Meat
Cottontail
B tier
Cottontail refers to wild New World rabbits of the genus Sylvilagus, hunted across North America as small game. Smaller than many European wild rabbits, cottontails offer dark, lean meat with a clean woodland flavour when young and a stronger note when mature. Traditional Southern and Midwestern cookery fries, stews, and smothers cottontail. Because of size, whole-animal preparations for one or two people are common. Proper field dressing and cooking past any tularemia concerns with good hygiene remain hunter responsibilities.
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Indigenous peoples hunted cottontails as a widespread small-game protein.
Settler cookbooks featured fried and stewed cottontail as everyday rural meat.
Sport hunting seasons regulated cottontail harvest for recreation and table.
Locavore hunters kept cottontail on seasonal home menus.