I shoot a fair amount of rattle snakes on my deer lease. I always butcher them and save them for the skillet. They are good to eat.

However I also wonder about other snakes???

I usually shoot a few Copperheads there amd the wife and I kill several Diamondback Watersnakes [non posionous] on our place every year as well. Many of these snakes are over 40" in length. They eat our catfish, and are usually shot in the pond, but we have shot several up to 100 yards from the water.

I just wonder if they would be safe and good to eat as there is a lot of meat on them.

SURE!!.all OK to eat. Cannot comment on possible flavor.....but the flesh is edible, regardless of species. I like snake.....only turn-off is the smell of the skin sometimes.....leaves an unpleasant smell on my hands.

I used to fry the buzztails I killed, just like catfish. A couple of years back however, I decided to grill one over mesquite, I ain't fried one since and everyone I have served it too enjoyed it.

No, really, do they taste like chicken? I would expect iguana (go-onna in Oz) would have a similar taste, and perhaps alligator, too.

quote:

No, really, do they taste like chicken?

NO!!! They are similar to frog legs, probably gator. I have never ate any gator. It is white meat, somewhat chewy but not what I would call tough.

I had a similar experience with cotton tails. Used to think the only way to eat bunnies was chicken-fried, tried grilling some about the same time I tried the buzztail. That has been almost 3 years back and have not fried any of either critter since that first experiment.

They taste like a cross between chicken and fish. Very good.

It is a "cleaner" taste than frog legs.

Alliator meat is very good as well.

Crazyhorse, I will have to try then grilled, rabbits too.

Copperheads have an odor to them that if it transfers to the meat might be a bit of a put off.
I don't know anyone that has personally eaten copper head. There might be a reason for it.
NE 450 try a smoker grill! It is awesome done this way.

quote:

NO!!! They are similar to frog legs, probably gator. I have never ate any gator. It is white meat, somewhat chewy but not what I would call tough.

I agree to me the gator I have eaten was about the same.

I would rather eat a good chicken.

I would rather eat a good chicken.[/QUOTE]
I would rather eat a *bad* chicken.

quote:

Originally posted by conifer:
I would rather eat a good chicken.

I would rather eat a *bad* chicken.[/QUOTE]

I have seen bad chickens eat snakes.

Or are saying any bad chicken is better then any snake

A chicken is the nastiest thing on earth, there is nothing a chicken won't eat so that's why I won't eat snakes!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
No, really, do they taste like chicken? I would expect iguana (go-onna in Oz) would have a similar taste, and perhaps alligator, too.

Haven't eaten Rattlesnake, but Gator is a bit greasy, and doesn't taste like chicken or rabbit, IMO. Not a strong-tasting meat, but hard to describe.

They don't taste like chicken, pork, beef, or any combination of those. Snake tastes like snake. It is similar to lizard taste but not quite the same. That's probably because they eat different things. After all a pigeon doesn't taste like a duck does it.

I can further attest that snake does not taste like bat, rat, mouse, jackrabbit, armadillo, monkey, pack rat, and many more things than I want to remember.

Not all snakes taste the same. I think rattlesnake is rather flavorful, especially the big ones you find in the swamps.

i eat rattlers in a second...skin and gut, wash well, fry like fish... i've grilled still moving rattler.. that's exciting....

Makes me remember when I was a kid of 9 years old and went with my parents to see that 1970's movie Capricorn One. There is a scene where James Brolin is in a cave and kills a rattle snake then eats it. That has always stuck with me.

If you have not tried snake you can not say YUK!!!

Who would have thought it is also a drink.
1 1/4 oz vodka
6 oz ginger ale

Al

Jeffe,
That really doesn't surprise me at all!

In 2008 on holiday in China got to try some alternative foods never seen in NZ. One was snake, don't know the breed cos I couldn't enquire in Chinese, but the guy indicated it was venomous. Watched the chefs kill, scale, skin and gut it. The carcase was chopped into segments and wok cooked in some sort of broth. The skin was cut into segments, dipped in batter and deep fried. The meat was delicious, but had quite a few bones. The battered / deep fried skin was even more delicious. I wouldn't hesitate to try snake again and hope someday to get another opportunity.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
A chicken is the nastiest thing on earth, there is nothing a chicken won't eat so that's why I won't eat snakes!

HA! Yes they are. My grandfather bought a chicken ranch (and a mule ranch) in the 30's as some sorta investment vehicle. After checking out the chicken ranch, he never ate any type of fowl again and neither did my uncle. Personally, I've eaten just about everything identifiable as food and a lot of unidentifiable stuff (Mexican or Chinese food in LA could be anything). Never tried biped (refer to previous sentence) but given the chance I would. Prolly not as good as skunk or rat but bears eat em so can't be too bad.

I caught and ate one in Panama in '68. Tasted a lot like frogs legs.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I caught and ate one in Panama in '68. Tasted a lot like frogs legs.

Was he wearing black pajamas?

Jungle Warfare School.

Some kind of boa constrictor, about five feet long.

The black PJ guys were the next year, in Chu Lai.

What's that garnish they make over there - from hard boiled duck eggs, wrapped in palm leaves and buried in the ground to rot?

quote:

Originally posted by DOPPELGANGSTER:
What's that garnish they make over there - from hard boiled duck eggs, wrapped in palm leaves and buried in the ground to rot?

They're called 100 year eggs. Chinese, Thai, and Lao cuisine. Tried one once, won't try one again. In Vietnam their "garnish" (equivalent to our ketchup) is Nuocma. We called it armpit sauce.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:

quote:

Originally posted by DOPPELGANGSTER:
What's that garnish they make over there - from hard boiled duck eggs, wrapped in palm leaves and buried in the ground to rot?

They're called 100 year eggs. Chinese, Thai, and Lao cuisine. Tried one once, won't try one again. In Vietnam their "garnish" (equivalent to our ketchup) is Nuocma. We called it armpit sauce.

Nice! How do those two lovelies compare to heavy duty Korean Fish sauce? That's only stuff that's ever caused me severe involuntary gag reflex. Pretty much rotted garbage as a chunky paste.

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:

Snake Oil

Shit, just like a ship in a bottle!
How do they raise the hood of a cobra and the sails on the ships

I love Menudo and all kinds of tripe, love mountain Oysters tossed in the branding fire until the pop open, I have eaten raw liver and heart right out of a shot animal, Always order sangre de frito (fried blood in Mexico) not much bothers me at all, I have a reputation of being a coyote in my family in that I will eat most anything, my grandson says pop will eat the ass out of a skunk if ya let him! BUT, I ain't eat'en a snake of any kind, not now, not ever. it stinks..They have snake cook outs all over Texas at fairs etc..not for this ole cowboy.

I've eaten coyote Ray.

I killed a 5" Iguana in Panama and ate it over 2 days. Tasted like chicken!

Larry,
Don't you know that eating coyote will make you piss on people legs and howl at the moon..better quit now while you can, its an addiction..

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
i eat rattlers in a second...skin and gut, wash well, fry like fish... i've grilled still moving rattler.. that's exciting....

Jeffe, That's cool, you didn't even have to flip him on the grill !!!

Hip

On second thought, I think I will stick to New Mexico green chile cheeseburgers and save those skins, tan with glycerin and use them to back self bow limbs.

Actually, do you cut them in segments to grill? How are the bones? Choke hazard like fish pin bones? S'posed to be a right smart o' buzztails here in the Tularosa Basin so I just might get my chance.

I have fried them and grilled them and fpound they taste better to me grilled. Their bones, fried or grilled seem to be more firmly attached to the spine and I have never had a problem with them.

I have never tried coyote but readily shoot and eat bobcat every chance I get. It reminds me of young feral hog in taste and texture.

Like any other meat it depends on a persons tastes and mind set. I like fried chicken, but from personal experience, free range chickens are about as choosy in what they eat as turkey vultures, they are about the nastiest thing a person can eat.

The problem folks have with Bobcat is getting over the thoughts that it is a cat. I won't try coyote because it is a dog, yet dog is eaten by millions of people around the world.

Grenadier,
went to a Christmas party this year at the Rock Creek Resturant in Twin Falls..One of the party members showed up with one of those pickled Cobras..After a few drinks we all tosted that snake oil..It tasted just like Whiskey, but I oped for a Tequilla chaser..I;ll usually try anything once..

I've eaten rattlesnake and some other type of snake. The rattlesnake was shot once it cleared my friends sleeping bag and was skinned and cooked over the campfire. We didn't have a lot of seasoning since we were out camping and as I remember it didn't taste that great. The other snake I had was battered and deep fried and had some sort of cajun type sauce. That one was much better.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
No, really, do they taste like chicken? I would expect iguana (go-onna in Oz) would have a similar taste, and perhaps alligator, too.

A goanna like the perentie is a monitor lizard, Australian monitors are related but not super closely to the rest of the worlds monitor lizards.

Aboriginies can eat them, anyone that is not would suffer a steep fine.

Never had one, and only saw one in the 3 years I lived in Canberra.

Saw one in Namibia on day one of the safari. My PH, had never seen one and had lived in the Kalahari for 40 years.

He was scared to death of it, so we kept moving.

If you have Pico de gallo, fresh cut Mexican salsa, or green New Mexico Chili, you can eat about anything and like it..

I had two airline pilots hunting on my ranch in the Big Bend of Texas, Had two Mexican cooks and a nice camp in an old deserted hull of a adobe house..We came in the second day and they had taken a deer stomach, chopped up liver, lungs, kidneys, brains, heart, nuts and who knows what else with lots of chili lime and whatever, buried it In mesquite coals and served it to us..The hunters raved about it and went to get more out back at the campfire, came back with no plates and they had turned a tad green, they got by it but requested an inspection daily before they ate, we had to make do with backstrap, flour Tortillas, chili and pinto beans and canned goods..They were pleased with that change in diet...It was a fun trip for them! and they came back every year and brought a newbie for cooks to play with. My all time favorite was Sagre de frito of a goat..and goat meat fried in cornmeal..

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
If you have Pico de gallo, fresh cut Mexican salsa, or green New Mexico Chili, you can eat about anything and like it..

Preach it.

Big Bend and New Mexico ruined me for most salsa and pepper dishes, as nothing else has compared since. I plain refuse to eat pickled peppers any more. Go fresh or get the heck out.

quote:

The hunters raved about it and went to get more out back at the campfire, came back with no plates and they had turned a tad green...

Sad. Wife and I will eat just about anything, as long as it tastes good. "Taste first, ask questions later" is our policy. A Mexican neighbor of ours' specialty was cow udder grilled over wood. He tried to gull us by affecting not to know the words in English. Whatever. Don't need to be coy with us. Not only did we go for seconds, we'd come back regularly and bring a few six packs in appreciation. And there is this little joint in Mathis, Texas, that cooks up the best tongue super cheap.