Feral swine discussion (from other thread)

[GoodOlBoy]

Actually there are almost no pig farmers left in Texas after the 80s pig market dropout. They thing that happened when people were trapping and selling hogs to slaughterhouses was that the price of pork dropped drastically. Did this affect the pig farmer? Not as much as you would think. The price the pigs themselves brought dropped by very little per pound, however the consumer end prices dropped quite a bit. Remember pork doesn't keep very long, and because of all the vastly different ethnicities it has a more limited market than you would think in some places. Bacon prices stayed pretty steady through it all, and so did pork chops, etc. However ham, pork sausage and pork shoulders (blade in) dropped DRASTICALLY at the market.

Feral hogs have a very much wild taste (and the old very big ones can be MUSTY as all get out) however you can remove ALL the wild taste from a feral hog by feeding it nothing but corn for a couple of weeks. Which is one of the reasons the price didn't take a drastic dip. Farm raised hogs don't HAVE to be feed corn before slaughter, ferals do (unless you are specifically selling to a market that wants the "wild hog" taste.

I will attach some maps I found at http://128.192.20.53/nfsms/index.jsp

GoodOlBoy

[GoodOlBoy]

The last map is supposedly from 6-9-09, however if you got to some states like Wisconsin and search for feral hog their maps show a MUCH greater density than these do.

Also notice that after 88 they no longer even tried to keep track of areas with less than 10 per square mile. This was because the map basically would have covered the entire south by 2004 if they had. These maps also only track KNOWN swine herds. IE those that have been tagged by the National Feral Swine Mapping System.

GoodOlBoy

[fabsroman]

The last map is supposedly from 6-9-09, however if you got to some states like Wisconsin and search for feral hog their maps show a MUCH greater density than these do.

Also notice that after 88 they no longer even tried to keep track of areas with less than 10 per square mile. This was because the map basically would have covered the entire south by 2004 if they had. These maps also only track KNOWN swine herds. IE those that have been tagged by the National Feral Swine Mapping System.

GoodOlBoy

The maps into the future that I have seen have been pretty insane, with almost the entire US covered. They should start some type of program where the feral hogs can at least be donated to feed someone/something, or ground up and used as manure if that is possible. If I went hog hunting, what would I do with 5 of them if I killed that many one day? I killed 8 whitetails here one morning and would have stopped at 2 if I didn't already know where to donate them to feed the hungry. I could have killed more than 8, but knew that it was going to take me the rest of the day to gut them, drag them out, and get them to the donation place. It was a fun morning and a rough rest of the day.

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah it has ticked alot of people off because of the fact that you can't donate it either. My cousin is ranch foreman at a VERY big west Texas ranch. They kill around 400 head of hog a month on the ranch. Maybe half a dozen get eaten the rest are rolled into the ditch because it is illegal to do much else with them.

GoodOlBoy

[Rapier]

Without catching them and feeding them out, about the only thing you can do is make sausage with a good bit of seasoning in it, around these parts.

But, the government in its typical medling way, their fore thought is about the length of their fore skin, has put the boots to everyone, one more time, by not allowing processors to process the meat without a cert of health from a vet for every hog brought in.

We could a few years ago shoot a hog or trap one and load it right up then take it to the processor. He called in a day or two and job was done. Now you can not give a hog away because if you do not know how, or have your own equipment there is nothing that can be done with one. No vet is going to sign off on a wild hog unless he can get a log going on him, like a piece of livestock in quarenteen.

With no season and no limit we can just pile them up in FL .... but you will wear out a tractor digging holes to bury them in.

Oh, yes, a wild hog is not wonderful to eat either, that is just pure BS. They taste like the smell of a cross between an old rotten cypress log and a real nasty wet dog. Ever ate a coot before, I have, and the hog is worse. Your wife will throw a pure D jump up and down fit if you toss a piece of boar ham in a frying pan in her kitchen. Been there done that..... whew.

Right now they are across a small creek and a two lane highway from my farm. I dread the day I see evidence they are on my place. That is the day we go to war, sure nuff. I will use their carcases to bait coyotes and fertalize my pecan trees.
Best,
Ed

[GoodOlBoy]

Around here only the boars are quite that bad, most of the sows are pretty danged edible (and even tasty). . . . However I firmly believe it has to do with their normal range. Where I am there are a few creeks, a very few bogs, and a LOT of lowland fields. If you travel about 15 miles to the Neches river bottom and tag one there you can barely stand to clean it because of the reek.

We dont have to have a health cert yet (thankfully) But if the hog even looks crosseyed and in pain they incinerate it and you get a bill.

GoodOlBoy

[Rapier]

I got a bit of bad news on Saturday. I stopped by to talk to the neighbor at the farm, everything was wet and soggy so I was just out mending a few social fences. Anyway he informed me that he saw a wild boar on his place last month when he went out to shoot arma-dildos. The boar was at his deer feeder and when the boar spotted him, took off back across the paved road. So now we have hogs up pretty close.

Won't be long until carryting a Mini-14 will not work well, I will need to carry a more hog frendly chambering to deal with our 250 to 450 pound pests. Hum, I might need a new semi auto beater for the cart / tractor. :D
Best,
Ed

[GoodOlBoy]

A marlin 336 in 30-30 winchester with 170gr remington corelokts will give 'em heck. It's a little tougher when you are messin with the 425lb+ big boys, but you can still do it. Just remember after they hit the 350lb+ range that cape gets thick enough to stop a light fast bullet quick like.

GoodOlBoy

[fabsroman]

What about a Mini-30? I have one myself. Don't really like it all that much, but it works for stuff around 100 yards. I'm sure I could get some work done to it and make it really nice, but I'm just going to build up my AR-15 and AR-10 instead.

[GoodOlBoy]

isn't the mini a 223? if so I wouldnt bother at any hog over 400lbs. You are just gonna tick him off real real bad. My cousin got charged back in high school by a 600+ lb board. took two shots from a 7mm rifle (the first one glanced off of his skull) to drop him, although I will give my cousin credit he emptied the mag into him when the first one failed to do the job. I dont think thats a 223 class animal.

GoodOlBoy

[Jack]

I think the Mini-30 is 7.62x39.

[fabsroman]

I know the Ruger Mini 30 is a 7.62x39 mm rifle because that is what I feed mine and it does just fine with them. I wouldn't use it for long range the way it shoots, but anything from 100 yards or closer would be fine. Eventually I will get a new barrel for it, but something tells me that the AR's are going to be a lot more fun to shoot, and a lot more accurate too.

[GoodOlBoy]

ah, ok couldn't remember offhand was having a brain gaseous event. 7.62x39 does pretty well on hogs, I have used it in my old SKS many times. WOlf has a 154gr sp that I havent gotten to try but I always suspected would be a hog getter if it shot well.

GoodOlBoy

[Rapier]

Sorry guys to abandon the thread, but I was off to the farm again.

Here in NW Florida we have little deer and big hogs. It is hot, wet and swampy over a good bit of the area. A good bit like E Texas. It is #1 hog heaven. All puns intended.

I do like my 35 Cal guns as a minimum and I really like the 444 Marlin as the "end of argument" gun. The 444 is just about perfect for the 400-600 pound beauties you run into around here. A 300 grain bullet makes Mr. Porker do the wobbly dance and play dead for a long time.

GOB, I have a buddy that shot a big hog with a 270, at 50 yards, right between the eyes. Hog hits ground, jumps up, runs off without a scalp. Bullet glanced off skull. Get big or stay on the porch. :D
Best,
Ed

[GoodOlBoy]

Ya got that right rapier, and thats why I have a 45-70 for when the BIG ones come knocking. That 444 will do a nice job on them too, thats for sure!

GoodOlBoy

[8X56MS]

GoodOlBoyisn't the mini a 223? if so I wouldnt bother at any hog over 400lbs. You are just gonna tick him off real real bad. My cousin got charged back in high school by a 600+ lb board. took two shots from a 7mm rifle (the first one glanced off of his skull) to drop him, although I will give my cousin credit he emptied the mag into him when the first one failed to do the job. I dont think thats a 223 class animal.


I kill 'em regular with an AR shooting 64 grain Winchester SP over H335 powder. Size does not seem to matter when you put two or three into their head.

[Swift]

They're some good eatin thats for sure!

[GoodOlBoy]

8x I have seen a 7mm and a 30-06 glance off of the head off a 500+ lb hog. I dang sure wouldn't want to shoot at one of those monsters with a AR, I don't care if you put 50 into them. If you don't penetrate skullbone, you just tick em off.

GoodOlBoy

[Ridge Runner]

The great thing about AR's is if you look in the right places you can find someone who'll build you an upper that will cover just about anything.
This one would handle hogs very well reguardless of size, have taken 2 bear and several deer with it. Its chambered in 458 SOCOM, it clowns a 45/70 in performance from an AR
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/wv_Ridge_Runner/458socom.jpg
RR

[skeet]

I haven't ever shot a free roaming hog. And don't think I really want to. I have however killed a bunch of hogs and all with 22 Long rifles. Shot one in the forehead one day and it knockd him down ..for a second. 2nd one was in the heart and he was done but that was in controlled circumstances. I also would not shoot a porker in the wild with a 223 either. unless it was the right shot. That probably don't happen too often with a hog.

Neat lookin rifle there Double R. I have 3 of the AR platform rifles and shoot coyotes with mine and some P dogs. One is just fer havin in case the gummit tells me I can't have one. And no reflection on anyone here..But they really aren't my idea of a real huntin rifle. I like wood and steel. Heck one of the reasons I don't like Grocks. I even like wooden grips on my handguns. I might shoot one of them Hogs at close range with my 500 Smith. Long as he wasn't lookin at me:eek::D

[Okie Hog]

I hunt hogs 12 months of the year and kill 20-50 per year. Most of my hogs are shot with a .50 muzzleloader. One of the places I hunt is 14,000 acres and the place is restricted to shotguns with small shot and rimfires during small game season. I hunt hogs there with a .22 magnum and it does do a very good job on hogs if they are shot right. Have killed over 20 hogs with my .22 magnum and most were DRT: Never lost a wounded hog. Biggest hog I have shot with the .22 magnum weighed 302 pounds field dressed-it was DRT at the shot. I limit my shots with the .22 magnum to 50 yards.

If the hog is standing broadside put the bullet in his ear on or a line between the ear and the eye.

Wild hog meat has an undeserved bad rap. Chops from a wild hog are the best meat on this planet. In this area meat from boars to 200 pounds very seldom tastes strong: The meat of sows is never strong tasting.

Hog meat spoils very fast. Lots of hog meat is ruined, especially in hot weather. Hog meat spoils quickly even in cool weather, it is not improved by hanging. If a person kills a hog when the outside temperature is 80 degrees he/she has a max of about four hours to get that hog iced down or in a cooler before the meat starts to go bad. When the temperature is 90 one has a max of three hours to get the hog cooled. Last month I killed a 375 pound wild boar hog when the temperature was 105 degrees. That hog was rolling fat and the meat is good.

Do not let your meat processor keep your hog in his cooler more than 5-7 days before processing the animal. A lot of hog meat is spoiled or is starting to spoil before the meat processor gets the animal cut up. Last winter I gave a friend a huge sow that was well cared for. The processor kept the animal for two weeks before cutting it up. My friend complained about the "strong tasting meat." He brought me a cooked chop and it was rotten.