Fresh Wild Hog Shoulders (and I do mean fresh)


 
T

Thad

New member
What else do you expect us to do in Arkansas but kill wild hogs? Actually, my brother-in-law killed a wild hog yesterday morning and I had both shoulders cleaned, salted, rubbed and wrapped by about 5pm. From what I understand it's a pretty dangerous hunt, but they are a nuisance to the wildlife here and the Game and Fish Commission is begging folks to help control the population.

Anyway, it was a younger wild hog (only 100lbs or so) and the whole shoulders were not very big. One was about 4lbs and the other was 5.5lbs.

Upon first look, they also appear leaner than farm-raised, store bought pigs (not LEAN, but leaner), which would be expected, so I was a little unsure how they would do, but I'm going forward with the experiement nonetheless.

Here are a few progress pics and I'll post later when they are done and see how they turned out.


Fresh wild hog shoulder within hours of the kill, complete with a little wild hog hair.



Both shoulders cleaned. One with the visual evidence of the kill shot.



Both shoulders rubbed and ready for action.



About 3 hours in and tracking nicely.



Stay tuned.
 
100 lb is a great size for cooking. We don't tend to cook boars any bigger but will cook sows bigger.
Although it's safe to cook domestic pig to less than 165F it's NOT SAFE to cook any part of wild hog to less than 165F
 
Too many wild hogs here too!

Restrictions eased to slow pig explosion
BOBBY CLEVELAND • BCLEVELAND@CLARIONLEDGER.COM • OCTOBER 31, 2010


Joe Mac Hudspeth Jr./Special to The C-L
Destructive, mean and very prolific, wild pigs are expanding throughout Mississippi.
Realistically, it is impossible to eliminate the wild pig, the most destructive and probably most prolific animal in Mississippi.

That said, wildlife officials are hoping they can control, or at least slow, the spread of hogs by loosening hunting restrictions.

Under new regulations passed this summer by the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, landowners and sportsmen can now shoot pigs with any caliber rifle or other weapon at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year. The only no-no is that it is still illegal to bait them with scattered grain (baiting traps is legal).

Prior to the change, pigs could only be hunted with firearms that were legal for other game during open seasons, basically limiting pig harvest to open deer seasons. The public has long requested a relaxing of firearm restriction, both for sport hunting and reducing agricultural depredation.

Larry Castle, the former chief of wildlife and now the acting director of wildlife, fisheries, enforcement and Museum of Natural Science, said the agency was hesitant to make the change since it could open the door to taking deer out of season.

"That was a concern, and let me say that if anyone takes a deer, we will be out there trying to catch them," Castle said. "But we need to open the door to more pig harvest. We need to allow hunters and farmers to take them when they can because each pig gone, it's a good one gone.

"We got farmers and landowners wanting to get rid of pigs and we got hunters wanting to kill pigs. One thing we need to do is create a network to put them together. It is something we need to look at."


PIG MATH ADDS UP TO TROUBLE
Pig math is frightening.

Pigs are an extremely prolific species and Mississippi provides perfect habitat for growth.

A sow can be bred the first time before it is a half-year old. Sows have two litters a year, and mature sows can birth as may as 8, 10 or 12.

"Reproductively speaking, pigs can put rabbits to shame," Castle said. "Plus, they have an amazing survival rate, one of the best in nature.

"The population is exponentially exploding across the entire state. Their natural habitat is river basins and watersheds, and we've got that from end of the state to the other.They are using our networks of streams to spread. and they are expanding rapidly."

Pigs expand to find ideal feeding grounds bordered by perfect cover. We've got that, too, with a combination of CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) lands adjacent to grain fields.

It is a prescription, Castle said, "for depredation."

Call Bobby Cleveland at (601) 961-7225.
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How did they compare to store bought? I have been having wild ones within bow range in my backyard this year.
 
Hey Thad I thought Razorbacks erew a protected species in Arknasas. Will be in Little Rock on Nov. 27th for a hog hunt when the Tigers come calling.
 
Sorry for the delay. Got caught up in Trick or Treating last night. The shoulders came out great. Leaner than store bought (obviously) and therefore a little tougher around the edges and the leg bone, but the meat in the middle was very moist and tasty. Maybe a hint of a little gamey aftertaste, but nothing offputting. Very tasty and the best part was it was FREE.

Proof that temp is only a guide: I never got them all the way up to near 200 like I ususally do store bought butts. I topped out around 140 (just kidding). More like 180, before taking them off and wrapping and resting. When ready to eat the middle was fork tender.
 
A couple of pics of the finished product:

From wild to done in about 36 hours.
004gc.jpg


Probably should have wrapped the leg in foil somewhere in the process.
003sw.jpg


Oh wait, what do we have here?
001mva.jpg


Why it's my Pepper Stout Beef from the lower rack.
007fa.jpg


FYI, I didn't put the chuck roast on until well after the wild hog shoulders were underway. That chuck roast was a stubborn son of a ____. I had planned on eating it for dinner, but it took a LONG time to get tender. I think it was a bit big. But very tasty.
 
We don't have much of a pig problem in ny. What exactly is the problem, are they dangerous to humans or other animals? Or are they hard on the environment?

It sounds like an ideal environment for a wsm...leave a trail of pig food leading up to your smoker, close the top over the pig once it climbs into the smoker, 24 hours later....
 
Jeff,

They destroy everything. They can trash your property in no time. Also they will attack you if they feel threatened. I have several friends with large acreage and all of them say shoot on sight.

Thad,

Looks great!

I cooked up some pepper stout beef this past weekend and it was great. I too ran out of time and didn't get it quite as tender as I would have liked.

My first issue was I put it on at 2:30, not 1:30 like I had planned. Part of that hour delay was a hangover, part of it was I could not find the charcoal in the garage at a friends house. I did mine on a kettle for 2 hours till 165. I moved it to the oven for the braise portion. Great recipe and would love to try it again under better coniditions.
 
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