably abolut the equivalent of going into an American music outlet and asking for a recording of Gene Autry singing "Cattle Call."



[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Bird]

Pat, I have very rarely visited ethnic markets for the very reason you mentioned; my ignorance of what the products are and what they're used for. But there are quite a few of them around and you very well may be right about finding goat meat in them. I'll have to remember to check some and see. It's been quite a few years since I've been to Kerrville, TX but the last time I was there, I had cabrita at Cooper's barbecue and I also visited a mainstream supermarket there and they had the goat meat.