what to do with a big pig?

kjm · January 15, 2001, 09:42 AM

I finally killed a big pig. He was 300 lbs, and far too heavy to drag or move, and no vehicle could get to him due to the mushy ground. I just left him since he is an agricultural and wildlife pest, but assuming I could get the front-end loader to him or some other method to retrive the carcass, how do you fix up a hog that size?
Frequently, other hunters kill smaller ones (under 100lbs), and I will take those, and process them, but they aren't quite sexually mature yet. A HUGE pig seems like such a waste to just let him lay when there might be some trick to fixing him up to taste OK. Any suggestions?

Kharn · January 15, 2001, 10:54 AM

'I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, Chilli's baby back ribs.' So, how about some directions to your place for the BBQ?

Kharn

Bud1 · January 15, 2001, 12:33 PM

After field dressing, cut/saw the skinned carcass in half lengthwise (or quarter it, if a really big hog).

Place the halves into one of those 128 gallon ice chests, and completely cover the meat with ice. Leave the ice chest open, the drain hole open, and place a couple of bricks under the end of the ice chest furthest away from the drain hole. As the ice melts, the blood and rank taste will drain out of the meat and run out of the drain hole.

Keep the meat covered with ice for at least 24 hours, letting everything melt and drain away. The meat will end up pure white, and ready for butchering and the barbecue pit.

I'm from Texas, so constantly freezing weather is not a factor, and the ice easily melts. In colder climes, you may have to do this in a sheltered area.

Dr.Rob · January 15, 2001, 03:15 PM

This is one reason we keep a block and tackle in the truck along with a plastic (heavy) sled with grommets in it. even with no snow on the ground the sled slides easier over dead fall/mud etc than a dead animal will.

Toys R us and Wal-Mart have sleds this time of year.

Even with out a block and tackle , two guys and a sled should be able to pull that critter out of the woods.

As for cooking it.. can you say block party?

BadMedicine · January 15, 2001, 04:00 PM

Dig a huge pit and build a bonfire in it. Stoke that bonfire with logs all day. Pretty soon you'll have a nice bed of coals. Stuff your hog with potatoes, and carrots, and everything tastey. Then toss him in the pit, and cover him with as many coals as possible, and burry him. Then stay up all night drinking beer with your buddies, and have a big BBQ/picnic the next day

When I was really little my unle did this with a pig. I don't remember how it tasted, but I remember the party, cuz all the men had stayed up all night to "watch the pig" (even though it was burried) and we all drunk as skunks

At the very least I would salvage the backstrap and the ribs.

kjm · January 16, 2001, 07:21 PM

I killed the hog on our ranch in Vienna, TX. My father is growing desperate to get rid of them, but we aren't knowlegeable enough about hunting them to know how to EFFECTIVELY go about it. The one I killed was purely opportunity since I was actually out hunting deer. I would suppose that he would welcome for free or trade in meat, anybody who could kill a bunch of pigs. They are utterly destroying the land, fences, and in a few places have killed trees. We know there are a bunch of them around, but seeing them is more difficult. We've only seen them 3 times in 3 years, and all 3 times we've killed at least one. Still, there are fresh tracks, fresh rooting, and fresh signs of scratching.

While he would probably welcome hunters for the hogs, I doubt you would like to fly to TX to possibly never see one. What you want is a guided trip with dogs. It really is the best way to hunt them, but we just don't know anyone with dogs. Good luck either way! You'll really enjoy hunting them.

RHC · January 16, 2001, 08:03 PM

My mother lives near Kerrville, Texas.
She told me that about a month ago she came
home fairly late and saw about twenty wild pigs
on her and her neighbor's yard.
I understand that these are actually feral
and not truly wild boars, but I guess
they're still plenty fierce.

BadMedicine · January 16, 2001, 08:47 PM

The US has no truly native "wild boars" all they have are the javelina in the south west. The wild boars were imported from russia, and other parts of europe since early pioneering times. Some were imported specifically for hunting, some for farm animals. Also there are a large amount of domestic hogs that have exscaped and become wild, these are "feral hogs." After about 5-10 generations in the wild they begin to develope nasty tusks for rooting and fighting, and get hairier more muscular bodies. Then there are also varieties of these types inter-breeding, creating everything in between. All of them can have tusks, and can be very mean. And all of them do horrific damage to crops and personal property. Alot of places don't have a limit, or a season on either of these, but some places, where they are rarer, they are treated like game animals.

I think the true wild boars (russian boars), that can attain a weight of 500lbs, and their mix-breed cousins, are fairly isolated to the south east region of the US. (I'm probably wrong though

)

Art Eatman · January 16, 2001, 10:36 PM

So, where is Vienna, Texas? I know where is Two Egg, Sopchoppy and Panacea, Florida--and Climax, Georgia, for that matter.

Shuckins, I've been to Houston, Dallas, Manchaca and Buda, and I've drunk beer in beautiful downtown Lobo Flats--but somehow I've missed the mighty metropolis of Vienna.

Wherefore art thou, kjm?

, Art

Lance Gothic · January 16, 2001, 11:35 PM

Eh, Brah!
Da kine luau!
Regards,
Lance Gothic
Shibumi

recon1 · January 17, 2001, 12:06 AM

KJM....

If you need some help getting rid of those hogs let me know.
I live in Fort Worth and would be glad to help! Hogs are a fun hunt. Once you find where there at the excitement really begins..

Al Thompson · January 17, 2001, 08:03 AM

KJM,

I've had the same problem. Muddy field and a big dead hog in the middle.

Whittiling the critter down works well. We usually take the hams and backstraps. As they are a wild critter, the ribs and neck are not usually that meaty, so they feed the buzzards and foxes.

I'm always interested in bullet performance, so a field autopsy is usually done as well.

The heads are neat for skull mounts. I usually sever that, find a fireant mound and put the head on it. Cover the mound and head with a five gallon bucket. Put cinder block on top of the bucket to keep the dogs out and in a couple of weeks you'll have a clean skull. I use hydrogen peroxide to bleach the skull.

Giz

Keith J · January 18, 2001, 01:21 AM

I'll even hunt them myself. I just need an invite.......its a short drive for me (100 miles) and my father is from your neck of the woods (Moravia-St. John). I've hunted a bunch is Lavaca Co but there are no hogs at my dad's place.

TIA!

Keith

[email protected]

Art Eatman · January 18, 2001, 11:09 AM

Hah! Found Vienna! A suburb of Halletsville, where a branch of my family helped start the town! We still have the Fertsch family reunion there, every April...

, Art

kjm · January 18, 2001, 02:07 PM

Art: Yes Vienna is just South 11 miles from Hallettsville on farm road 530. If you've got relatives in Hallettsville, then I am possibly related as I am related to everyone in that town by blood or marriage. Strange world huh? Mikulenka's, Telschiks, Cheney's, Roth's, Pohl's, and anyone related to these clans.

Kieth, let me ask my father since all invites come from him. I'm sure he won't have a problem, but the rules will probably be strict. Lawsuit avoidance you know. It is a piss-poor world we live in when we have to consult lawyers in order to have over hunting guests. E-mail me.

Gizmo: Thanks for the advice. We have a tractor with a front-end loader, but we almost got the tractor stuck. The ground out there is basically sand on top of clay. The clay is hard but slick, and the sand just "floats on top." When it rains a few days straight, you can't get anything out there but possibly a 4 wheeler which we don't have. Anything heavier would sink to the floorboard quickly. A 4 wheeler pulling a 300lb hog will quickly destroy a lot of vegitation which is the reason we want to get rid of the hogs in the first place. Butchering on-site is an excellent idea. I'll try it next time.

Bad Medicine: You are correct. All wild hogs in the US have been imported. The pecary or Javalina is not actually a swine, but another creature in the same genus. It has feet in leiu of hooves. The Armadillo is also in the same genus. All swine (males) grow tusks. Hog farmers "detusk" the animals which is a nasty but relatively easy task like castration. The 2 types of hogs are the wild russian boar which was imported for hunting by europeans "boar-ed" with hunting our native game, and the run-of-the-mill domestic pig (pigus nicetoeatus), which for generations was just allowed to run wild. The practice was to find the babies in the spring, kill and eat momma, castrate the babies (males), and their tails would be cut off to signify that the hog was castrated, and indeed a tasty animal. Later in the winter, one would trek out and kill the hogs without tails for dinner. This was depicted in "Old Yeller" when Travis was trying to lasso a ferral-domestic hog from a tree-limb. TO hunt wild hogs in Texas you only need a hunting license (you have to have that to hunt anything in Texas). You may kill as many as you like, no bag limit, no season, no prohibited methods. You can dynamite them, use a machine gun (if you possess a class III)them, dart them, blow gun them, shoot them, spotlight them, use NVG's or any other method to include running over them in your vehicle. Some counties offer bounties, so check first. You may be able to make some money on their heads! You may use dogs, knives, or whatever. You are advised to give a courtesy call to the game-warden that you will be out hunting hogs (if out of regular deer season or at night), so that he doesn't have to wake up and check out the calls from the neighbors reporting midnight shooting.
(Most of my info on hogs is courtesy of TX Ag extension service, or TX Parks and Wildife Dept.)

RHC: I live in Harper which is 20 miles N. of Kerrville. If the Hog sightings are regular, and if they're on your mother's property, I'd be glad to swing down and kill as many as I have ammo for! Send me an e-mail if she's interested. If I have too much meat, I know people with rather large families who would greatly appreciate any excess meat that they can lay their hands on. She can also call the Kerr County Sheriff's office and speak to BJ (chief Investigator) or Rusty (the Sheriff), and inquire as to any deputies who might could use the extra meat to feed their families. When I worked there, we were always getting pig meat from one person or another, and it really helps when you're being paid below the poverty level.

Recon1: You can e-mail me too. As with Keith, I'll check with my father. Ft Worth is a long way to drive for an iffy hunt. I believe it is roughly 8 hours to Ft. Worth from Vienna. If you're both really nice though, his other pest problems are Squirrels (eating an estimated ton of pecans each and every year), and coons (just a general pest). We'll see.

BadMedicine · January 18, 2001, 04:24 PM

Sorry KJM for doubting your knowledge, I'm no farmer, but are you sure that farmers have to detusk all male swine?? I have never heard of this, but have heard that doemstic hogs, when allowed to run wild, only begin to grow tusks after a few generations. I have known people that have owned pot-belly pigs that they showed. These pigs could'nt be altered in any way, ie, nuetered or spayed, and I suppose that would extend to detusking them. Maybe some breeds have them domestically and some don't?? Just wondering, I'll do some research on this and try to get some reference links

I wish there were wild hogs running hell-bent for trouble around here...but then again, I'm not a farmer

Art Eatman · January 18, 2001, 06:24 PM

Harper, huh? Charley III still hangin' around the YO? I used to stop in occasionally, years ago when Hal Matheny, Buttons and Jerome Alexander were guiding there. I bought one of CIII's Texas Ranger Commemoratives...

I graduated from high school at Schreiner...A good while back, of course. If they have a class reunion for my group, this year, it'll be #50. Sammy Junkin still El Prez, there?

Regards, Art

kjm · January 18, 2001, 10:33 PM

Art,
Charlie III is in fact still hanging around, 'tho we don't see much of him in Harper. Schreiner nolonger has highschool classes but is now a 4 year University associated with PCUSA.

Bad Medicine: I think what you're referring to is the characteristic long snout and coloration of ferral hogs. A ferral hog released into the wild will eventually after a few generations turn to black or dark brown/red nomatter what color his parentage. A biologist may be able to explain why, but I'm not sure. Also the snout grows longer over a few generations in the wild. Tusks are a part of almost every male swine with a few exceptions. Probably a lot like polled cattle, there may be a few varieties of swine without, but the pigs I've dealt with in FFA were tuskers and we destusked them the same time we castrated them IIRC. Most of my knowlege is academic though. FFA while instructional dealt with hamshires, yorkshires, durocs ect... We didn't have any wild pigs to mess with.

There are people here who purchase live wild hogs and feed them out just like a domestic, and then eat them. My knowlege of the ferral variety comes from a presentation put on by a biologist/extension agent who gave a presentation on hog irradication. He went into depth on their biology and habits, but I gather that much of his knowlege was also academic. There's folks in these parts who hunt them professionally, and those are the people who know what they're talking about. I don't think they charge much, and they usually guarantee an animal. For those of you who would be interested in a SUCCESSFUL guided pig hunt or just want to bag some exotics like Axis or Blackbuck antelope, I can post a guide's number for you.

January 15, 2001, 10:54 AM	#2
Kharn Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,531	I know what to do: 'I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, Chilli's baby back ribs.' So, how about some directions to your place for the BBQ? Kharn

January 15, 2001, 12:33 PM	#3
Bud1 Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2000 Posts: 194	Here is a way to sweeten up that meat. After field dressing, cut/saw the skinned carcass in half lengthwise (or quarter it, if a really big hog). Place the halves into one of those 128 gallon ice chests, and completely cover the meat with ice. Leave the ice chest open, the drain hole open, and place a couple of bricks under the end of the ice chest furthest away from the drain hole. As the ice melts, the blood and rank taste will drain out of the meat and run out of the drain hole. Keep the meat covered with ice for at least 24 hours, letting everything melt and drain away. The meat will end up pure white, and ready for butchering and the barbecue pit. I'm from Texas, so constantly freezing weather is not a factor, and the ice easily melts. In colder climes, you may have to do this in a sheltered area.

January 16, 2001, 08:47 PM	#8
BadMedicine Junior member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	The US has no truly native "wild boars" all they have are the javelina in the south west. The wild boars were imported from russia, and other parts of europe since early pioneering times. Some were imported specifically for hunting, some for farm animals. Also there are a large amount of domestic hogs that have exscaped and become wild, these are "feral hogs." After about 5-10 generations in the wild they begin to develope nasty tusks for rooting and fighting, and get hairier more muscular bodies. Then there are also varieties of these types inter-breeding, creating everything in between. All of them can have tusks, and can be very mean. And all of them do horrific damage to crops and personal property. Alot of places don't have a limit, or a season on either of these, but some places, where they are rarer, they are treated like game animals. I think the true wild boars (russian boars), that can attain a weight of 500lbs, and their mix-breed cousins, are fairly isolated to the south east region of the US. (I'm probably wrong though)

January 17, 2001, 08:03 AM	#12
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	Big animals KJM, I've had the same problem. Muddy field and a big dead hog in the middle. Whittiling the critter down works well. We usually take the hams and backstraps. As they are a wild critter, the ribs and neck are not usually that meaty, so they feed the buzzards and foxes. I'm always interested in bullet performance, so a field autopsy is usually done as well. The heads are neat for skull mounts. I usually sever that, find a fireant mound and put the head on it. Cover the mound and head with a five gallon bucket. Put cinder block on top of the bucket to keep the dogs out and in a couple of weeks you'll have a clean skull. I use hydrogen peroxide to bleach the skull. Giz

January 18, 2001, 01:21 AM	#13
Keith J Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2000 Posts: 469	KJM, I will be happy to take a few off your hands I'll even hunt them myself. I just need an invite.......its a short drive for me (100 miles) and my father is from your neck of the woods (Moravia-St. John). I've hunted a bunch is Lavaca Co but there are no hogs at my dad's place. TIA! Keith [email protected]

January 15, 2001, 09:42 AM	#1
kjm Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: College Station, Texas Posts: 1,871	I finally killed a big pig. He was 300 lbs, and far too heavy to drag or move, and no vehicle could get to him due to the mushy ground. I just left him since he is an agricultural and wildlife pest, but assuming I could get the front-end loader to him or some other method to retrive the carcass, how do you fix up a hog that size? Frequently, other hunters kill smaller ones (under 100lbs), and I will take those, and process them, but they aren't quite sexually mature yet. A HUGE pig seems like such a waste to just let him lay when there might be some trick to fixing him up to taste OK. Any suggestions?

January 15, 2001, 03:15 PM	#4
Dr.Rob Staff Alumnus Join Date: July 28, 1999 Location: Denver Posts: 2,454	This is one reason we keep a block and tackle in the truck along with a plastic (heavy) sled with grommets in it. even with no snow on the ground the sled slides easier over dead fall/mud etc than a dead animal will. Toys R us and Wal-Mart have sleds this time of year. Even with out a block and tackle , two guys and a sled should be able to pull that critter out of the woods. As for cooking it.. can you say block party?

January 15, 2001, 04:00 PM	#5
BadMedicine Junior member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	Dig a huge pit and build a bonfire in it. Stoke that bonfire with logs all day. Pretty soon you'll have a nice bed of coals. Stuff your hog with potatoes, and carrots, and everything tastey. Then toss him in the pit, and cover him with as many coals as possible, and burry him. Then stay up all night drinking beer with your buddies, and have a big BBQ/picnic the next day When I was really little my unle did this with a pig. I don't remember how it tasted, but I remember the party, cuz all the men had stayed up all night to "watch the pig" (even though it was burried) and we all drunk as skunks At the very least I would salvage the backstrap and the ribs.

January 16, 2001, 07:21 PM	#6
kjm Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: College Station, Texas Posts: 1,871	I killed the hog on our ranch in Vienna, TX. My father is growing desperate to get rid of them, but we aren't knowlegeable enough about hunting them to know how to EFFECTIVELY go about it. The one I killed was purely opportunity since I was actually out hunting deer. I would suppose that he would welcome for free or trade in meat, anybody who could kill a bunch of pigs. They are utterly destroying the land, fences, and in a few places have killed trees. We know there are a bunch of them around, but seeing them is more difficult. We've only seen them 3 times in 3 years, and all 3 times we've killed at least one. Still, there are fresh tracks, fresh rooting, and fresh signs of scratching. While he would probably welcome hunters for the hogs, I doubt you would like to fly to TX to possibly never see one. What you want is a guided trip with dogs. It really is the best way to hunt them, but we just don't know anyone with dogs. Good luck either way! You'll really enjoy hunting them.

January 16, 2001, 08:03 PM	#7
RHC Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2000 Posts: 678	My mother lives near Kerrville, Texas. She told me that about a month ago she came home fairly late and saw about twenty wild pigs on her and her neighbor's yard. I understand that these are actually feral and not truly wild boars, but I guess they're still plenty fierce.

January 16, 2001, 10:36 PM	#9
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	So, where is Vienna, Texas? I know where is Two Egg, Sopchoppy and Panacea, Florida--and Climax, Georgia, for that matter. Shuckins, I've been to Houston, Dallas, Manchaca and Buda, and I've drunk beer in beautiful downtown Lobo Flats--but somehow I've missed the mighty metropolis of Vienna. Wherefore art thou, kjm? , Art

January 16, 2001, 11:35 PM	#10
Lance Gothic Member Join Date: October 19, 2000 Posts: 86	Eh, Brah! Da kine luau! Regards, Lance Gothic Shibumi

January 17, 2001, 12:06 AM	#11
recon1 Member Join Date: November 15, 2000 Posts: 27	KJM.... If you need some help getting rid of those hogs let me know. I live in Fort Worth and would be glad to help! Hogs are a fun hunt. Once you find where there at the excitement really begins..

January 18, 2001, 11:09 AM	#14
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Hah! Found Vienna! A suburb of Halletsville, where a branch of my family helped start the town! We still have the Fertsch family reunion there, every April... , Art

January 18, 2001, 02:07 PM	#15
kjm Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: College Station, Texas Posts: 1,871	Art: Yes Vienna is just South 11 miles from Hallettsville on farm road 530. If you've got relatives in Hallettsville, then I am possibly related as I am related to everyone in that town by blood or marriage. Strange world huh? Mikulenka's, Telschiks, Cheney's, Roth's, Pohl's, and anyone related to these clans. Kieth, let me ask my father since all invites come from him. I'm sure he won't have a problem, but the rules will probably be strict. Lawsuit avoidance you know. It is a piss-poor world we live in when we have to consult lawyers in order to have over hunting guests. E-mail me. Gizmo: Thanks for the advice. We have a tractor with a front-end loader, but we almost got the tractor stuck. The ground out there is basically sand on top of clay. The clay is hard but slick, and the sand just "floats on top." When it rains a few days straight, you can't get anything out there but possibly a 4 wheeler which we don't have. Anything heavier would sink to the floorboard quickly. A 4 wheeler pulling a 300lb hog will quickly destroy a lot of vegitation which is the reason we want to get rid of the hogs in the first place. Butchering on-site is an excellent idea. I'll try it next time. Bad Medicine: You are correct. All wild hogs in the US have been imported. The pecary or Javalina is not actually a swine, but another creature in the same genus. It has feet in leiu of hooves. The Armadillo is also in the same genus. All swine (males) grow tusks. Hog farmers "detusk" the animals which is a nasty but relatively easy task like castration. The 2 types of hogs are the wild russian boar which was imported for hunting by europeans "boar-ed" with hunting our native game, and the run-of-the-mill domestic pig (pigus nicetoeatus), which for generations was just allowed to run wild. The practice was to find the babies in the spring, kill and eat momma, castrate the babies (males), and their tails would be cut off to signify that the hog was castrated, and indeed a tasty animal. Later in the winter, one would trek out and kill the hogs without tails for dinner. This was depicted in "Old Yeller" when Travis was trying to lasso a ferral-domestic hog from a tree-limb. TO hunt wild hogs in Texas you only need a hunting license (you have to have that to hunt anything in Texas). You may kill as many as you like, no bag limit, no season, no prohibited methods. You can dynamite them, use a machine gun (if you possess a class III)them, dart them, blow gun them, shoot them, spotlight them, use NVG's or any other method to include running over them in your vehicle. Some counties offer bounties, so check first. You may be able to make some money on their heads! You may use dogs, knives, or whatever. You are advised to give a courtesy call to the game-warden that you will be out hunting hogs (if out of regular deer season or at night), so that he doesn't have to wake up and check out the calls from the neighbors reporting midnight shooting. (Most of my info on hogs is courtesy of TX Ag extension service, or TX Parks and Wildife Dept.) RHC: I live in Harper which is 20 miles N. of Kerrville. If the Hog sightings are regular, and if they're on your mother's property, I'd be glad to swing down and kill as many as I have ammo for! Send me an e-mail if she's interested. If I have too much meat, I know people with rather large families who would greatly appreciate any excess meat that they can lay their hands on. She can also call the Kerr County Sheriff's office and speak to BJ (chief Investigator) or Rusty (the Sheriff), and inquire as to any deputies who might could use the extra meat to feed their families. When I worked there, we were always getting pig meat from one person or another, and it really helps when you're being paid below the poverty level. Recon1: You can e-mail me too. As with Keith, I'll check with my father. Ft Worth is a long way to drive for an iffy hunt. I believe it is roughly 8 hours to Ft. Worth from Vienna. If you're both really nice though, his other pest problems are Squirrels (eating an estimated ton of pecans each and every year), and coons (just a general pest). We'll see.

January 18, 2001, 04:24 PM	#16
BadMedicine Junior member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	Sorry KJM for doubting your knowledge, I'm no farmer, but are you sure that farmers have to detusk all male swine?? I have never heard of this, but have heard that doemstic hogs, when allowed to run wild, only begin to grow tusks after a few generations. I have known people that have owned pot-belly pigs that they showed. These pigs could'nt be altered in any way, ie, nuetered or spayed, and I suppose that would extend to detusking them. Maybe some breeds have them domestically and some don't?? Just wondering, I'll do some research on this and try to get some reference links I wish there were wild hogs running hell-bent for trouble around here...but then again, I'm not a farmer

January 18, 2001, 06:24 PM	#17
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Harper, huh? Charley III still hangin' around the YO? I used to stop in occasionally, years ago when Hal Matheny, Buttons and Jerome Alexander were guiding there. I bought one of CIII's Texas Ranger Commemoratives... I graduated from high school at Schreiner...A good while back, of course. If they have a class reunion for my group, this year, it'll be #50. Sammy Junkin still El Prez, there? Regards, Art

January 18, 2001, 10:33 PM	#18
kjm Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: College Station, Texas Posts: 1,871	Art, Charlie III is in fact still hanging around, 'tho we don't see much of him in Harper. Schreiner nolonger has highschool classes but is now a 4 year University associated with PCUSA. Bad Medicine: I think what you're referring to is the characteristic long snout and coloration of ferral hogs. A ferral hog released into the wild will eventually after a few generations turn to black or dark brown/red nomatter what color his parentage. A biologist may be able to explain why, but I'm not sure. Also the snout grows longer over a few generations in the wild. Tusks are a part of almost every male swine with a few exceptions. Probably a lot like polled cattle, there may be a few varieties of swine without, but the pigs I've dealt with in FFA were tuskers and we destusked them the same time we castrated them IIRC. Most of my knowlege is academic though. FFA while instructional dealt with hamshires, yorkshires, durocs ect... We didn't have any wild pigs to mess with. There are people here who purchase live wild hogs and feed them out just like a domestic, and then eat them. My knowlege of the ferral variety comes from a presentation put on by a biologist/extension agent who gave a presentation on hog irradication. He went into depth on their biology and habits, but I gather that much of his knowlege was also academic. There's folks in these parts who hunt them professionally, and those are the people who know what they're talking about. I don't think they charge much, and they usually guarantee an animal. For those of you who would be interested in a SUCCESSFUL guided pig hunt or just want to bag some exotics like Axis or Blackbuck antelope, I can post a guide's number for you.