All veteran hog hunters chime in, need your advice!

[koger]

I am planning on going hog hunting, mid November, first time for me. I wil be using a #50 bow, 550 grain total arrow weight, 175 up front, Ace Std. How do your rate that setup?

Second, asssuming I connect on one, do you guys field dress/gut on the spot, or drag it out first?

 Do you skin like we do deer then bone our, or just quarter?

I assume, and most folks I have talked to say that the sows, and shoats, #100 and under, are fine eating, boars are rank and inedible, thoughts on this?

[rastaman]

I'm no expert, but i've killed a few.  i shoot 48 @ 27 with a GT 35/55 with 175 grain broadhead up front for about a 450 grain arrow. That set up has worked fine for me the last few hogs i've killed.  
I use the gutless method on hogs since i am by myself most of the time....quarters, backstraps, tenderloins, and in the cooler.
Good luck to you sir!  

[pdk25]

By far no expert, but  your  setup will get through all but the thickest shields.  You should talk to RC. I am either lucky, or have a poor sense of taste. I shot a 265# boar that tasted great, my wife shot a 225# sow that tasted great, and the other smaller ones tasted great too. I would at least give it a try if you shoot a large boar.

[Bjorn]

I think your set up is fine. Field dressing depends on size and how far from vehicle, big hogs don't get gutted. I eat them all; but I have yet to shoot a really big one.
I use a 50# ACS CX and 600 grain wood arrow. Broadhead is either STOS or Abowyer Brown Bear. Learn the anatomy and shoot for both lungs, I prefer broadside shot and not quartering away. Hogs were made to be hunted from the ground.

[El gran J]

I use a 600gr arrow, a big, sharp broadhead, and a 55lb bow.  I like a heavy arrow so I can put the hurt on WHATEVER size hog comes out.  I'd rather be over prepared I guess.  As far as the butchering goes, I remove it from where I'm hunting and take it to the truck or ATV and get it to an area where I can keep the insides away from my hunting area.  I usually gut it, and skin it on the ground, and take the legs, back straps, neck meat, and ribs.  Hide, head, and hooves are sent to the gut pile.  I don't like to take too long after I've shot my hogs.  I like to kill the hogs that are less than 100#.  Anything more than that has an ugly taste.  At least that's my experience.  Tamales and Pan Sausage come out really good!

[Apex Predator]

I think you are golden, as far as equipment goes.  Know where to put that arrow!  

I quarter mine on the spot and pack out.

[michaelschwister]

K, your setup should do fine on anything under 200# , be sure to aim very low and forward in the chest, right at the front leg about 4" up from the bottom is perfect. I have had great luck with ACE standards on hogs. On anything over 200# go for the hind quarter shot quartering away, a few inches below he base of the tail, believe me it works.

I was a butcher in another life and have butchered thousands of domestic hogs, but for feral hogs I don't do them like I butcher domestics.  I Drag them out whole and hang them nose down,skin them out, and strip off the front shoulders whole, the loins in one piece, and cut the ham off the hind quarter.  I then take out the tenderloins by making a small cut along the side of the lumbar vertibrae and peeling them out with my thumb.  There is no side pork (bacon) on many true wild hogs from GA and the Southeast.  Texas hogs have meat more like domestices. oI then discard the carcass with never gutting it out! I soak the meat in ice water overnight. I boil the meat down with a little apple cider vinegar and onions until it falls off the bone/tears apart easily.  After cooling and draining I dump it on the counter and pull it apart with two forks, discard bone/fat//connective tissue and place good stuff in corningware or glass bowl.  Dump in your favorite BBQ sauce, maybe some brown suger and a dash of tobasco and put in the fridge overnight.  Get the grill going and make a boat out of tinfoil and dump the BBQ in and cook until desired consistancy. Over time it will thicken and dry out.   If you like it sloppy you can skip this step as the meat is ready to go.  If you can't grill, it can be oven baked.  Add some potato rolls, some coleslaw and a cold beverage and you are there!!!!

[piggy]

It's common here to just clean out the chest cavity and stomach then make a backpack out of the hog and carry it out whole, at least then the meat is protected by the skin until you can process it cleanly.

[michaelschwister]

Concur with piggy, we leave them whole until we get them to the skinning rack were there is running water. Tractors or 4 wheelers or very capable 4wd vehicles are essential with this COA. Don't want to process them in the woods if you can help it.  Pig country is usually not a good place to process meat.......I have seen the hog/backpack thing but have never had to use it.  As usual, our Aussie cousins are creative and capable woodsmen.

[koger]

I have 5 years experience as a professional meatcutter, and process about 20 deer a year for myself and friends, so this is no big deal on that end. I appreciate all the responses so far!

[nightowl1]

I skin and gut mine like a deer.

In texas there are 2 main types of hog. Feral pig and some that have a bit more Russian blood in them. Those have a longer front end, ridge on their back, and different slant to their forehead.

My experience feral pigs are good at most sizes but I still do a smell test before processing the meat. Some really big boars just stink.
The Russian boars seem to get untasty faster. So with a pig like that size starts to matter.

[straitera]

All mine but one were cut n gut on the spot. Texas heat worries me otherwise & no need handling extra weight. BTW, I have a friend who leaves big (250#+) hogs in the cooler on ice for 7 days changing ice daily. She & husband swear by this technique to insure good taste. They kill hogs w/guns & dogs weekly.

Mike's processing above looks great especially for in the woods then haul out edibles. I'll try it next time. I was an apprentice butcher 2 years in high school. Near gave up hog hunting after killing a 120# coastal boar I couldn't eat. Brought it out of the woods to skin & gut first. Not sure if that had anything to do with it but near puked gutting it. The guts were not punctured. BBQ'ed but no change in smell. Who knows?

They're big fun to hunt & shoot. Quartering away relaxed is my favorite shot opening up the vitals. Sharp 2-blades only for me. Best luck.

[koger]

ttt.

[Ben Maher]

Your set up is identical to mine and I have shot and cleanly killed a bunch of hogs with such a set up.

[flippnsticks]

people that say that either havent tried it or took care of the hog wrong. All the hogs I shoot i lay them on there belly. Take my knife and go from head to tail, skin all the way down. All your meat is on top anyway.( no gutting needed) the fatty side of the hide acts as a clean table in the feild to lay your meat in.( hope that makes sence) place all your meat in a cooler full of ice, and in a cool place. keep draining the water and adding ice for around 3-4days.  good luck brother.