Caring For Hogs in Hot Weather

[Okie Hog]

It is getting hot and a lot of us hunt hogs in hot weather. For me it is the best time: Go to a pond, climb into into a tree stand and wait.

In this part of the country a lot of hog meat is ruined in hot weather because it not properly cared for. Have heard a lot of complaints about "strong tasting" hog meat. In most cases the "strong tasting" animal was a young boar or a sow. It wasn't "strong", it was rotten.

Hog meat is not improved by hanging. It spoils rather quickly even in cool weather.

When the temperature is 80 degrees or so one has 4-5 hours to get that hog cooled down after killing it. At 90 degrees one has about 3-4 hours to get the hog cooled down or cut up and put into a cooler.

Most of my hog hunting is within 15 miles of home. The hog is gutted as soon as it is retrieved. There are several gallons of water in the truck to rinse out the hogs body cavity. At home the hog is hung up, washed down with a water hose and then put into a big cooler with ice. It is taken to the butcher ASAP.

If you take whole hogs to a butcher make sure he is reliable. A hog will
start to spoil if left in a cooler over a week or so.