Gnu, while I have shot and eaten a few groundhogs that were decimating my veggie garden, and also eaten a couple grabbed from the dogs right after they were shaken hard enough to have theirs neck broken but before the dog otherwise had a go at it, I've mostly stopped for fresh (relatively speaking) roadkills. I don't like killing animals, and if I feel like I have to, I feel obligated to eat the meat. Groundhogs are actually fairly decent eating. I prefer them to possum, squirrel, or rabbit.

Haven't myself skinned possums or squirrels. Have skinned groundhogs, cotten-tail rabbits, white-tailed deer and sheep, in addition to groundhog. Rabbits are the easiest to skin, and next are sheep. The hides slip off as if you are peeling off a sock from your foot. Deer is pretty easy, and since the hides are large, having to risk cutting or nicking the hide along the legs or the edges from the belly cut as you pull it away doesn't ruin it for drumheads. Groundhogs do not like to let go of their hides, plus they are small. The hides don't peel off easily and reguire much gentle tugging and careful knife work to free the hide at a number of different points. The hide is very tough, but also very thin, and it is difficult to skin the animal without piercing the hide in inopportune places if what one has in mind is a drumhead.

I don't hunt, though I would if I had to. I don't like killing, skinning or butchering animals. I don't make drums anymore, but when I did, I was darn good at it. I've been out of that business for nearly 20 years but there are still people who contact me, wanting me to make them a frame drum. Groundhog hides are excellent hides for small drums, when you can find a groundhog big enough. Since that is hard to do, you don't want to risk any knife nicks at all in any part of of the hide, even the edges.

We mostly made ashikos and used deer hides collected from local taxidermists In truth, goat hides make for a better drumhead for the ashikos. Deer hides are thick for the size of the animal, hard to stretch sufficiently, and harder to dry out to "tune." Also less fragile and more durable, and that matters with a traditionally laced drum that is very labor intensive to rehead if the head breaks.

I won't go into the dangerous finger and hand infections we repeatedly endured from fleshing and dehairing deerhides we soaked in garbage cans full of water and ashes. The ex and I are both lucky to still have ten digits on each hand.   

Some day the tale of how I spent my wedding day and honeymoon may seem funny enough to repeat.

Anyhoo. I am all but vegetarian from all my years of understanding first hand what is really involved when I stroll the meat counter at the grocery store. There are things I know I can do because I have done them. I value those experiences. I learned those skills by choice, not by necessity. I hope necessity never dictates I repeat them.

For classes on preparation of dinosaur parts, we must convene the Mudcat Tavern and implore Mmario to give a few cooking lessons.