Eating Wild Hog

[ScreamingPotato]

Our's live in fields on the coast and aren't fed, they're the cleanest hogs ever never seen a single flea on them. They're not commercial pork fat but they are pretty plump for a feral hog.

This is typical for our hogs, they pretty much don't eat any human provided feed but they're not terribly lean. We just drive down the road and shoot them from the truck in the winter time when the coastal grass is low. Because of the way we hunt we almost always kill boars, think we've killed maybe 3 sows to 30ish boars.

 

[BigJBigbore]

I make loads of Sausage and grind em up! Best meat that walking I say! Do not leave to waste if you like ribs!

 

[Amos Keeto]

I make loads of Sausage and grind em up! Best meat that walking I say! Do not leave to waste if you like ribs!

Not sure where you are, but 99.9% of the hogs that I've dressed out here in Southwestern Oklahoma are very lean.
To make sausage, you have to add fat.
The hogs here are like deer. No fat. The meat cooks up very dry unless you really dress it up.
Young pigs, 20 to 30 pounds on the hoof that haven't gotten 100k miles on them and developed long, hard muscle tissue are pretty good. They dress out between 10 and 15 pounds.
I've taken a few, skinned out, fit in my smoker whole.
Those eat very well!
Those big bruisers? Let 'em rot!

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Not sure where you are, but 99.9% of the hogs that I've dressed out here in Southwestern Oklahoma are very lean.
To make sausage, you have to add fat.
The hogs here are like deer. No fat. The meat cooks up very dry unless you really dress it up.
Young pigs, 20 to 30 pounds on the hoof that haven't gotten 100k miles on them and developed long, hard muscle tissue are pretty good. They dress out between 10 and 15 pounds.
I've taken a few, skinned out, fit in my smoker whole.
Those eat very well!
Those big bruisers? Let 'em rot!

Interesting, it's kind of backwards down here on the coast in Texas. We've killed some tiny ones and they're always way too lean and dry out no matter what. The bigger older hogs have some fat on them and eat a lot better. Because of the way we hunt we end up usually killing boars that are out on the run but probably not anything over 200 lbs, they don't have access to corn or feed where we're at so they just don't seem to get any larger than that, usually 150 lbs or so is about max.

 

[RWT]

One of these two weighs 265 lbs.

 

[kapntx]

A friend of the family who is an animal health inspector told me that he has killed two feral hogs and ate both of them. He did caution that they can carry various diseases including tuberculosis. If I ever shoot one here at the house I will probably just take the hind quarters and backstraps and leave the rest for the coyotes.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

We do a lot of hog chunks canned and use it for carne Guisada meat and it turns out better than deer. The shoulders and trim are perfect for it.

 

[waspocrew]

I've had wild hog once, it was alright - definitely more on the lean side. I'm sure with a little practice, it can come out quite good!

 

[Homebrewer]

Never, ever eaten Feral hog.
Thermal hunting hogs, I have seen them eating other dead hogs at my Coyote bait pile.
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In addition, feral hogs carry diseases that can jump to humans through contact while field dressing.
Wear rubber throw away gloves if you choose to open up a hog.
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From: https://feralhogs.extension.org/diseases/
Feral Hogs can carry and/or transmit several diseases to wildlife and/or humans. Three diseases that cause the most concern are swine brucellosis, psuedorabies, and tularemia, although, feral hogs harbor other diseases as well.

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[Yung6ix]

I often eat pigs I have shot but only yearling type . Hind legs and back straps . Never eat the offal . When I was a kid we’d shoot a sow and get the suckers with dogs . Take them home , worm them and lock them up in pens and feed them up . The best suckling pig roasts .

 

[SwiftShot]

They are just fine. Cook well as tric is a thing.

 

[flathead#2]

Guy I used to work with in central FL. used dogs to hog hunt.
He would cook some and bring it to the office from time to time.
It always had kind of a "funky" taste to it. Hard to describe, but I
just couldnt eat it.

 

[Amos Keeto]

I often eat pigs I have shot but only yearling type . Hind legs and back straps . Never eat the offal . When I was a kid we’d shoot a sow and get the suckers with dogs . Take them home , worm them and lock them up in pens and feed them up . The best suckling pig roasts .

Guy I knew was given a small (40lb?) sow out of a trap.
He thought he'd feed her up and have a fat pig for 4th of July.
Ten weeks later, he had a $75 bill at the feed store and a scrawny hog for the 4th!
She just WOULD NOT fatten up!

 

[Slick8]

I'm the odd ball from Texas who doesn't kill many hogs. They're just not often on my deer lease and I'm not mad enough at them to make special efforts or pay extra money to hunt them. Now, I do kill any that walk out in front of me on most any hunt I'm on (home or away).

I mostly make sausage from them and as already stated, quickly cooling them is a must.

Contrary to what most people say, I prefer mid sized males due to fat content. Mature sows are either pregnant or nursing which depletes the fat content.

 

[Slick8]

Guy I used to work with in central FL. used dogs to hog hunt.
He would cook some and bring it to the office from time to time.
It always had kind of a "funky" taste to it. Hard to describe, but I
just couldnt eat it.

I've had a few and agree, terrible eating. IMO, they're overheated and pumped full of adrenalin as they're running for life and limb. Plus, hog doggers typically don't get them gutted and cooled quickly due to the hunt conditions.

 

[Yung6ix]

Guy I knew was given a small (40lb?) sow out of a trap.
He thought he'd feed her up and have a fat pig for 4th of July.
Ten weeks later, he had a $75 bill at the feed store and a scrawny hog for the 4th!
She just WOULD NOT fatten up!

You will want a proper feed ration as well as the brewers grains for proper growth and for the limiting amino acids IMO.

I chuck out some brewers grains to help the local micro brewery but don't class it as anything more than a treat really and to get rid of a waste product. The pigs waste a lot too and don't really have the taste for it but then I feed a finishing ration ad-lib so that might have something to do with it.

 

[Amos Keeto]

You will want a proper feed ration as well as the brewers grains for proper growth and for the limiting amino acids IMO.

I chuck out some brewers grains to help the local micro brewery but don't class it as anything more than a treat really and to get rid of a waste product. The pigs waste a lot too and don't really have the taste for it but then I feed a finishing ration ad-lib so that might have something to do with it.

I'm sure Ron fed the pig just fine. i.e., it didn't go hungry.
BUT....he probably just fed it some "grower" ration and went on.
If he had given it some basic doctoring*, it probably would have done much better.

* - worming, etc...

P.S. - I've heard otherwise, but I have NEVER killed a "fat" feral pig. Not that they were bony, but feral pigs stay on the move.