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Quick Change of Plans this Morning.

1K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  brownegg 
#1 · (Edited)
Let me Paint a picture here. I was planning to run feed---then come back and work on my boat for a few hrs-------Went to feed the hogs, chickens, etc, etc this morning. We have a lot of tree's, heads of woods etc. As I went through the wooded area between 2 fields and was coming up on the hog pen, which is built at the edge of the field/wood line---I seen one of my hogs out---only got 2 in that pen, but as I got to the pen---my 2 hogs were in the pen----this hog that was on the outside---Looked like a wild hog---it took off running, but stopped in about 50/60 yards---in the middle of my old garden spot---I guess to see if my 2 hogs were running away to----which they were not----this Hog kinda charged back towards me a few yards---blowing/grunting. I said kinda Low----Just hang around I will be right back(un-armed again) I went to the house a little over 1/4 mile away---got my 17HMR and went back as fast as the golfcart will go---Its Not a high speed---LOL. Went slow through the head of woods to ease up on him if he was still around---I could see him---trying to tear through my chain-link fence---and was doing a good job. The fence is protected inside with a Hot wire but not on the outside. My 400lb Boar was not liking this app 270lb boar trying to tear in. I eased real slow until I got clear the fence---he darted away a few feet but blowed/grunted and came right back to where he was---I had the cross hairs on him but was waiting until he looked---Pow!! He went down---acted like a Wild Hog, looked like a wild Hog, Then I had to make a Change of Plans for the day---went and got the tractor a few hundred yards away---hung the hog---bled him---and Had to quickly do a temporary fence repair. Carried him hanging from the front end loader---just a "swinging" to the house---Had to clean/sample the meat/process/bag----in the last few weeks, we have been working at making some space in our freezers so we could process my 2 hogs in that pen---they will have to wait longer. Had to go back and fix the pen---clean up all the hog stuff---the hide, innards, etc, took a shower. Boat will have to wait until another day. You Just Never know around here what to expect!!!
 
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#3 ·
True, but it was Not in my Plans for the Day!! LOL. With wild hogs boars---I always Cut a few small slices of meat and put it on the George Forman grill---to see how it taste---so I will know if it is a Keeper or processed for the dog/cats, etc. This was Good. Meaning the dogs and cats will only get the parts I do not want. Not sure when the luau is yet-----shoot the Wife already had Pork chops laying out for dinner before she knew about this hog---LOL. This was a quick process---the hind quarters and front shoulders were bagged whole for meals that will be cooked on the out door grill as well as the ribs. We cut some porkchops out of the back straps. The rest(back bones, neck bones and meat, etc) was put in the freezer in grocery bags in serving sizes for the animals---some will be cooked for the dogs, cats, some fed raw to the cats and chickens. My dog seems to have No desire for raw meat??
 
#7 ·
The best laid plans of mice and men.....
Oh well, the boat isn't going anywhere.
Never thought of taste testing feral hog, but we don't have them this far north. Now I'm wanting pork chops and spare ribs.
We always Taste test on big male feral hogs---even before I finish cutting it up---I had him skinned---(always skin them)---hanging whole while we did a taste test---to see which way to go.
 
#10 ·
I have Heard the Same thing too, Years ago----I tasted some that someone else "had" it was rank, but in the recent years---with the ones I have Slaughtered, cleaned, processed, NONE have had a Problem---this Male being the biggest Male yet. Every male I have slaughtered was mainly calm---not hot from running and one thing I always Do is strip all their Male anatomy ASAP---while they are hanging and bleeding out---ever one I have processed----it was done quickly after I popped them----I do not let them lay around---Just My Method. Never been Hog Hunting----they Come to me(my farm). None of my neighbors have seen a feral hog or any sign in several years----since "we" all declared War on them. I am curious about this one----I wonder being he did not run away as soon as he seen me----just kept distance----some aggressiveness ----I wonder if someone had him pinned up and he got out???? Question, Questions??
 
#11 ·
They are starting to become a problem in my neck of the woods. I am starting to see them as road kill, which tells you they are everywhere. The good news is that I haven't found hog sign on my property yet. But, it probably will happen. It's nice that there is no hunting season for them, shoot when ready. The only thing I have heard of around here is the extra danger of contracting disease from them while dressing them. The folks around here take extra precautions when slaughtering a wild hog (more so than, say, a deer or rabbit).

As whether he was pinned or not, by becoming an aggressive nuisance, that was it for him. It may well be that he was newly-feral - it doesn't take long for that to happen.
 
#13 ·
The first thing I grab is my rubber gloves----don't want to take any chances. This hog just wandered in. My hog pen is probably 200ft from a run in the swamp/low land----It starts several miles above me and goes several miles below me to the river----a Good Place for animals to stay close to and search out food. I seen a couple hogs some years back in the exact place---I knew they were feral but had never seen a feral hog on my farm for my whole life living here until I seen those in my garden. They seen me and hit the woods---I went to the spot in my garden where they were-----they had just walked out the woods----straight into the garden and took off. Never rooted, only got 3 rows into the garden---I had to have just came up the time this happen. My garden has been there for years---never had any sign of any hog or tracks or damage---that was some luck. I built a hog trap that day right close to the run in the swamp---long story short---I caught 8 hogs in about 5 weeks---it was like they were rambling--might not show back up for days. Then after that---no hogs---no signs---even several neighbors said they have not seen any sign in a few years----then Bam---this one shows up and was taken---time will tell if any more wonder through----still got the trap---have to clean it out and re-bait if needed.
 
#12 ·
I guess your feed cost was pretty low on that side of pork :) Good to know you could make use of it all. The dogs will love those scraps once you cook them. The cats might upchuck the raw meat, at least til they get used to it.
 
#14 ·
Yea---Real Cheap because he sure has not been eating on my place. I have tried my Great Pyrenees on raw----she does not care for it. I have seen her bury some. My BIL gave me about 30 packs of deer sausage--that had been in his freezer---maybe 5 to 8 years----I gave her a pack--she just left it alone and the cats eat it----well they did not seem crazy about it. So I cooked up about 15 packs and re-bagged and froze it---now I take a pack out each day---they Love it. The same with raw chicken, Rib eye steaks, Roast--LOL yep my BIL and Sister keep giving me a 5 gal bucket of meat they bought that looks freezer burnt and they are throwing out. Personally I like to eat a pack of meat that I payed say $15 for instead of letting it go bad---LOL.
 
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