Hog's when it's hot out?

[M38A1]

I'm getting itchy to stick a piggie next, and wanted to ping the group. Assuming an evening/night hunt and I take a shot and can locate it within 45 minutes or so, is there any time during the summer you wouldn't hunt hogs if you planned on quartering the meat to take to a processer the next morning?

What I want to know, is it too hot during any part of the summer to stick one and wait 45 minutes to an hour before locating and then processing it? I sure don't want to get sick from a piggie gone bad.

[Txjourneyman]

My rule of thumb is get it on ice in an hour and I'm good. I've never had one go bad and I've killed plenty in July and August.

[Loneaggie]

Biggest tip I got is mix vinegar and water together would have to look up ratio and keep a few gallons in the truck. Then gut them as fast as you can and rinse the body cavity with the vinegar mix. Its a natural antibacterial and won't taint the meat. Then double time it to ice or cold storage. Depending on shot placement etc I sometimes hose the whole animal down if I have access to running water asap. Some people throw an ice bag in the body cavity on the way home. Pre vinegar you wanted to keep them dry, but the vinegar gives you some leeway if you need to dump ice in them or wash them off. Usually from hit to cold storage was about 2 hours and I never had any trouble.

[bowhuntertex]

I think you would be fine up to about 2 hours.........

[billfromtx]

I kill lots of hogs in the summer. Usually I wont touch them for an hour or better, so the fleas will jump off of them when they start to cool down...

[Artos]

Not me amigo.....never take chances.

Gut that sucker asap and stuff all the full un-opened bags of ice you can up into the cavity and rope / cover so it won't fall out.

We have a cooler now but this was my option of choice. I always had some burlap and would put the ice in and wrap up the piggie in it to keep the ice from falling out but would still let it drain.

If it was a small one, it would be dropped in largest ice-chest I brought.

[maglite]

I gut ASAP and haul it to the car wash to wash off and then I hang and quarter and put it in an ice chest and cover with ice and salt and let it bleed itself out for 3 or 4 days draining the water daily and adding ice!! Never had a problem with a couple hours!!

[Wudstix]

We just hang 'em, skin 'em and start cutting off meat. You don't get the tenderlions, but the yotes and buzzards have to eat too.

[Lost Buckaroo]

I bone them out where they lay put the meat in old pillow cases to keep clean. then throw it in the ice. you will be fine i am sure.

[M38A1]

Wow. Thanks for all the comments.

I've shot some deer in shorts/t-shirt weather and haven't had any problems, but the piggies I want to make sure on.

Again, thx!

[Ryno]

heck, in the heat of the summer, we usually feed the coyotes and buzzards. Plenty piggies to go around. My populations grow in the summer because we do not trap or hunt near as much. When it is hot you have to check traps very often or they die from the heat. I have also heard stories of worms/parasites issues in the summer (don't know for a fact though).

[Felix40]

Just cut the backstraps out. It takes about 5 minutes and then you dont have to haul a 50 gallon cooler around all the time either. Just a little lunchbox cooler with the frozen cool-packs in it. Like said above...theres lots of them to go around.

[quarterback]

Just cut the backstraps out. It takes about 5 minutes and then you dont have to haul a 50 gallon cooler around all the time either. Just a little lunchbox cooler with the frozen cool-packs in it. Like said above...theres lots of them to go around.

What he said.

[Reaper]

you'll be fine if its in the cooler within a couple hours

[Ricky T]

If you can't find your hog at the end of a short blood trail, go get another.