Hog hunting question

[med358-boise]

Lot's of folks use .223s and other small calibers and shoot them behind the ear. Where I hunt it is all spot and stalk and it is often boars only becuase they are managed as a hunting resource. Note boars can have a thick gristle plate over the vitals which has a tendency to seal up even when there is an exist wounds so blood trails can be small.

All that being said 6.5/270 is the practical minimum to aid in a speedy recovery of the animal.

Contrary to popular opinion, I have killed probably 1/2 dozen boars over 200 lbs (316 the largest) and probably another 1/2 dozen in the 180-200 range and all of them ate just fine.

 

[Buffalobwana]

I have killed two with 22 LR in the ear hole. Not what I recommend.

.223 if it's a quality hunting bullet will work, but not my favorite choice. Shoot him in the right spot.

6.5 Grendel or something with similar weight/speed is very capable. I have been knocking them over with that gun recently.

A pigs vitals are a lot farther forward than most would think. Neck or head shots are best, if you can pull it off.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Contrary to popular opinion, I have killed probably 1/2 dozen boars over 200 lbs (316 the largest) and probably another 1/2 dozen in the 180-200 range and all of them ate just fine.

This has been my experience as well. Had two sows that were not fit for a Coyote. No idea what happened with them. Never once had a big boar that was bad. Never.

I believe people who know nothing have been repeating this fallacy for as long as pigs have run wild in the USA.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I shot a few big boars in SC that smelled so bad that you couldn't even approach them. Nobody would eat that stinky crap. This one was only 1/2 bad but I didn't take it home for consumption.
.

 

[Buffalobwana]

I shot a few big boars in SC that smelled so bad that you couldn't even approach them. Nobody would eat that stinky crap. This one was only 1/2 bad but I didn't take it home for consumption.
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I think this is where the rumor comes from. Outside doesn't smell like what the inside tastes like. However, I don't know what your pig smelled like or what he was eating or rolling in.

You do need to be careful handling the meat and hide with the same hands. I know it's hard, but take care of the meat.

 

[Buffalobwana]

On a similar topic, when the virus started, meat was tough to come by so I shot a Red Deer hind. She smelled so incredibly bad! I have never smelled a deer with a scent that strong. Even a stag in the middle of the roar, ****ing all over himself didn't smell like this deer.

Tasted great, but I had concerns for a while.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'm very careful (and picky) about what I will and won't eat. Even if regular store-bought groceries are outdated by a short period of time, they get tossed. I had a guide on my SC pig hunt. We shot several really large boar hogs. The guide said that none were fit for consumption. That's all I had to hear. LOL

BTW - after reading all of the different nasty things that you can acquire from eating wild pigs that aren't cooked to 170deg, it sure gives me pause about eating the smaller pigs that I've got in the freezer. My wife and I enjoy the pigs more than most other wild game but it makes me wonder.

 

[Buffalobwana]

I'm very careful (and picky) about what I will and won't eat. Even if regular store-bought groceries are outdated by a short period of time, they get tossed. I had a guide on my SC pig hunt. We shot several really large boar hogs. The guide said that none were fit for consumption. That's all I had to hear. LOL

BTW - after reading all of the different nasty things that you can acquire from eating wild pigs that aren't cooked to 170deg, it sure gives me pause about eating the smaller pigs that I've got in the freezer. My wife and I enjoy the pigs more than most other wild game but it makes me wonder.

Oh, I'm 100% with you. I won't eat them anymore. Nope. Not gonna do it.

I used to, but one day, I just came to terms with the fact that I don't want to mess with it anymore. It used to bother me to leave the meat. Not anymore. They are vermin and I can't keep up with shooting them. Bang, flop, on to the next one.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

Yeah it's not a wild opinion at all. It's based on science and facts. The boars emit pheromones to attract the sows and it is in the meat as well. It's called boar taint and is caused by the accumulation of androstenone and skatole in the muscle tissues. Typically, women are more sensitive to the smell than men. Most women can smell it. Some men can and some can't. I happen to be one that can. My wife will buy bacon from the grocery store and I can tell you when she's cooking it if it came form a boar hog. You couldn't pay me enough money to eat a wild boar.

 

[Jaustinhogfader]

I shot a 200lb boar a few yrs ago and decided to take just the backstraps. I soaked the straps on ice for 3 days to leech out the blood. I sliced the backstraps into 3/4" thick 4" dia boneless chops. The meat was beautiful pink pork and I figured I had found a great way to salvage something from a large boar..... WRONG. I seasoned and grilled the 'chops' and basted with BBQ sauce. I took the first bite and it was the toughest meat I've ever chewed. The flavor was fine, but it just could not be chewed. I was so disappointed. Since then, large boars are only a photo op for me.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Yeah it's not a wild opinion at all. It's based on science and facts. The boars emit pheromones to attract the sows and it is in the meat as well. It's called boar taint and is caused by the accumulation of androstenone and skatole in the muscle tissues. Typically, women are more sensitive to the smell than men. Most women can smell it. Some men can and some can't. I happen to be one that can. My wife will buy bacon from the grocery store and I can tell you when she's cooking it if it came form a boar hog. You couldn't pay me enough money to eat a wild boar.

That's the very first scientific explanation I have heard. If that is the case with boars, then it supports my theory about the two horrible sows we cooked. I suspect it had to do with their cycle of being in heat. Possibly, they didn't get bred successfully and they were nearing the end of their cycle.

I don't know.

We cooked one whole and it was picture perfect. Didn't smell one bit. My friend and I took a bite at the same time and instantly spit it out. It tasted like motor oil.

 

[HSmithTX]

I've eaten a couple boars over 300# with no issue. None at all. East Texas hogs, big and fat. No taint to the meat at all. Backstraps were made into chops and canadian bacons. Shoulders cut up for carnitas keeping the best pieces, ground the rest with beef briskets with some rough for chili meat and some finer for tacos or spaghetti etc. I kept them on ice for 3-4 days in the cooler, processed them, cured what needed cured and froze EVERYTHING for 3-4 weeks to make sure there are no health concerns, everything cooked to 165 or higher when we eat it. Everyone that has tried any of it has liked it, even people who are very picky eaters.

I have no idea why mine were good and others weren't. I will be eating every one I can until I get a 'bad' one.

 

[Jaustinhogfader]

I'm wondering if the tough boar meat would have worked for a long slow stewed carne guisada....

 

[med358-boise]

Of course it is also be based on what they are eating. Most of pigs I eat have been feeding on Barley.

I know some people who say Pronghorn is terrible. I have only taken 3 and they were all fantastic. Of course, they had been eating out of AG fields.

Same can be true for Mule Deer, about three years ago I shot a plump Mule Deer that was as good eating as a cow elk.

Of course, when it comes to internet statistics.

1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.