Hog hunting question

[Varmint Hunter]

Froze EVERYTHING for 3-4 weeks to make sure there are no health concerns.

If you do the research; freezing does nothing to kill the bacteria/viruses that wild boar can carry. You can freeze them for a year and they become reactivated upon thawing. Just thought I'd mention it.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

Of course it also be based on what they are eating. Most of pigs are eat have 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 trie 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.

Sure, their diet absolutely can affect the way they taste, but it has nothing at all to do with boar taint. Androstenone is a testosterone derivative secreted by the testes of sexually active male pigs and skatole is a byproduct of the breakdown of the amino acid, tryptophan, in the large intestine. Less than 20% of boar hogs killed for domestic production are not affected by this because they are killed before they reach puberty. But wild hogs reach puberty and become sexually active way earlier than domesticated hogs and it's estimated that 80% of the population is affected. This is a real problem with boar hogs and a lot of money has been spent in the pork industry to lower the incidence of it. It's not made up internet lore.

 

[med358-boise]

Black Dirt,

So myself and the other folks I hunt with have probably taken 100 wild boars in the 150 + lb range; i.e., mature. And not 1 of us has ever experienced "boar taint".

If boar taint is so prevalent, then what's the explanation?

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

Black Dirt,

So myself and the other folks I hunt with have probably taken 100 wild boars in the 150 + lb range; i.e., mature. And not 1 of us has ever experienced "boar taint".

If boar taint is so prevalent, then what's the explanation?

Different people tolerate it different. But it is a real thing. Like I said, women are more sensitive to it than men. Most men can't detect it and the ones that can detect it at different levels. Be thankful it doesn't bother you. Because if it did, boar meat would be one of the most putrid things you ever ate.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Black Dirt,

So myself and the other folks I hunt with have probably taken 100 wild boars in the 150 + lb range; i.e., mature. And not 1 of us has ever experienced "boar taint".

If boar taint is so prevalent, then what's the explanation?

You like it.

Kidding aside, we stopped eating feral hog boars because of getting burned on hogs that had it, but seemed small enough where they should not have had it, AND didn't outwardly stink. Our last one was a little 120 lb boar my daughter shot. We only took the backstraps and they were horrible.

 

[med358-boise]

Wild Boar Wellington - its what's for dinner

 

[Jaustinhogfader]

You like it.

Kidding aside, we stopped eating feral hog boars because of getting burned on hogs that had it, but seemed small enough where they should not have had it, AND didn't outwardly stink. Our last one was a little 120 lb boar my daughter shot. We only took the backstraps and they were horrible.

I agree. For me, It's only sows up to 125lbs and boars if they are under 75lb. for now....
That will probably be my approach from now on.
If a monster boar presents himself, I will drop him, then weigh and take pics, but then take him to the bone pile for the coyotes.

 

[JimFromTN]

I have only eaten meat from a couple dozen but everyone I ate tasted like it came from the grocery store. The biggest boar was 250lb from Texas. The meat was tough but tasted like store bought. Reminded me of moose. Moose tastes like a filet mignon but is about as tender as a truck tire. I ate meat from a 300lb sow that my brother killed that was tender and tasted no different from store bought. I have eaten numerous boars in the 150lb range that were tender and tasty. My understanding is that the meat can go bad very quickly. All the ones that I have eaten were killed in the winter and were gutted and stuck in a cooler within a few hours of being killed. I imagine if you kill a pig in the summer in TX, even at night, you would need to immediately gut it and put it on ice. Also, all of the pigs I have eaten were feeding on agriculture ie peanuts, winter wheat, and corn. I have never eaten a hog that was feeding on rotting animals or fish and killed in the summer.. All the pigs I have eaten were shared with others and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

I have noticed that the people who don't eat pigs are typically from Texas. I have said this before but it reminds me of people from Alaska that won't eat black bear. I have a buddy who lives outside anchorage who won't touch it. I have eaten meat from 2 spring bears from AK and a fall bear from Newfoundland. The meat was good from all of them. The fall bear was the best. I think it primarily fed on blueberries and garbage.

That being said, with the shortage of components and ammunition, my favorite caliber is whatever I can get my hands on. Right now it is 308 win because I can find it on the shelves.

 

[med358-boise]

I have only eaten meat from a couple dozen but everyone I ate tasted like it came from the grocery store. The biggest boar was 250lb from Texas. The meat was tough but tasted like store bought. Reminded me of moose. Moose tastes like a filet mignon but is about as tender as a truck tire. I ate meat from a 300lb sow that my brother killed that was tender and tasted no different from store bought. I have eaten numerous boars in the 150lb range that were tender and tasty. My understanding is that the meat can go bad very quickly. All the ones that I have eaten were killed in the winter and were gutted and stuck in a cooler within a few hours of being killed. I imagine if you kill a pig in the summer in TX, even at night, you would need to immediately gut it and put it on ice. Also, all of the pigs I have eaten were feeding on agriculture ie peanuts, winter wheat, and corn. I have never eaten a hog that was feeding on rotting animals or fish and killed in the summer.. All the pigs I have eaten were shared with others and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

I have noticed that the people who don't eat pigs are typically from Texas. I have said this before but it reminds me of people from Alaska that won't eat black bear. I have a buddy who lives outside anchorage who won't touch it. I have eaten meat from 2 spring bears from AK and a fall bear from Newfoundland. The meat was good from all of them. The fall bear was the best. I think it primarily fed on blueberries and garbage.

That being said, with the shortage of components and ammunition, my favorite caliber is whatever I can get my hands on. Right now it is 308 win because I can find it on the shelves.

Jim,

Interesting regarding Moose, I have taken two and my wife 1 and the meat has all been tender.

I agree that may be there is something unique about Texas.

 

[JimFromTN]

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

Yes. I killed a 250lb boar in Texas that was like chewing a tire. Cook it long enough and it will break down. I cut it into cubes and slow cooked in in a stew and was awesome. You can also slice the loins about half inch thick or so and pound them out with a meat tenderizer and throw them on the grill or coat and fry.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Jim,

Interesting regarding Moose, I have taken two and my wife 1 and the meat has all been tender.

I agree that may be there is something unique about Texas.

We got tired of cleaning them. Once you shoot one and walk away, you realize how liberating it is. Plus how much it really stinks to gut a pig.

We may have to start eating them again soon if this economy keeps going the way it does.

 

[JimFromTN]

Jim,

Interesting regarding Moose, I have taken two and my wife 1 and the meat has all been tender.

I agree that may be there is something unique about Texas.

My brother was a bush pilot in AK and was given moose all the time by his customers. They were all huge trophies. He gave me some from a front leg which probably had something to do with it and I had no idea how to cook it. I took a steak and threw it on the grill. You could not chew it. I probably should have beaten it with a sledge hammer before grilling but I did not know. I have tried ribs and roasts. All needed to be cooked until the meat broke down. I never got to try loins or tenderloins. A friend from newfoundland says they cook them until falling apart but they do that with everything I think. Moose is one instance where I would rather kill a small spike (where legal) than a trophy. I don't have wall space for a mount anyhow.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

My experience with biggame, ie: elk, moose, stag, deer, etc is that if its not properly aged (which is often difficult or impossible) is that the meat gets TOUGH when you apply heat to it. I killed a beautiful stag and brought the quarters to the butcher as soon as I got home. The guy was butchering and cooking in the back at the same time. No matter how thin he cut it, the meat toughened up in the fry pan with the peppers & onions. We ate a few thin slices raw and it was quite tender, but a brief trip through the frying pan and it was like shoe leather. I've had similar experiences with other animals that were not aged.

 

[Buffalobwana]

My brother was a bush pilot in AK and was given moose all the time by his customers. They were all huge trophies. He gave me some from a front leg which probably had something to do with it and I had no idea how to cook it. I took a steak and threw it on the grill. You could not chew it. I probably should have beaten it with a sledge hammer before grilling but I did not know. I have tried ribs and roasts. All needed to be cooked until the meat broke down. I never got to try loins or tenderloins. A friend from newfoundland says they cook them until falling apart but they do that with everything I think. Moose is one instance where I would rather kill a small spike (where legal) than a trophy. I don't have wall space for a mount anyhow.

Tenderness has a little to do with age, but probably not as much as people think.

If you do not properly age the meat, it will be tough. Spike or 8 year old bull.

Cows and deer benefit greatly from aging. Domestic sheep and pork don't. They lack the enzymes needed to break down the muscle fibers.

As soon as you freeze the meat, the aging process is over. Freezing kills the enzymes that break down the muscle fibers. If I kill an Elk or deer in freezing weather, I do everything possible to keep the meat from freezing. Put it in a cooler w no ice, wrap it in a sleeping bag, whatever it takes.

If it freezes, I make stew sausage and hamburger from it.