# Smoking Wild Hog



## navyvet8192 (Feb 20, 2015)

Smoked my 1st wild hog this weekend, (well at least 2 hams and a shoulder) and it was GREAT!  It was a sow about 85 - 90 lbs, and the flavor was amazing.  I have taken an oath to do everything I can to hunt and smoke wild hogs whenever I can.













Wild Hog.jpg



__ navyvet8192
__ Feb 20, 2015


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## timberjet (Feb 20, 2015)

Looks great! Do you worry about freezing for 3 weeks like they say? just curious.


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## bonzbbq (Feb 20, 2015)

Nice job, I started my smoking venture on wild hogs as a young man, harder than store bought, but if done right some of the best pork IMHO, looks good, Bonz


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## navyvet8192 (Feb 20, 2015)

I hard froze it for about a week. I thawed it in cold water, injected it, rubbed it, talked sweet to it, and smoked it 5 hours uncovered (spritzing every 90 minutes with a apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and mustard blend I use.  I then pull them and recover with a light coating of the rub, a light coating of honey (we have our own bees) and since the wild meat is much leaner than a domestic hog I quarter a stick of butter longways and dispurse it in the aluminum foil wrapped package.  1 stick per ham/shoulder is what I use.  I put them back on for @ 4 hours at @ 275 and when I pulled them the internal temp on the largest ham was 205 deg F.  I did them all as pulled pork and it melted in your mouth.  I attribute that to the sweet talking and butter.  Next time I'm going to try thick sliced peppered bacon and cut back on the butterto about 1/4 stick.  Because we all know, Bacon makes everything better!  :-)


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## navyvet8192 (Feb 20, 2015)

Thanks Bonz!


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## b-one (Feb 22, 2015)

That's some tasty looking piggy!


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## themule69 (Feb 22, 2015)

MY T FINE looking pig!

Happy smoken.

David


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## GaryHibbert (Feb 23, 2015)

Looks like you have some FINE eating there

Gary


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## pflegetragen (Feb 24, 2015)

That is gorgeous. I am a long way from trying something like that but someday I will, NEY, MUST smoke wild hog!


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## mrspooky (Feb 24, 2015)

Im just finishing up on my RF smoker and this is something that im for sure going to be doing. We just got some land and the only 3 people around says the place is crawling with them. Got a few pics of them on the trail camera..  thanks for the pics!
Spooky


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## unclebubbas bbq (Feb 24, 2015)

Very nice job, looks amazing. How does the taste compare to a domestic hog?


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## navyvet8192 (Feb 26, 2015)

Thanks all.  The taste is a little different, I'd say it has more depth and character but I won't call it gamey by any stretch of the imagination.  I will say it was some of the leanest meat I've encountered except for venison.  Keep in mind this was a @ 90 lb sow, so it was young and tender.  I've heard very bad things about older boars, but until I can punch one's ticket and give it the long ride on the pit I'm reserving judgement.  I'm always looking for places to help remove nuisance BBQ,.. I mean hogs so if anyone needs help drop me a line.  ;-)


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## whiteyball (Feb 26, 2015)

Looks awesome.  At one time we had a few wild hogs, and my buddy killed a 120lb sow the local butcher told us just to grind it all into sausage cause it wouldn't be worth eating any other way, wish I wouldn't have listened to him.  I'm wondering if I could do a deer the same way you did your hog I think your butter idea might make it great


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## one eyed jack (Feb 26, 2015)

Back in my south Florida days A good friend and his sons caught wild hogs with bulldogs, (Pit bulls), and would pen and grain them for several months.  We usually cooked them wrapped in foil over wood coals till tender.  Excellent meat!!


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## welshrarebit (Feb 26, 2015)

We have a lot of wild pigs here as well! I have hog wire all the way around my property to keep them out and my cows in...

Wild boar crown rib roast:













image.jpg



__ welshrarebit
__ Feb 26, 2015


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## gary s (Feb 26, 2015)

Nice looking smoke

Gary


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## eman (Feb 28, 2015)

If you roll a big boar over and he hasn't been cut .Bury it! If he has been cut he will be as good as any sow.


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## moikel (Feb 28, 2015)

Millions of wild pigs here especially in the tropics. Short gutted,liver ,kidneys ,heart left in,they get snap frozen & sent to Europe.Mobile chiller van will pay about $1 per kg.We get some real big boars that no sane person would eat but they get shipped same as everything else. 

I have no idea how they get the stink out of them. They eat a lot of road kill & dead anything .

If they are caught in grain country they are better.If you can get them live ,pen them,dose of wormer ,feed them up they come up well.


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## one eyed jack (Mar 1, 2015)

Moikel said:


> Millions of wild pigs here especially in the tropics. Short gutted,liver ,kidneys ,heart left in,they get snap frozen & sent to Europe.Mobile chiller van will pay about $1 per kg.We get some real big boars that no sane person would eat but they get shipped same as everything else.
> 
> I have no idea how they get the stink out of them. They eat a lot of road kill & dead anything .
> 
> If they are caught in grain country they are better.If you can get them live ,pen them,dose of wormer ,feed them up they come up well.


How do you all go about catching them Moikel?  My bud's down in South Florida use Pit Bull Dogs.  Exciting business.


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## bonzbbq (Mar 1, 2015)

eman hit it, I used to do a lot of pig hunting in central florida, actually that is how I got my start in bbq, back in the 70's, we used catch dogs, we hunted ranches and sod farms for the meat, they were glad to have us as wild pigs can do a lot of damage to a sod farm or ranch, a boar, especially a large one, would be cut and corn fed in a pen for a couple of months, as good as any pork you have ever tasted, much leaner but hard to beat IMHO.

Bonz


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## one eyed jack (Mar 1, 2015)

bonzbbq said:


> eman hit it, I used to do a lot of pig hunting in central florida, actually that is how I got my start in bbq, back in the 70's, we used catch dogs, we hunted ranches and sod farms for the meat, they were glad to have us as wild pigs can do a lot of damage to a sod farm or ranch, a boar, especially a large one, would be cut and corn fed in a pen for a couple of months, as good as any pork you have ever tasted, much leaner but hard to beat IMHO.
> 
> Bonz


Agreed.  Hard to beat flavor.


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## moikel (Mar 1, 2015)

One eyed Jack said:


> How do you all go about catching them Moikel?  My bud's down in South Florida use Pit Bull Dogs.  Exciting business.


I dont hunt because I live in the big city nowadays. When I did I was focussed on feral animals that cause so much damage here,pigs,foxes,cats,rabbits.

The guys that do hunt pigs here are a mixed bunch.There are guys with guns & dogs & then a bunch of adrenalin freaks with dogs & knives.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. Young fit men with no fear.( or sense) that run after their dogs.

You need to live somewhere out of the big city to have the dogs.They are bred to be suitable for the country & suitable to the team they are in. 

I see people that have a mixed team, finders & holders.So you might have something leggy like an Irish wolf hound cross with a bull arab to chase then a couple of big pit bull X mastiff x bull arab to do the heavy work when they catch up. There are specialist makers of neck & chest protectors for dogs ,a lot made out of the stuff they make fire hose out of or canvas. Radio collars popular as well.

In open plains country you want dogs that will jump of the back of your truck & chase. In heavy tropical country,sugar cane ,swamps you want bigger heavier dogs that crash through.

When I  am out in the country for work you see utes(pick ups) with big dogs in cages. It can be a bit of an issue between land owners & hunters.


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## moikel (Mar 1, 2015)

https://www.facebook.com/BaconBusters


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## one eyed jack (Mar 1, 2015)

Moikel said:


> I dont hunt because I live in the big city nowadays. When I did I was focussed on feral animals that cause so much damage here,pigs,foxes,cats,rabbits.
> 
> The guys that do hunt pigs here are a mixed bunch.There are guys with guns & dogs & then a bunch of adrenalin freaks with dogs & knives.
> 
> ...


Thanks a bunch for your description, and the link to the facebook page.  (Some great photos on that page).  That all sounds pretty similar to what my friends were doing in South Florida.

I am out of it too, now.  Too old,  (And wise, perhaps), to risk it.  I have some fond memories, though.

I can remember rolling in laughter as a friend described how he came to his senses, in the midst of one hog hunt, to find himself crawling along a hog trail, under a very big and thick Palmetto, flicking his "Bic lighter" to light his way and all of a sudden wondering what he was going to do if he came face to face with the hog he was following.


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## moikel (Mar 1, 2015)

Your welcome. 

If live out in those places pig hunting is what you do for fun. But its a young mans past time.

This is such a big country that the terrain & climate are so wide ranging. I couldn't chase pigs up north its just to humid. That country is inaccessible in the wet season so pig populations are off the scale.Then there are water buffalo & lets not forget crocodiles
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I would worry to much about my dogs getting hurt, although there are some pretty tough looking dogs in those photos.

They have big competition days up in some of those places in the dry season. Team events,raise $ for worthy causes like the flying doctor ,most pigs,biggest pig,ugliest dog ,best pick up.etc.  Lots of rum ,beer, country music.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





The big chiller truck is there to take the pigs on the spot.


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## welshrarebit (Mar 2, 2015)

The primary hunting dog here are German shorthairs. I have one but I don't use her to hunt...


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## moikel (Mar 2, 2015)

One eyed Jack said:


> Agreed.  Hard to beat flavor.


When you get that formula right the pork is brilliant . Best cooked without the skin IMO. Meat is darker fuller flavour. If you can catch them young out of grain country you have a head start. Of course you need to have a pen etc.
Funny thing is in Italy they are mad for wild pig products,salami,prosciutto sausage German tourists buy up big as well. Pigs eat acorns, chestnuts, grapes , I took a few Aussie pig hunting magazines with me to Norcia a famous pork town made a lot of friends in the butcher shop!


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## welshrarebit (Mar 2, 2015)

Moikel said:


> When you get that formula right the pork is brilliant . Best cooked without the skin IMO. Meat is darker fuller flavour. If you can catch them young out of grain country you have a head start. Of course you need to have a pen etc.
> Funny thing is in Italy they are mad for wild pig products,salami,prosciutto sausage German tourists buy up big as well. Pigs eat acorns, chestnuts, grapes , I took a few Aussie pig hunting magazines with me to Norcia a famous pork town made a lot of friends in the butcher shop!



At my last job we made wild boar ham and bacon. We had just set up a curing refrigerator and had some wild boar prosciutto and panchetta curing when the Japan tsunami put an end to that resort...


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## one eyed jack (Mar 2, 2015)

Moikel said:


> Your welcome.
> 
> If live out in those places pig hunting is what you do for fun. But its a young mans past time.
> 
> ...


Thanks again for further details.  I think that i would be too concerned for my dogs too.  (Never had a "working dog".  I get too attached to them).

I can imagine how rowdy, and fun, those catching event's must be.


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## one eyed jack (Mar 2, 2015)

Moikel said:


> When you get that formula right the pork is brilliant . Best cooked without the skin IMO. Meat is darker fuller flavour. If you can catch them young out of grain country you have a head start. Of course you need to have a pen etc.
> Funny thing is in Italy they are mad for wild pig products,salami,prosciutto sausage German tourists buy up big as well. Pigs eat acorns, chestnuts, grapes , I took a few Aussie pig hunting magazines with me to Norcia a famous pork town made a lot of friends in the butcher shop!


Although it's been quite a while, I do remember that dark rich color of the meat,  (And the flavor, of coarse).  In the cooks that I was involved with we did skin the meat and wrap the pieces in foil then bury them in burned down wood coals.  I didn't put two and two together all those years ago but good hardwood for smoking is fairly rare in that area of South Florida and that may have had a lot to do with the cooking method.


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## one eyed jack (Mar 2, 2015)

Welshrarebit said:


> At my last job we made wild boar ham and bacon. We had just set up a curing refrigerator and had some wild boar prosciutto and panchetta curing when the Japan tsunami put an end to that resort...


That had to be an exciting life episode.  Glad you made it through the tsunami.


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## gary s (Mar 2, 2015)

Here in East Texas we are over-run with wild hogs. Some of the guys that trap them make a pretty good living. 

Gary


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## leah elisheva (Mar 2, 2015)

How fun and fantastic! I LOVE wild boar!!! Your food looks so good! Cheers! - Leah


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## one eyed jack (Mar 2, 2015)

gary s said:


> Here in East Texas we are over-run with wild hogs. Some of the guys that trap them make a pretty good living.
> 
> Gary


Hey Gary.  I've got "Peep's" in West Texas and the Hill Country and I know for sure that you folks are over run with the buggers. I've seen a lot of videos of the helicopter hunting trips for them.   Do you folks in your area have smoking tips for the hogs?

They are a very big problem in many states and spreading every year.


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## navyvet8192 (Mar 4, 2015)

Thanks Leah!  It was a blast to smoke.


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## gary s (Mar 4, 2015)

One eyed Jack said:


> Hey Gary.  I've got "Peep's" in West Texas and the Hill Country and I know for sure that you folks are over run with the buggers. I've seen a lot of videos of the helicopter hunting trips for them.   Do you folks in your area have smoking tips for the hogs?
> 
> They are a very big problem in many states and spreading every year.


The young ones are pretty good about any way you want to fix em. Older ones most people grind into sausage

Gary


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## one eyed jack (Mar 4, 2015)

gary s said:


> The young ones are pretty good about any way you want to fix em. Older ones most people grind into sausage
> 
> Gary


Thanks Gary.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   There is some hog hunting around here.  Maybe I'd better see if I can get an invite to go.


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## dave17a (Mar 5, 2015)

eman said:


> If you roll a big boar over and he hasn't been cut .Bury it! If he has been cut he will be as good as any sow.


So individuals letem' loose? Wild  would not be cut. What the hell?


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## welshrarebit (Mar 5, 2015)

dave17a said:


> So individuals letem' loose? Wild  would not be cut. What the hell?



Guys here if they trap or catch an uncut boar will cut it and let it go for the next guy. They also cut the female a certain way which has the same effect and let them go to get fattened as well...


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## frankerector (Jan 15, 2016)

eman said:


> If you roll a big boar over and he hasn't been cut .Bury it! If he has been cut he will be as good as any sow.



What does that mean?


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## one eyed jack (Jan 16, 2016)

frankerector said:


> What does that mean?


My guess is that not many wild boars have been cut.  No guess as to the correlation with sows.

I know that I've had several uncut and they were pretty good although we didn't bury them in any part of the processing or smoking.


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## frankerector (Jan 16, 2016)

One eyed Jack said:


> My guess is that not many wild boars have been cut.  No guess as to the correlation with sows.
> 
> I know that I've had several uncut and they were pretty good although we didn't bury them in any part of the processing or smoking.  :biggrin:



That is going right over my head.  Cut like cut the balls out?

I'm at a loss.


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## one eyed jack (Jan 16, 2016)

frankerector said:


> That is going right over my head. Cut like cut the balls out?
> 
> I'm at a loss.


Yea;  That's what "cut" means.


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