Hog Hunting

[kingofwylietx]

I don't know local cost for a hog. I know you can have a deer processed for approx $80 in Uvalde. Your best bet, unless somebody chimes in, is to call a local processor and ask them. I would just ask what they charge to process a 150# hog since you don't know how big of a hog you might shoot.

 

[ConnRadd]

I just ask because I am new to this, and was thinking about getting some made into sausage, trying to figure if buying the grinder is more or less cost effecent than getting someone else to do the work.
Big Country when are you heading up?
I am heading up the weekend of the 22nd.

I prefer to do my own, which is more of a Pride thing than anything. I killed it, cleaned it, processed it, and now serving it.
Depends on how much work you want to do and how messy you want to get... I bought a $200 grinder from Academy and wanted to do my own, which I've done 4ea 200 lbs hogs with it. You can get cheaper ones that will work fine, but a hand crank ones will give you a "real" work out.
Just remember, Hog meat is very lean. I ended up buying pork and beef fat trimmings from Kroger and Fiesta (shop around, places is try to screw you on fat trimmings).
I took the fat, grinded up 50/50 blend and made 3 lbs packs to freeze. My ratio is 30/70, so simple math is 3 lbs fat and 7 lbs of hog meat equaling 10 lbs at a time. Some may want more fat, but I don't recommend any less. I've made sausage, pan sausage, reg. ground pork and all came out really good.

Hogs don't have that "gamey" taste, so bleeding it out is not really needed. But to help me process my own, I do this:
Once you quarter your hog, you have about 7 days to freeze it. So, I tend to ice the hog down and put about a cup of salt on top of the ice. Then drain the water daily and add more ice. Then during the week I'll de-bone the meat and with the back straps, roast, etc.; I weigh them out and freeze them. Then the meat I want to grind, I make into 1" strips and spend that coming weekend to grind. If you can have someone or spouse to help, it really speeds things up...

Either way, good luck to everyone on the hunt and getting you some piggies.. I plan to get to Sean's place and help him to get rid some of these destructive little beast.

 

[Bigs Wife]

I'm pretty sure but the boss has the final say in that. LOL! I got nothing to do till Monday morning.

lol, the boss?

 

[Big country]

We should be there for a while on Sunday.

 

[Big country]

Well I watched the weather this morning and it looks like it's gonna be wet while we're up there. We have an 80% chance of rain on Friday. Which is when I was planning on heading up there. So if the wife and I are camping somewhere it's gonna be a wet one or she's sleeping in the car and liking it! LOL

 

[Big country]

Well They shorted my check on me. I'll wind up some where around -$100 dollars in the bank after I pay all my bills so unfortunately I had to cancel the hunting trip this weekend!

 

[Stumpy]

hey, i havent read the entire thread, but it sounds like some folks need hogs killed. im your man. got guns, got a truck. im located in Midland, TX, just if ya want to know. if anyone needs something killed, e-mail me
davismoore@grandecom.net

 

[KellyAsh]

Im finally back from my out of town work! My truck is done at the shop and I can pick it up Tuesday so after that I'm back to the hogs out there! Now I just need to find time to have that posilock installed and get the damned thing to pass emissions and Im all good.

How did it go this weekend? Im waiting on pics and stories.

 

[Big country]

Im finally back from my out of town work! My truck is done at the shop and I can pick it up Tuesday so after that I'm back to the hogs out there! Now I just need to find time to have that posilock installed and get the damned thing to pass emissions and Im all good.

How did it go this weekend? Im waiting on pics and stories.

I didn't go had no money and tooooo mutch rain. LOL! I don't know if High cap went out there or not.

 

[mage2]

Well I am headed that way friday. Will have camera along with all my other gear.
I will post what we get, if we get anything.
heh
this is going to be one LONG week

 

[Big country]

Heh It was a long week for me to and then came the rain! LOL! Good luck!

 

[KellyAsh]

Ya'll might want to wait for the rain to stop for a week or so. The mud out there is so soupy and slick you ownt get halfway across a field and you'll be wore the hell out...and it keeps raining every 3-4 days. I dont think ya'll will have a very good time until it drys up a good bit. Just dont want yall to spend hard earned cash on these conditions.

 

[Big country]

Yeah I talked to Sean and he told me about the mud up there! I've hunted in mud like that before but it wasn't very fun. A lot of walking threw thickets of crap and scaring the hell out of what ever's around and worst of all not seeing anything but hearing it crash threw the brush running away! LOL

 

[KellyAsh]

One thing's fer sure. It cant rain forever. It'll stop and when it does, I'll be ready.

 

[Texas42]

1. I have heard conflicting things about the suppressors ( I had a dealer tell me you could) however in the outdoor annual I swear I read that Suppressors, full auto's, and Laser devices are NOT allowed

2. .

According to Texas wildlife Department, it IS illegal to hunt game animals with suppressors, full auto, and artificial light (includes lasers).

TPWD: Means and Methods

If your hunting feral pigs, have at it. Same reason why you can hunt pigs at night and not deer.

ps, nice shot.

 

[mage2]

This is really the only time i can make it up for now. So I am going to don boots and deal with mud. but a little mud and dirt never hurt me.
I will keep you all posted as things go.

 

[KellyAsh]

Im headed out there in a few to rezero my SKS and see if we cant call up a few cats or yote and try and shoot them from his non-public roads. I might come out with you to give you someone to slog through the mud with. I dont know if we'll be able to get Sean out in it though. He's in it all the time.

 

[Big country]

Well how'd you guys do?

 

[KellyAsh]

Well how'd you guys do?

I went out there Thur and Fri night till around 10 or so, met up with mage2, and later that evening, his other friends, as I was leaving. Me, Sean and mage2 (Tim) did some driving around spotlighting and sat up over some old catfish and rotten meat to do some predator calling but go zero results from that. The coyotes werent hollering like they have been either. It was an odd night with them. We heard 2 different groups of hogs but didnt see any of them. We did get a good idea of where they're hanging around though so their should be on or two on the ground before too long. That mud is so thick and sticky walking 200 meters feels like walking 2 miles. I was going to go back out there today and camp with them tonight but there's a bunch of rain moving in so I dont think I'll be doing any camping tonight. Im so tired of this rain and everything getting muddy ass hell. I'll probably catch the last day of duck season tomorrow and get back to the hogs after it dries up a bit more.

 

[mage2]

Yar. mud mud and more mud. only hogs we saw were already dead. found tracks. hiked about 6 miles i think. got about 3/4 mph out of the mud.
Was still lots of fun and got to meet Kelly and Sean and some of Sean's family. You cant find a better group of people.
If it dries up some I plan to go try again. my 06 is still waiting for blood.
That sure is a lot of land up there.

I got home about 1:30 am this morning.