marmots

Never ate a Marmot but have eaten a groundhog, pretty much the same critter right?

The young ones are the ones to get for grubbing as they are more tender when cooked, although in a pinch any one will do to fill the belly.

They are best roasted on a spit, so that the grease runs away from the carcass. Slit the skin in a few spots to ensure this.

Rubbed with Sage and Garlic, they are pretty tasty.

Chuck
 
chuckinohio said:
Never ate a Marmot but have eaten a groundhog, pretty much the same critter right?

The young ones are the ones to get for grubbing as they are more tender when cooked, although in a pinch any one will do to fill the belly.

They are best roasted on a spit, so that the grease runs away from the carcass. Slit the skin in a few spots to ensure this.

Rubbed with Sage and Garlic, they are pretty tasty.

Chuck
Click to expand...
So you leave the skin on, sing the hair off and cook it in it's own bag? I have watched primitive people do that on t.v. and don't even gut the animal. Steam them up I guess. I don't think I would like the waste in the carcass.
 
Loosearrow said:
So you leave the skin on, sing the hair off and cook it in it's own bag? I have watched primitive people do that on t.v. and don't even gut the animal. Steam them up I guess. I don't think I would like the waste in the carcass.
Click to expand...

Not quite, To be honest I got crossed up with roasting a goose and a groundhog, sorry bout that. You slit the skin on the breast of a goose to let the grease run out.

Skin them and clean them like any small game, and then roast them.

If Marmots are anything like our groundhogs are though, be careful handling them as they will be flea ridden. The older ones tend to be more grizzled and have lots of fleas, but the young ones pick them up quickly also. They live in the same burrows and all.

You could really have fun cooking one using natural herbs and edibles around your area, could be quite the woods banquet.

Do not turn your nose up at a muskrat either, they are tasty to eat. Like the Marmot or groundhog, the young ones are best for eating, and you treat them the same.

Try shake and bake mix on one, Marmot or Muskrat, it really comes out good. Use the commercial mix, or your own secret recipe and cook em up!

Chuck
 
Hey, forgot to add, you can also treat young critters like your Marmot or a muskrat exactly like you would cook a rabbit or squirrell.

Roast em, stew em, fricasse em, so on and so forth.

If you do, you want to be sure to use a young one as they will not be as gamey as an older one. The older ones really must be roasted to let the grease run away from them or they can be a bit strong.

Chuck
 
Marmot ? The eastern woodchuck [ ground hog] has the scientific name marmota monax !! Yes they are marmots. Don't confuse marmot with marmite !
 
becareful with marmots and groundhogs.. and besure to cook them thoroughly.. they are known to have high concentrations of rabies when compared to other rodents, also there fleas can carry bubonic plague in some locations... if handle and cooked properly however niether of these wiil be a problem...also they have bad ass teeth
 
The flea problem is very real with these critters, though I have only heard of the plague concerns coming from the Western US and primarily concerning Prairie Dog colonies.
While the plague concern is not known to be a problem in the Eastern US, care should still be exercised when handling or preparing one of these critters.

I have seen it both ways on groundhogs, some seem to be fat, healthy, and pest free, and some seem to be hosting a flea convention.

Chuck
 
On one of Ron Hoods DVD's (Traps and Trapping, I believe) he says that marmot is pretty good and tastes like rat, for those of you who have tried that. He said they're pretty stupid and easy to snare. He also recommends hanging them from the end of a pole while you're walking back to camp to prevent the fleas from bailing off of them and on to you. As the animal's body cools the fleas and ticks will leave to find another host.

I've had a lot of experience with those little monsters while climbing in the Tetons. They chew their way into tents and packs and chew on the shoulder straps and back panels of backpacks to eat the salt from your sweat. You can't bear bag above treeline so I have to bury food under rocks to prevent them from stealing it. If I had been able to kill one (or all) of those pests then I would be able to tell you how they taste. You learn to hate them pretty quick, especially after they chew their way through your $650 tent and $400 backpack. The trick is to leave the tent and pack open so they don't have to chew their way in and don't leave any food in them (they'll still look for sweat salt though, so you may have to bury your pack under rocks, too.)

Sorry for the rant. I haven't had any run ins with a marmot in 10 years and I still hate them!
 
Marmot hunting.

31230Eric2marmots.jpg


This is my first pistol hunting success! now i pistol hunt alot.

31230EricPistolMarmot.jpg


i usually soak and stew my marmot ---------- Eric
 
Last edited:
i have yet to try eating groundhog but my dad says its good. i always hunted them and the farmers in my area would let me know if they had any that needed eliminated.
borrowed time, is that a standard model ruger?
 
richard j said:
i have yet to try eating groundhog but my dad says its good. i always hunted them and the farmers in my area would let me know if they had any that needed eliminated.
borrowed time, is that a standard model ruger?
Click to expand...

yes sir, was a great little first autopistol. when i first started shooting with this pistol i couldnt hit the broad side of the barn when i was inside, so i got the scope put on. i taught myself how to shoot with open sights as life progressed. -------Eric
 
borrowed time said:
yes sir, was a great little first autopistol. when i first started shooting with this pistol i couldnt hit the broad side of the barn when i was inside, so i got the scope put on. i taught myself how to shoot with open sights as life progressed. -------Eric
Click to expand...

How did you mount the scope on a standard model? Were you able to keep the iron sights?
 
I usually don't eat them but have in the past. They are basically no different then eating a squirrel. Marmots/groundhogs are rodents. They eat clover and alfalfa, pretty much vegetarians. When you skin them they have a strong musk order. They are a serious pest to farmers leaving huge holes and mounds in their fields. Dairy farmers have the biggest concern because of cows breaking legs while grazing.
Scott
 
fishshooter said:
How did you mount the scope on a standard model? Were you able to keep the iron sights?
Click to expand...

Any fully equipped and competent gunsmith should be able to drill and tap the receiver for rings, and mount them.

Using see through rings should enable you to still utilize the iron sights.

Chuck
 
I bought a clamp-on mount from B-Square and a 2X Leupold EER scope. Drilling and tapping would be sturdier but on my .22 bull barrel, the recoil never bothered the B-Square mount.

DancesWithKnives
 
Forgot to mention: I have a geezer friend who has eaten marmots and groundhogs for years. He says to be careful when cleaning them because of scent glands. He likes to marinade them for 24 hours, 48 is even better. He's even eaten some big old ones. [If you Google "marmot recipes" you'll find a few.]

DancesWithKnives
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top