This may be a dumb question

[kc]

One of my long time friends from Tuscaloosa Alabama won't bring home any hogs over 100lbs and as for the big ones he said just shoot them, no big deal if you wound them, just let them run off and die,
He has a relitive who farms 900 acres and every night they turn up patches of dirt distroying his fields and has cost him so much he asks the kids from town and bring your friends kill every one.
I would love to go but I cant take the heat, I need 30s and 40s. If its below zero I am in the field
or some swamp.

[mattbowen]

KC;

I wish I lived close to you friend but I don't and I am kind of like you I don't really like hunting in temps above 72 and the colder the better.

Thanks Matt

[mmmooretx]

I got a 250 lb. one last year south of Houston and here is our basic process:

• Bleed ASAP after kill
• Skin & empty body cavity without piercing gall bladder or intestines
• Quarter, get back straps, ribs, etc. and layer in ice chest with ice
• Open drain and tilt up other end
• Add ice daily for 4-7 days to finish bleeding out, also reduces gamey taste
• Some pour vinegar or or milk over to remove gamey taste (not me)
• Process meat as you want, I do a lot of sausage, but add 20-30% fatback since feral pork is so lean, I also vacuum seal.

Happy processing!

[WyoElk2Hunt]

Originally Posted by mmmooretx

I got a 250 lb. one last year south of Houston and here is our basic process:

• Bleed ASAP after kill
• Skin & empty body cavity without piercing gall bladder or intestines
• Quarter, get back straps, ribs, etc. and layer in ice chest with ice
• Open drain and tilt up other end
• Add ice daily for 4-7 days to finish bleeding out, also reduces gamey taste
• Some pour vinegar or or milk over to remove gamey taste (not me)
• Process meat as you want, I do a lot of sausage, but add 20-30% fatback since feral pork is so lean, I also vacuum seal.

Happy processing!

Sounds like I do it on Antelope, Most of Elk are hung on meat poles in Mountains until Horses can pack out but it is usually cold enough not to have spoilage yhe I do the same when I get to ice chest.

[mmmooretx]

I have talked to a number of feral pig hunters here and the stench/over gamey taste seems to hit both boars and sows randomly. Yes the little ones are more tender and rarely have the stench. I think that it is mainly tied to diet (rotten carrion) but could also have some minor link to sex or age. One of my main feral pig mentors down her basically says if they have an over strong stench don't process it. He eats them all, lots of sausage too, male, female, young, and old. I am a meat hunter and only pull the trigger if I am going to eat it. However I will make an exception for ones on the vile side of stink because you do not know before you pull the trigger. Besides we have between 3-5 million feral pigs in Texas......
A farming friend told me each one does ~$1400 a year in crop/land damage. So I am glad to help.

[mattbowen]

Thanks for all of the replies and recommendations, everyone around here that I have check with wants to trap them instead of hunting them so at the present I guess it is just wishful thinking besides at the present time it is just to hot to even think about hunting I sure can't wait for winter.

Thanks again.

Matt

[Head shot]

Just take a cooler full of ice,Shoot the little ones gut them throw in the cooler soon as clean. Let the BBQ begin