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Not sure where to post this so I guess I'll start here.

Hey fellas, I'm from PA and we don't have any hogs up here to speak of but I've always thought about trying it out.

The thought was put into my head about going on a hog hunt in TX. I Googled it and it's only (lol) a 26 hour drive to my buddy's ranch. Which really if you're taking 2 or 3 guys isn't that far to drive straight through.

Well another thought creeped into my mind that if I were to just drive south several hours, do some hunting on my own, I could potentially bring home a years worth of swine to fill the freezer.

Does anyone else do this instead of buying the store bought or butcher bought meat? How is it to eat, I've heard that it's better? How is it to smoke, etc...?

Don't get me wrong, an annual trip like this would be a blast, but it'd also be a mission to fill my family's freezer for a year so I would be counting on successful trips instead of a 100% pleasure trip.

Any advice, or opinions, etc... would be greatly appreciated.

Chad

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There are ample resources for accommodating your needs in Texas. Do your research. There are people that will take your money & run.

Lots of wild pigs to be had. The meat is good. It is more lean than a farm fed pig. But, that's not a bad thing.


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just my experience....

the meat on (smaller) Georgia hogs is not bad but I wouldn't want a freezer full....

the Florida hogs we have here?....we feed them to the buzzards...

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Most all of the wild hogs in the Southeast are feral or feral razorbck mix. A few Russian boar have been imported in some areas.

They taste great on the grill and makes mean sausage. Go for it.

BTW, beware in Tx that javelin are not swine and are small. JG can tell you more, probably.


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Wild hogs:
1. wear rubber gloves when skinning and handling the meat.
2. after skinning, cut a piece and cook in a teflon skillet. If it smells ok, then butcher it. If it doesn't, you'll know right quick like and discard.
3. Cook thoroughly.
4. Enjoy your hunt.

Meat kitchens (charity) no longer accepts wild hog meat in our greater area.


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I have ate plenty. Not like store bought pork down here in South florida. Very lean. I find it is best to add pork fat and grind them into sausage. After you get one boned out you will be suprised how little meat they yield. I have ate big ole boar hogs that where as good as smaller ones. But I have had both large and small that were not that great. We debone ours when we kill them . Our goal is to have them in a cooler of ice within a few hours of shooting them. We soak them for a few days n the ice water. I drain off the water every day if possible. Meat will be white when you take it out of the cooler. Our method comes from 30 years of trial and error. I would guess every region may be different depending on what type of hogs and what they eat. Some say it depends on what they are doing when you shoot them. I never noticed much difference but most we have shot where jumped in a field or shot at a feeder. Either way they were on the move.


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Thanks fellas! Boarmaster & Toot, I will most certainly heed your advice, thank you.

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Originally Posted by TheBig1


Well another thought creeped into my mind that if I were to just drive south several hours, do some hunting on my own, I could potentially bring home a years worth of swine to fill the freezer.

Does anyone else do this instead of buying the store bought or butcher bought meat? How is it to eat, I've heard that it's better? How is it to smoke, etc...?


Chad



Yeah...I do. grin

As these guys have said, its leaner than store bought, but to my tastes its every bit as good. Haven't smoked any, can't help you there...


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Went on a Texas hunt a few years ago. They (Texans) were telling me that they knew how to do it best way. They dug a big pit and burned a load of Mesket in it and then put the pig in for most of a day. My opinion, leave it in the pit and go to Safeway and buy a pork roast. That wild pig stuff is fuggn rank.


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Originally Posted by Remington6MM
Went on a Texas hunt a few years ago. They (Texans) were telling me that they knew how to do it best way. They dug a big pit and burned a load of Mesket in it and then put the pig in for most of a day. My opinion, leave it in the pit and go to Safeway and buy a pork roast. That wild pig stuff is fuggn rank.


LOL Now you're actually the first one that I've ever heard say that.

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As mentioned, before you do anything beyond skinning, cook a piece of it. It can be most excellent fare.


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Some people eat them, we don't. They are a very destructive nuisance. We shoot them and leave them for the buzzards.

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Will do Toot.

This is a bit far off yet, maybe during the winter months of February or March. It'd be a budget trip with camping and doing it all on my own. Although I'd have fun it'd be more about focusing on providing for my family.

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Originally Posted by sharpsguy
Some people eat them, we don't. They are a very destructive nuisance. We shoot them and leave them for the buzzards.


Well Sharps, just let me know where you're at and I'll be glad to take care of some for you every year. grin

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From my limited experience with feral hogs in Georgia and Florida ---
The most important factor id what they have been eating. Hogs in good acorn years taste OK. If they are reduced to rooting in muck and eating carrion, they will be rank. Big boars are usually rank--they taste like a billy goat smells. The best are young pigs in good acorn years. I don't know how this translates to Texas hunting. If it were me, I would fill my coolers with little ones.




















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If you're up for a longer trip to central Florida Triple M Outfitter will put you on hogs. I'm two for two going out with Matt. The last hog weighed around 90lbs and was made into sausage (except for the back straps). It made a bunch of spaghetti dinners that my daughters loved. Plan on going out with Matt again in the next month or so. Good luck

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From some years of hunting them( first encounter was early 84 or so IIRC) I can pass this on.

Ice them and keep on ice water is good for the meat. It wont' take away anything from the strong ones.

Our rule then ended up being, if they stink when you walk up to them, like piss or worse, to dump em. Never had one turn out good after that. The meat would be edible but the piss smell when you cooked it was bad... even made some into smoked hams... put it in the frying pan... puke....

So if they have balls, I"m suspect. If they are over 150 or so I'm suspect. If I can smell them when I walk up, no way in hell.

We've done boars over 200 with NO smell at all, balls intact, and the meat was fine.

I have no issue at all on them meat wise vs domestic, they are lean, lean is good for you too, but they eat just fine.

My preference.... find a sounder of 50 pounders or so that are dumb enough to let you knock out a handful and get after it...

Some pigs have tough meat even if aged... I have no clue why, but the skinnier they are the worse the issue it seems.

Corn fed off feeders, sure ain't bad eating if following all the above.

Granted I"ve lost count but probably never shot more than 200 in life so far...

Sidebar, I've shot and tried javelina every last way... I will never attempt them again... you can NOT make one of them edible IMHO.


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It has been my experience in the few that I have killed that if it stinks when you shoot it, the meat will stink just as bad when you cook it. Its your money but I would not process a stinky hog.... Further I have not shot a male hog near or over 200 pounds that did not stink nor has anyone that I hunt with..we did have one boy process one however...threw the meat away first time on the grill.


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Thanks Rost, some sound advice there.

Omega, I'm sure that Matt is a top notch guy, but unfortunately I'm seeking budget type of hunting. I don't care if I have to sleep in my truck for a week and cook hotdogs off of my hibachi grill everyday while not showering until I get home.

I know that I'll still have fun and complete my mission. I'm not afraid to get in touch with my inner Viking, I've done worse in worse conditions, but thanks for recommending Matt.

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I was in on the shooting of one in West Virginia. Weighed about 75lbs. The bear dogs chased it to the shooters. It was very good eating. I smoked a ham and it was excellent.


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