Care of Pig Meat Post Hunt

[Slugz]

Team,
Looking to her your comments/guidance on proper care of pork post hunt. Will be shooting for two nights then driving back home...10 hour drive or so. Plan is to clean, 1/4? skin? bag and put on ice not to touch the water in some good coolers. Will be only bringing back the good eating size ones. Any help please send it. Thanks.

 

[packmule]

quarter and put in ice water...if you have access to water hoses stick them in the cooler and let it flow for a few hours then go to ice water. Just get it cooled off like that before you put a bunch of ice in it for the drive home.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Slugz,

For me the ideal eating size is 100 to 150#. I skin and quarter mine, put in HD garbage bags and immerse in water. Pack Mule has got the right idea about flowing water on the meat. After it has cooled down some, then I would ice it and head for home. Feral pigs are really great eating, IMHO about as good as any wild game.

Good luck.........

 

[Finsandtines]

As the others have said, skin quarter and water. I usually add ice fairly quickly after the water and keep iced down until home to debone and defat . I have done this for years and never had any issues. In fact, the 60 to 80 pounder's from two weeks ago Have been great in both the crockpot and on the grill!!!

Share pics and good luck.

 

[Hilltop]

I do the same as all have mentioned. One other note- The sows, in general, are better eating and smelling. I turn the boars into sausage and the sows into roasts and steaks. I will say the bigger the boar, the more smelly. I once cooked a roast from a big boar that almost got me kicked out of the house. You could smell it from outside and it wasn't a good smell!

 

[Tim McCoy]

Am curious, have never hunted pig, but may sometime. Is the reason for the recommemded water/ice regimen due to climate? Hot weather hunt possibly with humidity on a decent sized critter, or something related to preparing wild pig meat? I have helped slaughter domestic pig, around 150-200 on the hoof, it was cool out then in OR and we hung it like a deer. Thanks.

 

[packmule]

No different than other animals on trying to cool meat down internally before packing it under ice in a cooler, which can trap that heat. Climate can play a roll in things on how quickly you'd like to get it done and ability to hang meat. You're not going to be able to hang meat here without the services of IKIC.

 

[swampokie]

Be sure and wear gloves gutting and quartering them. Don't get fluids in cuts. The meat is totally safe when properly cooked but the gut and blood can be home to disease

 

[sneakypete]

Here's another thought, the hams if smoking them. I always had my butcher debone them and half the hams. You'll enjoy them that way. If making chops, cut them at least 1" in thickness. Most of P, head shoot them, no wasted meat then!

 

[packmule]

If you can find a big Barr you may get bacon depending on where you're actually hunting.

 

[Finsandtines]

+ 1 on the sows typically tasting better. Of course if running a big boar for a while with dogs he will be a little tougher to chew than the sow strolling by a tree stand. I always cook the backstraps on the grill and the hams in the crock pot. Someone told me some time ago vinegar helps to dilute the gamey taste on boars so I have always thrown in a teaspoon or so when cooking hams. Never really had much of an issue. Had a few big barrs before but never got bacon. Guess we never really thought to go that route. Next time......

 

[packmule]

Diet has to be right to pour fat on them. I actually hate them since someone has already messed up by letting them live, but I don't make that mistake. On gamey taste I've found the trail cams do a lot of explaining. The boars I've shot out roaming haven't been too bad, the ones that have been locked in with a group of sows/shoats for a while (and maintained the group as new boars filter through) will stink to high heaven. Killed a big 3-legged one (286#) at the end of last year that was very barr-like, but cams had shown he'd been a loner since its snare incident of 2013.

 

[Slugz]

Thanks everyone for the comments....headed down near Stamford Tx.....will update with some pics and info when we return next Monday.
1st stop is home of the 72 ouncer in Amarillo!

 

[WELDO]

quarter and put in ice water...if you have access to water hoses stick them in the cooler and let it flow for a few hours then go to ice water. Just get it cooled off like that before you put a bunch of ice in it for the drive home.

I second this method. I've used on Antelope and it really works well for any warm weather hunts. I would shy away from putting warm meat in bags or coolers because they will retain heat and cause condensation. Good luck and good shooting

 

[CrossCreeks]

Looks like you have gotten plenty of good tips, some info that I did not know ( always learning on here ). Now go kill some hogs and post some pics. Good Luck !

 

[cotim]

Good info guys. I'm going on my first pig hunt in Sept and will take these tips with me.

 

[wy-tex]

Just remember pork does not need to "age" like other animals but must be cooled down quickly. Packing it in ice will be fine. We regularly make a 14 hour drive back with our Texas hogs on ice with no problems. We have found wrapping them large cuts in a roll of plastic wrap with many layers keeps the meat fine in the freezer for up to a year with little or no freezer burn.