Just curious about this, I've heard not to and also it was just fine. Rabbits have always just been an occasional opportunity Harvest for me since I've primarily focused on big game. Lately I've been brushing up on my bushcraft skills and have turned to small game more regularly, plus my girl is coming of age to come afield with me and I thought of getting her out this summer. Thoughts?

I grew up hearing not to eat rabbits in warmer months because of parasites. The truth is a rabbit may or may not have parasites any time during the year! Just check each rabbit, cook it well and you will be fine.

i can say for sure that my ancestors ate what ever game
was too slow regardless of the month of the year. just
cook it properly as posted up there^ ^ ^ and you'll be ok.

if you'll check your book, a lot of counties don't have
limits or closed seasons on bunnies or tree rats, dallas
and tarrant being the first that come to mind.

i should also add, folks that raise rabbits for
meat harvest them year round and don't wait
until winter

check the liver?

Yes. Check the liver, especially on any rabbits that appear lethargic. Any discoloration, yellow or white spots and you need to discard it, and clean up with good hand sanitizer. Tuleramia is nothing to mess with. Parasites like warbles etc. are disgusting but wont really affect the meat.

Thanks all, this is the way I was leaning but wanted to throw it around a bit. I didn't think to look for lethargy, most I've seen were quite active. The most fun I've had with small game is when teaching archery to the young or inexperienced folk in the woods with a bunch of adders.

as I have said before, a half grown jack is fine eating and you don't have to worry so much about the worms

Some say it is ok to eat them in the months that have an R in the month. That would exclude the summer which was already mentioned.

When you pull the skin down on the back of the rabbit, look for those giant worms. You can't miss them.

The thinking behind not eating in the summer months is that the "cold, harsh" winter kills off the sickly animals. That obviously doesn't hold in Texas - I agree with checking the liver as your #1 and then cooking well as your #2 to ensure safe eating.

We rabbit hunt with Beagle hounds but we normally only kill a few in the winter to eat. We let them reproduce during the summer so we have more to hunt and eat the following winter.

Good Hunting

I've hunted and eaten cotton tails and jack rabbits every month of the year in San Antonio. I've inspected their eyes, gums, mouth, skin, liver, heart and abdominal cavity looking for cysts, tumors, spots, calluses, discoloration and worms. I've never noticed worms, parasites or disease to affect the meat, only the organs, however I once found a fluid-filled sac on the abdominal wall of a cotton tail. I cut around it, discarded it, cooked the rest of the meat and made it out alive. The key is properly cooking the meat. That will kill just about every worm, parasite or bacteria in the rabbit, IF it's even in the meat.
On a similar topic, I work on a fishing vessel in Alaska for a large, reputable fishing company. You've probably eaten their food. We just finished cod season and I'll tell you this year the cod were massive. I'm taking home about 80lbs of fresh Alaskan cod that I gutted and filleted myself. I can honestly say that every fillet had at least one worm in it. Now it's understandable, it's a bottom dwelling fish, but is that to say that the meat is no good because of the worms? Only if you don't cook it (listen up Japan/China). That worm will tear up your rectum from the inside out if you eat the cod raw and the worm hooks into your gut.
Always cook the meat.

Shot 8 Saturday night and not a one had worms or Wolves.

The bigger redfish have worms, many catfish, and most bass Ina stock tank.

I always look at the meat of any animal in any month. I never bought into the months with R thing, I mean the rabbit is the same tempature inside year round so I just look at the meat itself.

Cook wild games to 160 F and u will be fine 99 percent of the times.