Raccoon - It's What's For Dinner

The Chicago Tribune just ran an article about raccoon consumption here in Illinois.

Customers turn their purchases into barbecue, stews and other dishes, updating a tradition that began with Native Americans and was adopted by pioneers.

I'm living a terribly sheltered life.
I've never tasted raccoon.
I need to ask my talented wife
To cook some up real soon.

You know, my dogs have an interest in raccoons. Periodically they try to climb a tree to catch one.

Dogs are bad at climbing trees,
Raccoons, on the other hand, do it with ease.

My dogs did kill a raccoon once. A small one. In my back yard. But I missed my opportunity. Instead of bringing the carcass into the kitchen, I just plopped it in the garbage can.

I didn't know these ring-tailed critters
Made such tasty never-fail fritters.

I do know a lady who grew up in a family where the dinner table routinely featured raccoon, squirrel, and possum. But she was squeamish about eating varmints. So they stopped telling her what kind of meat was on the table. In response, she adopted a policy of only eating meat that she had watched being prepared.

She just refused to eat
Mystery meat.