How big is too big?? When it comes to eating a hog....

[Carpe_diem]

From someone that has hog hunted his entire life and cleans, eats, kills a lot of hogs every year size does NOT determine if the meat is good/bad. We did believe this in the past as we only shot sows and smaller boars to eat. I started making the decision to process on the smell of the hog. If a hog has a strong musk smell, I won't eat them. It doesn't matter if they are 50 lbs or 300 lbs or boar or sow. As long as they don't stink, I clean them and eat them. I can guarantee you that you won't be able to tell the difference between a 250 lb boar and a 100 lb sow as long as they don't have a stong musk smell.

x2

[lodgepole]

How big is too big?? When it comes to eating a hog....

I've eaten a boat that was >300lbs. It was better than deer!!! I think the key is clean them ASAP, keep the hair off the meat, and don't puncture the gut or bladder. Remember to get all the glands too.


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[lodgepole]

No such thing as a sow or barr being to big. Boars if they stink I don't mess with them.

The stink is only on the outside.


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[Tx Surveyor]

It's all in the processing

[lovemylegacy]

As long as we have plenty of wild hogs to choose from, I don't put a knife into a hog unless it is under 100lbs. I always thought it better to eat the younger smaller ones to get better tasting meat. We shot a big 250+ lbs male hog and my FIL was dead set on cleaning, processing and eating this thing. He is very good at processing and this big hog has tasted way better than I thought it would. Of course the worst part is having to admit to him he was right!

What is the max size hog you will keep to eat? Do you care as long as it is process correctly?

It really isn't the size as much as it what they have been eating. As far as taste.

As far as the size, any will do.

[GarGuy]

Let me preface this with the fact that i was a butcher 48 years and owned a processing plant as well.
Domesticated boars are not fit to eat. i mean they really are not fit to eat. That said, the russian strain of boar rarely gets strong. Even if they stink when you kill them. Older boars are tougher meat but darn good flavor. With plenty to choose from, we generally eat 10lbers regardless of sex.

[Smart]

Any truth to older magnum sized boars hams being a little stringy?

[GarGuy]

Any truth to older magnum sized boars hams being a little stringy?

Aint no question about that one.

[slayer]

No such thing. The bigger the better.

EXACTLY! We have killed and ate pigs that were 300lb boars that stunk so bad you couldnt get within 10 feet to 30lb sows. You get them cleaned quick, get the meat on ice, flush the bloody water and keep adding new ice. The meat will be great no matter what you make out of it.

[Capp35]

This may be a question for another thread, but here goes.
Just recently bought a small piece of property, and have been feeding for about six months. I have lots of hogs coming in but have never shot one. Deer season is almost over which means it's about time for me to take my first hog off of it.
I hear people talking about glands and such. What is the best way to clean one?
I killed one about 50 pounds years ago, and don't remember doing anything to it but gutting and skinning.

[slayer]

We dont gut them. . dont go anywhere near the gut sack. I cut them down there back and peal the hide away. cut the front quarters out, then do the back quarters, backstraps and haul the rest away to the buzzards. yes, I know we leave the tender loins, but to me it aint worth going into that gut sack to get em. I saw Skylar at Diamond C do something similar while the pig was hanging and he got the loins and still didnt gut it.

[Tx_Wader]

The stink is only on the outside.

Yup and I don't like it, so those with stinky odor do not go into the cooler

[Smart]

Aint no question about that one.

I have heard that from two fellas that have killed a bunch of hogs in their day. Front quarters and straps are good but the hams can be stringy and tough...

[lovemylegacy]

We dont gut them. . dont go anywhere near the gut sack. I cut them down there back and peal the hide away. cut the front quarters out, then do the back quarters, backstraps and haul the rest away to the buzzards. yes, I know we leave the tender loins, but to me it aint worth going into that gut sack to get em. I saw Skylar at Diamond C do something similar while the pig was hanging and he got the loins and still didnt gut it.

Same way I do my pigs. If you don't want the ribs, only way to fly.

[lovemylegacy]

Agreed on going by scent, not worth the effort if they are rank, otherwise no problem. And like mentioned, how quickly and cleanly they are processed (any animal in general really) is a large factor in determining the quality of meat.

I have never killed a pig that didn't stink. Everyone of them smelled to high heavens