From feral to food...

[Uncle Bob]

If you're any kind of squeamish about animal butchery this might not be for you. However, it is a very well done report on how destructive, and ultimately productive, the feral hog population in Texas and across the US south can be. (24) How Texas Handles Millions of Wild Boars – Incredible Food Factory Process Revealed - YouTube

[58limited]

Like I've told my friends who own land: free food! Just takes a little time.

[texastweeter]

I partake often. Probably at least 50% of our food is either hunted/fished or foraged/grown

[DavidNorcross]

Right there with you brother and work everyday to increase that percentage.

[barelfly]

Meatballs tonight!

[texastweeter]

And feral hog sausage pizza last night. barelfly

[Dewesq55]

I've always been intrigued by the idea of wild/feral pork, but have heard so many horror stories of it being nasty to eat. I really didn't know what to believe.

[58limited]

I have a copy of The Hog Book by Jesse Griffiths, a chef/hunter who uses a lot of game, especially hogs, in his restaurant. He discusses the gaminess flavor and said that while boars may have a stronger taste, the gamiest hog he ever killed was actually a big sow.

Gaminess can be minimized in preparing the meat and during cooking. You can always blend with other meat and make sausage with a gamey hog to tone down the flavor. I haven't had to do this yet.

[Johnny Booth]

I have had wild boar from a fresh kill in Fl. It has a different flavor than domestic pork and is leaner. Still quite tasty. I’ve had retail whole picnic hams that were more gamey.

I’m betting people would be surprised at some beef that is pastured raised and grass finished. Also different flavor than a grocery store USDA cut.

I’m never put off by fresh game flavors. That’s where it all started. 👍

[dpearce]

I think it really depends on the diet. Right now, I've got a grass fed/grass finished 1/3 of a cow, and so far everything has tasted fine. I have had grass fed that tasted, well, different. Years ago, a dairy farmer where I grew up said, if the cows get their heads across the fence and eat any of the wild onion that sometimes grew there, the milk would smell like onions, and he'd end up dumping it. Nothing unsafe about it, but he couldn't sell it. I assume the same thing is true of any meat

[Jerod Broussard]

I worked with a guy who is at a plant that has a contract with the state to process wild pigs.

When I was on vacation he came to our plant to fill that shift. His plant was down because one of the owners was in jail.

[klflowers]

A good friend of mine in SC hunts them with a knife. Little guy. He has a pack of dogs that corner the hog and a specially bred dog that goes in and grabs the hog's snout. Then he goes in with the knife and cuts it's throat. At least that is what i remember him telling me. I'll ask again when i talk to him. Anyway, all of his pork is from wild hogs.

[CaptainMike]

I hunted with guys who would do that, they had some cohones. The best of us at it was the little guy as well. He was fearless and had a knack for it. He tried to teach me, but I was knackless in that endeavor. Regardless, it's good dogs that make it possible.

[gcdmd]

That method is popular in Hawai'i, as well.

[Johnny Booth]

Yep. Had a badass FL redneck neighbor many years ago who used pit bulls to hunt them. Where I had my taste of wild boar. The dogs would ‘tree’ them and the owner would put a knife, or a .22 pistol behind the ear. Carried a .45 ACP for the possible black bear. 😎😬

[Oak Smoke]

I know people who do this. I think there’s a slim line between bravery and ignorance. They use a pack of dogs to corner a pig then they run in and stick this long knife behind the pigs front leg and through its heart. Each one of them is very proud of their knife, known as a pig sticker. I’ve found I get better pork when the animal isn’t running on adrenaline. A shot they never heard produces good results for me.

[CaptainMike]

Especially boars. You can smell when the neighbors are cooking old boar meat.