Big hog question

[Rudyl]

I killed a big boar that weighed over 300 lbs and the meat was fantastic and yet a small 60 lb sow that i had processed tasted terrible......so there you go.

Sorry but that's all I got.

[N.DaWoods]

Tough but taste fine.

[Rick]

I caught a 275 lb (I weighted it) sow in a trap once, even the backstraps were nasty, they stunk. not surre if they are all like that, but that one was nasty

[SaltwaterSlick]

I caught a 275 lb (I weighted it) sow in a trap once, even the backstraps were nasty, they stunk. not surre if they are all like that, but that one was nasty

Trap caught hogs tend to be a bit on the strong tasting side...


I've killed 300+# boars that were fat on white oak acorns and they ate like pork chops you'd buy at HEB... Probably the biggest hog I ever shot, I snuck up on him asleep in his bed... He was close to 400#. I shot him in the earhole while he was sound asleep... was some of the best pork we ever ate...



You shoot a boar, really of any size after the dogs have been after him or he's all stirred up from fighting or doing the mating dance and such, the meat ain't fit to eat. same for one caught in a trap usually...

[muzzlebrake]

As long as the boar is not in full on rut mode it will be good eating. Same with a sow. A sow in heat will taste skunky just like a rutting boar. When I walk up on one that smells like a skunk I leave it for the yotes. All boar hogs stink but one in rut is unmistakable. If one comes in to your feeder upwind from you then more than likely you will smell him before you see him.

[Paycheck]

I never ate a bad hog. I have thrown some away that were too skinny or look bad. I am also very careful not to get any hair or touch the meat with my hand that handled the hide.

[roughneck266]

AS with any animal the key is cleaning as quickly as possible and getting is cooled off as soon as possible. I have a ham in the freezer now from one that tipped the scales around 220. I already ate the other one, and it made some danged good carnitas.
I wet age, followed by a couple days with sugar mixed with water.
EDIT: And get those glands off the legs as soon as you possibly can as well.

[Hunter Dan]

I killed a 300lb boar few years ago that tasted great. He was black and blonde with 3" cutters, made a great mount. All in how the processor handles it, if the blade touches the hide then the meat, the meat will be awful.

[Gixxer]

45lbs-90lbs Are the best tasting hogs when smoked whole and apple seasoned.

[glpoe1]

Yes, they can eat just fine. You will know by the smell of the meat. They all stink on the outside.

I agree with this. A few years ago I killed a decent size boar and when I cut him open to get the backstrap it smelled really, really bad. I couldn't keep any meat off that one.

[MasterOfNothing]

Thank you everyone for your input.

[stickman]

Worst pig I ever tried was an 80lb little boar, best was a boar over 300lbs that has more fat than any domestic pig I’ve eaten.

[Pauly G]

AS with any animal the key is cleaning as quickly as possible and getting is cooled off as soon as possible. I have a ham in the freezer now from one that tipped the scales around 220. I already ate the other one, and it made some danged good carnitas.
I wet age, followed by a couple days with sugar mixed with water.
EDIT: And get those glands off the legs as soon as you possibly can as well.

Teach me your ways Mr Miyagi!!!

[JeffK]

Shot a couple like that this past weekend. Buzzards seemed to like them. I'm not messing with a boar hog.

[RiverRat1]

Yes, they can eat just fine. You will know by the smell of the meat. They all stink on the outside.

This isn't always true. I had a hunter kill a 203 pound Russian boar that didn't smell at all so w cleaned it. He took it home and said it tasted great.