I've eaten a lot of critters over the years, but as a rule I don't eat coons or possums. Coons are too greasy, and possums carry too many diseases to take a chance on. You can count me as another of the "won't shoot rabbits before a hard freeze" guys, too. It may be an old wives tale, but I'm not taking any chances. Too much meat in the freezer to do that with. I will say however, that young spring groundhog is one of my favorite meats to eat. Also spring-run trout, that have overwintered in the river. Their meat will be pink and have a different flavor than the young "stockers" the AGFC puts out in January. Spring goose isn't too bad if they've been on the ricefields all winter. If they've been in the sloughs, they aren't worth eight rotten eggs. Too fishy. Beaver is good just about all year 'round, though the fur isn't prime in the summer so I usually leave 'em be til fall/winter. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing a tick on a beaver, or fleas either. Lots of fleas and ticks on rabbits and squirrels in the summer, another reason to leave 'em alone till fall.
Most of your "old timers" would put meat up all through the fall, and vegetables all summer, in preparation for winter. The smart ones put enough up to last until they could hunt again in the early spring, and the wild greens and etc. came on. They had enough stuff canned and buried to last until the gardens started making, too. Then they started all over again. Or at least we did. And still do, for that matter. I'll sure be glad for the garden to come off; I'm tired of last year's veg!
Mac