Feral Hogs in Texas
Question:
I have a 1895ss 4570 (the guide gun has a 4 in shorter barrel and a muzzlebrake)anyway i like mine and they are hard on pigs Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
I haven’t been a hunter since I was around 16 or so years old. I wasn’t eating what I killed and I couldn’t see the purpose of it anymore. I skinned a rabbit once and Mom cooked it some way. It tasted awful and I didn’t like cleaning it. Probably cleaned and cooked improperly. I don’t keep my fish for the same reason, I don’t like cleaning them. What a wooz!!! 
Anyway, I’m planning on moving to a 100 to 400 acre mini-ranch in Southwest Texas in a couple of years. Virtually all the advertisements tell what game is on the land. Even the land that is slack in other game has "lots of feral hogs." Are they overrunning the place? Are they almost like vermin? Does "everybody" shoot as many as they see? Seems to me that joining in on hog hunts might be the neighborly thing to do. Not sure I’d shoot one, but they’d be all set up for processing I suppose. I’d just take a few ribs and chops and they could have the rest if I did shoot one. The above was a thinly veiled cry for help. I’m really drooling over that Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun and I’m looking for an excuse to get one. — Charlie Dilks Newark, DE USA Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
: I haven’t been a hunter since I was around 16 or so years old. I wasn’t : eating what I killed and I couldn’t see the purpose of it anymore. I skinned : a rabbit once and Mom cooked it some way. It tasted awful and I didn’t like : cleaning it. Probably cleaned and cooked improperly. I don’t keep my fish : for the same reason, I don’t like cleaning them. What a wooz!!! : Anyway, I’m planning on moving to a 100 to 400 acre mini-ranch in Southwest : Texas in a couple of years. Virtually all the advertisements tell what game : is on the land. Even the land that is slack in other game has "lots of feral : hogs." : Are they overrunning the place? Are they almost like vermin? Does : "everybody" shoot as many as they see? Seems to me that joining in on hog : hunts might be the neighborly thing to do. Not sure I’d shoot one, but : they’d be all set up for processing I suppose. I’d just take a few ribs and : chops and they could have the rest if I did shoot one. : The above was a thinly veiled cry for help. I’m really drooling over that : Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun and I’m looking for an excuse to get one. : — : Charlie Dilks Newark, DE USA But the rifle, shoot the hogs, have them made into sausage if you don’t like the meat straight up. Those spices can hide a multitude of sins. samg Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > : I haven’t been a hunter since I was around 16 or so years old. I wasn’t > : eating what I killed and I couldn’t see the purpose of it anymore. I skinned > : a rabbit once and Mom cooked it some way. It tasted awful and I didn’t like > : cleaning it. Probably cleaned and cooked improperly. I don’t keep my fish > : for the same reason, I don’t like cleaning them. What a wooz!!! > : Anyway, I’m planning on moving to a 100 to 400 acre mini-ranch in Southwest > : Texas in a couple of years. Virtually all the advertisements tell what game > : is on the land. Even the land that is slack in other game has "lots of feral > : hogs." > : Are they overrunning the place? Are they almost like vermin? Does > : "everybody" shoot as many as they see? Seems to me that joining in on hog > : hunts might be the neighborly thing to do. Not sure I’d shoot one, but > : they’d be all set up for processing I suppose. I’d just take a few ribs and > : chops and they could have the rest if I did shoot one. > : The above was a thinly veiled cry for help. I’m really drooling over that > : Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun and I’m looking for an excuse to get one. > : — > : Charlie Dilks Newark, DE USA > But the rifle, shoot the hogs, have them made into sausage if you don’t > like the meat straight up. Those spices can hide a multitude of sins. > samg
Also, some counties will take donations of wild hog meat for their food banks. Check with the County Food Bank and see what they’ll accept. In some areas of Texas, feral hogs are a bad problem – breaking fences and eating anything the find on the ground – quail eggs, turkey eggs, new born deer. Jim Lancaster Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
Charles, One thing that some do with feral hogs is trap them. Thing a real strong cage. That way you can shoot them now or later. Some believe that feeding the hogs corn makes for a better taste. I don’t know. Also, you may catch a family with piglets. Better eating. Given the typical weather in southwest Texas, have coolers with ice nearby. And, a real sharp knife and sharpener for butchering. — Jim carry on Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
And from what I have been given to understand, nose-plugs! I have been told that they really stink. Bill W. > Given the typical weather in southwest Texas, have coolers with ice nearby. And, > a real sharp knife and sharpener for butchering.
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> : I haven’t been a hunter since I was around 16 or so years old. I wasn’t > : eating what I killed and I couldn’t see the purpose of it anymore. I > skinned > : a rabbit once and Mom cooked it some way. It tasted awful and I didn’t > like > : cleaning it. Probably cleaned and cooked improperly. I don’t keep my > fish > : for the same reason, I don’t like cleaning them. What a wooz!!! > : Anyway, I’m planning on moving to a 100 to 400 acre mini-ranch in > Southwest > : Texas in a couple of years. Virtually all the advertisements tell what > game > : is on the land. Even the land that is slack in other game has "lots of > feral > : hogs." > : Are they overrunning the place? Are they almost like vermin? Does > : "everybody" shoot as many as they see? Seems to me that joining in on > hog > : hunts might be the neighborly thing to do. Not sure I’d shoot one, but > : they’d be all set up for processing I suppose. I’d just take a few ribs > and > : chops and they could have the rest if I did shoot one. > : The above was a thinly veiled cry for help. I’m really drooling over > that > : Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun and I’m looking for an excuse to get one. > : — > : Charlie Dilks Newark, DE USA > But the rifle, shoot the hogs, have them made into sausage if you don’t > like the meat straight up. Those spices can hide a multitude of sins. > samg > Also, some counties will take donations of wild hog meat for their food > banks. Check with the County Food Bank and see what they’ll accept. In > some areas of Texas, feral hogs are a bad problem – breaking fences and > eating anything the find on the ground – quail eggs, turkey eggs, new born > deer.
That’s what I thought I’d heard. I’d enjoy helping thin them out as long as I didn’t have to clean them. — Charlie Dilks Newark, DE USA Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
Feral hogs are not one of nature’s most prized creatures. They’re ugly, they stink, they annihilate hundreds of acres of corn, but dammit, THEY ARE TASTY! If your ranch turns out to have a bunch of hogs, don’t sweat it. Technically, they could be considered varmints, BUT they are worth hunting! Also, if you REALLY don’t like the cleaning part of it, there are easier ways to handle it…..and who says you gotta keep the whole hog? Here’s what a guy did on one of the hunts I participated in: He hung the hog upside down on gambrel hooks like you would a deer. He then took a very sharp knife and made an incision on either side of the genitals all the way to the bone. He then used a Sawzall (electrical reciprocating saw) and cut each rear leg off at the hip joint. The remaining carcass fell to the ground, and he attended each leg by skinning and de-hoofing it. Granted, this isn’t the most efficient use of a kill, but considering what a pack of feral hogs will do to farmland, not too many people get upset. Also, I’ve found the key to cooking wild hog is digging a pit in the ground and burying the meat (wrapped in aluminum foil) in hot coals for 8 hours. Comes out just like a tender pork loin and is well worth the effort! JD Got questions? Get answers over the phone at Keen.com. Up to 100 minutes free! http://www.keen.com Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
