hogs

[mescalero1]

You guys that hunt wild pigs,
how do they taste compared to thier domestic bretheren?

[shooter]

Taste great! I know some people that say you can get a bad one, and it has a strong musky taste to it, but I have never eaten one that tasted that way. There have probably been 30 or so pigs taken off my uncle's place in the last two years, and there hasn't been a problem with any of them tasting bad. I can't tell the difference between a feral pork loin and a store bought loin.

All that being said, I have heard that it's usually the bigger hogs that taste that way, like 250lb +. The ones we usually eat are 150 lb. or under.

[mescalero1]

Thanks,
I am more apt to do a hog hunt now.

[Don McDowell]

I put that question to some friends of mine from Mississippi that come out hunting every year. They all said that if they're figuring on eating any of those hogs , they pen trap them, take them home and feed them up for about 30 days.

[shooter]

Don't know where you are in NM, but when I lived in Roswell, (which I wouldn't recommend, lol), I know they hung out around the Pecos River. They didn't venture too far into the desert, but you could find them along the Pecos or one of the tributaries that runs off it. They stick pretty close to water.

[shooter]

Don, I've heard of lots of people doing that, too. They're probably a little more fat and tender that way, but the ones I've eaten that weren't fattened up weren't very tough. They can get a little dry though, probably because they're not as fat.

[Don McDowell]

What those guys also said that if they did eat one without feeding it up , it was sort of like a crawfish boil, there's was generally lots of beer involved.

[JerryB]

It has been along long time since I left Florida, but as I remember there is as much difference between wild hog and store bought as there is venison and beef. Just an old man's thoughts.

[mescalero1]

Seems like we do NOT have a concensus.

[mescalero1]

Thanks for the tip on Roswell and the Pecos, I have friends down there.

[rangerider7]

When you have it hanging and gutted open up the cavity put your head in and smell. If it has a sweet smell eat it, if not feed it to the coyotes. That's my two cents.

[Hobie]

CA hogs didn't seem to be much different from farm raised but time might have dimmed a memory that was fogged by hunger! We killed and ate hogs to save money! I'm sure there's somebodywho hunts the Los Padres NF near Jolon, CA. Maybe they have a more recent and realistic appraisal.

[Hillbilly]

I never cared for a mature boar. Pretty harsh....

[Don McDowell]

Seems like we do NOT have a concensus.

Could be something like antelope, some folks love it, some of us with finer taste buds, don't care all that much for it.

When we used to raise a few hogs, some of the best pork seemed like it was from a sow that had messed up once to many times.I would think that "wild" hog living in hardwoods and oak country with some crop land to raid on saturday nights for fun, would be similar to that.

[Halfbreed]

The old saying "you are what you eat" applies whole heartedly to pigs. I had pigs close to home that fed mainly on ferns and they tasted very gamey. These pigs also had to wander futher to get their fill so less fat and tougher meat.
If I drove a couple hours I had access to pigs that fed mainly on fruits. The forest they lived in had plentiful food supply so these pigs did not wander far so just got fat and soft, VERY good eating.
There was also a cattle slaughter house at a ranch and the pigs in that area fed almost exclusively on carrion from the slaughter house. These pigs were considered inedible so hunted only as trophies.

[Big Sarge]

We used to hunt hogs on the back side of Camp Shelby (south MS). I even took a couple with my Spencer. Anyway, I digress. Their diet does make a difference in the flavor of the meat. Hogs in the fall and winter that have been feeding on acorns taste the best. A summer hog - forget it!! We went for a hog around 100 - 125 lbs and then we cooked it over night in the smoker. Then we'd chop it up and mix with BBQ sauce.

[Bruce]

I live in north Florida where there is an abundance of hogs. Without much thought, I can honestly state that I was raised on wild hog meat. I prefer it over store bought meat (pork) any day. I actually prefer it over vension, which I also like very much. You can get some strong meat from a large boar, especially if he has been excited prior to being killed. For those, soak the meat in an ice chest for 3-4 days.

I can tell the difference between wild and store bought pork and wild wins hands down. If it is dry after being cooked, then it is my fault.

Try this cooking method some time. Start the seasoned meat uncovered on an outside grill, over a good wood like you would for grilling or a BBQ. Put some cut up chicken and vension on at the same time. After about an hour or more, when the meat has a good smokey color/light crust, wrap the pork in about three to four layers of heavy duty tin foil - with one piece of chicken inside each package. Do the same for the vension. Cook another 3-4 hours untill the meat falls off the bone. If you want it BBQ'd, pull it off the bone, place in a pan and add the BBQ and slow simmer. If not - eat it now before all your friends find out and come over.

While you are at it, put some corn on the cobb on and let it get a little color, then put it in tin foil with a good coating of butter. Some baked beans would be a good addition also.

[shooter]

I guess I never really thought of the diet having anything to do with the taste. I don't know why. The ones we usually kill are fed largely on acorns, corn, and they also root around in the oat patch a lot. I know diet has an affect on how venison tastes. In NM, when their wasn't enough rain at the right times, the Muleys would taste gamey, but when there was enough rain and we had a good crop of Scrub Oak, you couldn't buy better meat anywhere. Acorns do produce some pretty tasty game.

[stew71]

The Mrs and I just braised some wild boar chops for dinner the night before last. Braised in stock, wine, lemon, capers, and other spices. She put a nice golden crust on them and finished in the oven until just medium. Served with steamed artichokes, risotto, and a nice 2005 Pinot Noir.

Yes....they are very tasty indeed!!

[Beaker]

Hey Everybody, HAPPY SAUSAGE DAY!! (ground hog day)

[rimrock]

I like to eat the wild sows if 200# or less and boars about 125#. After I butcher them, I leave them on ice for 5-6 days to draw the blood so they taste better to me. YMMV.

[RIHMFIRE]

I have trouble keeping it in my freezer...
Everybody wants some....my wife trades it for shrimp and fish
that comes right off the boats...
Anyway,it all depends on their diet...
I prefer a sow over a boar.....
how it is cleaned...
how long the meat is aged...
How the meat is butchered...and cleaning out the silver skin....
and most of all.....who and how its is cooked...