My front half is proper, my back half is sweet. As one, I herald spring, never missing a beat.

I come from a family of shady killers and once had a fearsome reputation. They know i'm harmless now and so they feast on my red flesh.

When hunting for this, you throw away what you catch and keep what you don’t. My name sounds like an escape, which is what you feel like doing when encountering me in your space

a book, a table, a tree: I am a part of all three I'm not made of wood, though that guess is good, I come from plants regularly

I can be tanned and hairless or remain as before. If you are skilled with me people seek you more. I am both a verb and a noun. I can be soft or hard, or not make a sound.