Big Hogs Elude Me

[Zen Archery]

Big pig didn't want to play.
So I had to settle for this little back strap!
Click Here For Video

[Old Stony]

I'm having just the other end of things I guess, I can't seem to find the younger ones lately. I've shot two boars in the past couple nights and larger boars is about all I've been seeing. This one was last night and number #580 from this property. The one from the night before was from a different property, so I don't count them in the total number. I have an area where I dump most of them, and the buzzards wait for me there usually. You will notice some bones in the background...it gets to smelling almost as bad as some of our congressional deals.

[fshfindr]

That's a lot of good meat to be throwing away!

[Old Stony]

That's meat, but not good meat. The good stuff gets used. Zen's hog is a good eating size, but these big boars can be pretty rank smelling and tasting!

[T. O'Heir]

Being smart is how small beasts get to be big beasts.
Like Old Stony says, big beasts tend to be old as well as tough and smelly. Lot depends on what they've been eating though. And it just takes longer to cook old game.
"...where I dump most of them..." Wasting game meat not illegal in Texas? Assuming hog are considered to be game in the first place. Just curious.

[Dufus]

Hogs are not a game animal in Texas.

Hunting them is not regulated, but you still have to have a license to hunt.

[Old Stony]

Actually, I think a lot of the problem eating old boars relates to the big pair of things hanging on their rear ends. If they were castrated along the way it would make a big difference. You try to fry up some old boar in your kitchen and it can almost drive you out of the house. I guess it you soaked it for a long time, brined it and whatever it could possibly become palatable, but it would be a lot of work and may or may not work well enough.
I do keep boars up to about 100 lbs., and they are just fine for eating...and the sows are good at about any size.

[Wyosmith]

"Hunting them is not regulated, but you still have to have a license to hunt."

Huh..........???

That's weird. I can't understand that at all. Is that just a "Texas thing"?
I wonder how that became law.

If you need a license to hunt hogs, but they don't fall into the category of "game to be hunted", who has the jurisdiction to enforce that law?

And what exactly is not regulated?

Obviously the shooting is to the extent you can't do it without a license.
Are there any other state that has similar regulations?

I have always lived in places that varmints were not regulated at all in any way. Game animals were and are.

For example you can kill coyotes here in any way you can. It would be legal to drop bricks on them from airplanes. You can't spotlight them on public ground, only private, but that has nothing to do with with the coyotes. It's about safety. You can't spotlight beer cans at night unless you are on private ground here.

I guess pigs are in-between in Texas?

[shootbrownelk]

Well Heck, the State has to get SOME money out of it.

[Double Naught Spy]

"Hunting them is not regulated, but you still have to have a license to hunt."

Huh..........???

That's weird. I can't understand that at all. Is that just a "Texas thing"?
I wonder how that became law.

If you need a license to hunt hogs, but they don't fall into the category of "game to be hunted", who has the jurisdiction to enforce that law?

And what exactly is not regulated?

No, it isn't a Texas thing. It is common in several states, or was, sort of like hunting exotics in most states. With that said, you don't need a license if you are depredation hunting as the landowner's agent on his/her private property. A landowner doesn't need a license for depredation hunting. Once you start harvesting meat, head/skull, or tusks, you are no longer depredation hunting, however, and need a license. If you are on a paid hunt, you are not depredation hunting and need a license.

Hunting for sport or hunting for meat is regulated. Depredation hunting as the landowner's agent or as the landowner doesn't require it.

[jmr40]

Big hogs, bear, deer, elk or any other game animal don't get big by being easy to hunt.

In GA a hunting license is needed to hunt non game species on public land. Not on private property.

[O4L]

No hunting license required in Oklahoma on private property unless it's during deer season.

[rickyrick]

You don't need a license if you own the property or you are an agent of the property owner.
A couple of ranches just put me on the payroll, but I never got paid. I just got to use the property as I wished in exchange.
I'd put out feed, fill the water up, fix fences, trim goat and sheep hooves and so on. I'd find out what needed done, head out a few hours before dark do some chores and set up to hunt. It was fun and rewarding some Of the time and everyone wins.
Doing it that way made my scent part of the furniture so to speak. Pig and coyote hunting those places was pretty easy sometimes.

[Old Stony]

These are what I consider as good eating material.

[Old Stony]

A few more eaters

[rickyrick]

Here's an old pic from long ago, I don't take many pictures. But here's tamale worthy pigs