Wild Hog Meat

[35Rem]

So referring to ones wife as an old sow is techincally correct (albeit not wise).

Depends on how close you are standing to her.

 

[kimporter]

here in ky the dept of fish and wildlife is advising people not to eat them as a lot of them do carry disease's,but we do have an open season on them and they are getting to be quite a problem down in the southern part of the state

 

[Cooter Brown]

Actually, what you describe is a barrow, often shortened to "bar."

A shoat is a young weaned hog of either sex, up to maybe 50-75 pounds.

A gilt is a female hog that hasn't yet had a litter.

A sow is a female that has had a litter(s)

A boar, of course, is an intact mature male.

I am with the group that says it depends on what they have been eating. In South Georgia, feral hogs often feed largely on agricultural fields and products, particularly peanuts and corn. Those taste pretty good, even the intact males if you get them at 100 pounds or less. Some of the deep swamp hogs are so full of parasites that I just wouldn't eat them without catching, penning, worming, and feeding on corn for a month. I don't care what you say about proper care and preparation of the meat, a 300 pound sow, raised in a 105 degree summer in a deep swamp in South Georgia is practically inedible. Probably dangerous to eat without some serious heat for a long time. I had a student who helped her parents in a deer/hog processing facility. She and her uncle both got a serious infection from cleaning one of those old rank swamp hogs. Had to stay in the hospital for a week or so.

I'd agree with this from my experience in this part of the country. I've had some that were great, killed in the mountains on WMAs--they probably lived on acorns and other natural forage and were in areas with clean water etc. I've tried to eat some that were killed in the southern areas--swampy WMAs like Red described, and was convinced after the first bite.

They're certainly a problem. I've read that a pig goes feral in a very short time, to the extent that they grow a rough coat within weeks. I've run into a few with my dogs while bird hunting, one time a huge sow with tiny piglets--that led to a bit of a tense standoff until I threw my hat at her and almost hit her with it. She smelled it and left.

There are woodcock covers and grouse covers as well that have huge areas torn up by pigs that look like somebody's been in there with a roto tiller.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Boss Hog just hanging around the house...

 

[shouldazagged]

So referring to ones wife as an old sow is techincally correct (albeit not wise).

As you "sow", so shall you reap. And deserve it!

 

[Bartman3562]

We have been to south Texas for 14 years hog hunting. All sows are kept, boars under 150 also. If a big boar is killed, we keep meat separate. Once back home, we cut off a piece of the big boar and pop it in a hot skillet. If it stinks, we throw it all out. If not, add it in. Must admit though, we make hot links, sausage, and brats out of the meat. We have tried just the meat, and it is a little gamey. Put some peppers in there and flavor always gets better Tried a new one a couple years ago. Take your favorite brat recipe, add red and yellow peppers, then jalapenos to taste. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

[hangnoose]

ONLY FL EXP HERE

As with any animal what it eats may and usually does affect the taste. My exp's have been how it's handled and cooled is critical in any animal and a good cook can make moose turds taste good. Wild vs domestic, the wild aren't pumped full of antibiotics or steroids and won't typically have as much body fat and have a higher risk of disease and parasites. You may get one it's best to just leave in the field for coyote bait. If it smells bad don't eat it for wild or domestic. Younger aged animals tend to be more tender like veal for example. If I had a choice for a wild hog it would be a 100 lb virgin sow, but I've had all types and all have been good, if the cook does their part. I have a shoulder in the freezer now. I just cut the lower leg bone so it fits in the crock pot, a btl of bbq or mojo, whatever and in app 8 hrs will fall apart with a fork. The pig bomb is BS IMO. They are not wrong about carrying bacteria & crop damage, but animals have been going feral forever.

 

[millisec]

I'm going to try and take a meat pig this winter but I'm still a little paranoid about the rash of parasites and diseases like brucellosis. Fortunately I like my meat well done so hopefully no issues.

 

[MOONDAWG]

So referring to ones wife as an old sow is techincally correct (albeit not wise).

....is generally done only once.

 

[mc5aw]

"Looks like we us a sow 'stead of a boar ..."

 

[Biginge]

Boys, theres two kind of Ranchers down here in So. Texas. Them that has hogs, and them thats fixin to.

 

[Smitty357]

Little fatty from a few months back.

 

[rojodiablo]

Actually, what you describe is a barrow, often shortened to "bar."
A shoat is a young weaned hog of either sex, up to maybe 50-75 pounds.

A gilt is a female hog that hasn't yet had a litter.

A sow is a female that has had a litter(s)

A boar, of course, is an intact mature male.

I am with the group that says it depends on what they have been eating. In South Georgia, feral hogs often feed largely on agricultural fields and products, particularly peanuts and corn. Those taste pretty good, even the intact males if you get them at 100 pounds or less. Some of the deep swamp hogs are so full of parasites that I just wouldn't eat them without catching, penning, worming, and feeding on corn for a month. I don't care what you say about proper care and preparation of the meat, a 300 pound sow, raised in a 105 degree summer in a deep swamp in South Georgia is practically inedible. Probably dangerous to eat without some serious heat for a long time. I had a student who helped her parents in a deer/hog processing facility. She and her uncle both got a serious infection from cleaning one of those old rank swamp hogs. Had to stay in the hospital for a week or so.

Ha! That's what I get for posting while dead-dog tired. Thank you for the correction.
I am pretty in line with your assessment; I left hogs 'much over 200' out of the discussion because they tend to be so tough, even if they have good flavor that they Each of the giants was the request of a landowner- it goes something like this: "There is a monster tearing my place up. If you see it, at the very least put a bullet in it." I skinned one boar that was well over 400; after gut and skinning, we could not easily lift it, 2 good size guys. It smelled good, was eating pistachios, so we tried it. When we lit it up, it smelled great. And, if you ever have to eat leather??? That was the piece of leather you wanted to eat. Flavor was great. But unbearably tough.
The vast majority of the great big hogs we render a few parts to sausage, and the rest is for the buzzards. If they stink, then we just open it up so nature can get inside it easily, and we walk away.

The hogs pictured by Smitty and Cocked & Locked are about the max size I will target. My favorite size is about 75-130ish pounds for freezer filling; the best taste/ tender/ succulent hogs are around 25lb.

 

[rwsmith]

I hope it was smoked.....

I can remember my Grandfather going to the barn and bringing back a ham that had been hanging for over a year...
guess them days would be hard to find now?

I hope it was smoked....or cured....SOMEHOW!!!!

And NOT from old age.

 

[millisec]

I can remember my Grandfather going to the barn and bringing back a ham that had been hanging for over a year...
guess them days would be hard to find now?

Same from family farm in SW Virginia. You can probably still find them in the country but god it was salty ham usually fried for breakfast. They always wrapped, salt cured and left them hanging in a shed off the barn for a year or so. Like real cheese the more mold on the outside the better the flavor.

 

[1morethan8]

I hope it was smoked....or cured....SOMEHOW!!!!

And NOT from old age.

LOL! And you're from SC?

It's called "Country Ham" and is salt cured.

 

[rwsmith]

I love the stuff.....

LOL! And you're from SC?

It's called "Country Ham" and is salt cured.

I grew up in the suburbs and I haven't had a lot of exposure to farms (of course I have been around a few) but I had no idea that the red crust was from hanging around for a year.

 

[redlevel]

I grew up in the suburbs and I haven't had a lot of exposure to farms (of course I have been around a few) but I had no idea that the red crust was from hanging around for a year.

Yep. Literally hanging around in a house like this one with smoke seeping through the cracks between the boards and from under the eves. That's after it sat in the salt box for a couple of months "taking the salt." No telling how many hams/shoulders/sides have been cured in that old smokehouse the last 125 years or so.

 

[shouldazagged]

Same from family farm in SW Virginia. You can probably still find them in the country but god it was salty ham usually fried for breakfast. .

The way to alleviate that is to soak the ham in cold water, changing the water repeatedly, for two to three days (after scrubbing off the mold). Some people then boil it before baking; but I like to seal it in foil with red wine and orange juice, with orange slices laid on top, and bake it slowly. Then I skin it, leaving a little fat but not much, coat it with a mixture of bread crumbs and brown sugar moistened with wine and orange juice, and put it in the oven to crisp up the coating. Bone the ham, slice it, and enjoy.

You can also use bourbon instead of wine, but I never tried that.

 

[dcxplant]

In my case.......I'll eat frog legs before i eat fried chicken. Last i checked the frogs dont eat their own ****. A chicken has to be the nastiest bird on the planet, yet people love to eat chicken.

I'll stick to frog legs.

Ha! this quote sounds like it came straight from a good friend of mine.

He grew up working in coops and will NOT allow any bird of any kind enter his home. They do ham for Thanksgiving and Christmas.