# Shoot a hog, then what?



## chevyman10709 (Jul 26, 2014)

Just discovered we have some hogs on our lease. I'm gonna kill one the first chance I get. My question is...what do I need to do after I shoot it? I've never gutted one or anything. Is it similar to gutting a deer? The pigs we have on camera are sows. That being said, do you clean a sow with milk differently than a boar? There is a local processor who will do the butchering, but is there anything special I need to do before taking it there? Thanks in advance for the info.


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## georgia_home (Jul 26, 2014)

About same as dressing a deer.

Strap it up, gut it, skin it, and your good.

Personally, I take the quarters, and break them off, get the back straps and tenderloin and am just about done. If the ribs are big enough, I use tree pruning loppers to remove from the spine.

Done. Good luck getting you some pig!


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## NCHillbilly (Jul 26, 2014)

One thing you need to do differently with a hog before skinning is to hang it up, take the water hose, and wash, wash, wash that sucker. Then skin it, gut it, and either quarter it like a deer, or saw it in two down the backbone. You want to be sure not to cut into the bladder when you're gutting it, pig pee is the nastiest stuff on earth, and it will taint the meat. A big boar can be a challenge to skin when you get to that thick shield over the chest.


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## jrsower (Jul 26, 2014)

Unless it's a big one I've developed a decent system that works for me. You can get away without gutting it if you're careful. I've butchered many on the tailgate of my truck if you only want the hams and backstraps. 

Skin the back legs and peel the skin away from the backbone. If you're careful you can get the legs off the pelvis without messing anything up. Then get the loins and you're done. Cleaner than gutting and it leaves the pig intact to throw out somewhere.


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## NCHillbilly (Jul 26, 2014)

Except that wastes about half a hog. The shoulders are the best part of a hog for making bbq, the tenderloins are the best part of a hog, period, ribs are excellent, and it all makes good sausage.


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## rhbama3 (Jul 26, 2014)

I just set the hog upright on the tailgate of the truck. Take a boxcutter and go right down the middle of his back. Then take your knife and skin down till the backstraps are exposed and then remove. 
Now lay the hog on his side and use boxcutter again to remove hide around hindquarter. Machete off the foot and then bone out the ball joint and remove hindquarter. Do the same for the front shoulder if you wish. Flip hog and repeat.
 We kill so many that i usually just stop at straps and hindquarters.


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## zaraspook04 (Jul 26, 2014)

Check out the link:
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=697523

After using this process, this is the only way I do it now, and it is very easy. Even for a novice, this process is pretty quick.

Or, you can do it the way I did it as boy when I helped my papa when we had a "hog killin." Big ole black pot of boiling water, scald, and scrape. I'd do it all by myself if I could get my papa back. Those were the days!

Be prepared...once you eat wild hog, you will not want to purchase pork from the store.

Good luck...hope you get one.


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## Okie Hog (Jul 26, 2014)

Before field dressing i hang the hog up by the hind legs and cut off the head and front feet.   Slits are made on the skin on either side of the forelegs.  Slits are made up the front and back of the hog.  The back legs and butt are skinned out and then the skin is pulled off using big skinning pliers.   Lastly the hog is gutted.   Takes me about 25 minutes to skin and field dress a hog.  

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll268/alsaqr/DSC01634.jpg


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## Killinstuff (Jul 26, 2014)

Why anyone would want to drag a hog out of the woods is beyond me. Bone it out where it lays in 10 minutes and drop it in your pack. And why a "processor"?   You got knives right and plastic bags? Cut the dang thing up, can it, bbq it, smoke it, eat it up. Gone in a few days.


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## Milkman (Jul 26, 2014)

chevyman10709 said:


> Just discovered we have some hogs on our lease. I'm gonna kill one the first chance I get. My question is...what do I need to do after I shoot it? I've never gutted one or anything. Is it similar to gutting a deer? The pigs we have on camera are sows. That being said, do you clean a sow with milk differently than a boar? There is a local processor who will do the butchering, but is there anything special I need to do before taking it there? Thanks in advance for the info.



Lots of good information shared above.

How "local" is the processor.   If you can get the pig to the processor within an hour or two don't worry with doing anything.  Let them do it.  Only about $10 more.


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## rhbama3 (Jul 26, 2014)

Killinstuff said:


> Why anyone would want to drag a hog out of the woods is beyond me. Bone it out where it lays in 10 minutes and drop it in your pack. And why a "processor"?   You got knives right and plastic bags? Cut the dang thing up, can it, bbq it, smoke it, eat it up. Gone in a few days.



Just guessing here, but i'd guess the OP wants some sausage made. Thats the only time i take mine to a processor too.

The only other thing i would suggest to the OP would be( with these 90+ degree temps) to gut the hog and throw two bags of ice in the cavity as soon as possible.


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## chevyman10709 (Jul 26, 2014)

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Several different techniques and they all sound fairly easy. I mainly posted this because someone had once told me to hang a hog up and cut a hole in it to let the blood drain. I didn't know how true that was so I posted here to see what you guys had to say. I will be taking it to a processor about 25 minutes from my lease. That's the closest one to me that deals with wild hogs. They just said it will have to be gutted when I bring it, which won't be a problem. Yes, as someone stated, I will be wanting some sausage made, that's one of the reasons I wanna take it to a processor. Maybe after I get one in the freezer I will try butchering the next one.


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## Okie Hog (Jul 26, 2014)

> I mainly posted this because someone had once told me to hang a hog up and cut a hole in it to let the blood drain.



Cut the hogs throat ASAP and let it bleed out.  It's best to hang the hog before cutting its throat.    

Since late September last year we have trapped and shot over 200 wild hogs.  Most were given away field dressed.  About 30 were skinned for friends and ourselves. 

It's hot now.  At 80 degrees F. a hog will begin to spoil after  3-4 hours.   I've seen guys kill a hog in 100 degree heat, carry it around in the truck all day without even field dressing the animal and then complain about "strong tasting" hog meat.


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## Todd E (Jul 26, 2014)

Here is another vid you can watch that gives more perspective on removing meat from a hog, in the woods, without gutting it. 

Products are cool , but expensive



http://www.raptorazor.com/view2.php?id=3#a


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## Killinstuff (Jul 26, 2014)

As for sausage, you need a few hogs for that most times unless you get a big one. I've only killed 5 or so over 125# but a bunch 35# to 100.  I save up a few bags of meat, hog, bear, deer and then take it t the butcher in town that makes the best sausage.  But that's just me.


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## bigelow (Jul 28, 2014)

I agree with nch. Shoulders are great.


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## frankwright (Jul 28, 2014)

Todd E said:


> Here is another vid you can watch that gives more perspective on removing meat from a hog, in the woods, without gutting it.
> 
> Products are cool , but expensive
> 
> ...


That is a great way to do a hog in my opinion. You don't need those special tools though, a good knife and if you want to get fancy and make it a little quicker get one of those roofers blades for your box cutter.


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## Ytka (Jul 28, 2014)

If you get a boar, don't mess up and cut into the external urine bladder in front of his pecker. I think they use it for marking, but I'm not sure. I cut a diamond shape starting about 2" back from the front of it going out a couple inches then back in to meet about 6" in front of it. When I skin that part, I cut the skin away as close to the muscle as I can. Sometimes I just cut the muscle there too to be safe if it's really full.

ETA: For all of you that just take the loins and hams. What about the tenderloins? You're leaving the best cut of meat on the whole hog.


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## Troy Butler (Jul 29, 2014)

Ytka said:


> If you get a boar, don't mess up and cut into the external urine bladder in front of his pecker. I think they use it for marking, but I'm not sure. I cut a diamond shape starting about 2" back from the front of it going out a couple inches then back in to meet about 6" in front of it. When I skin that part, I cut the skin away as close to the muscle as I can. Sometimes I just cut the muscle there too to be safe if it's really full.
> 
> ETA: For all of you that just take the loins and hams. What about the tenderloins? You're leaving the best cut of meat on the whole hog.





Listen to this man if you cut that bladder you may as well trash the hog. We have killed boars that weight on scale 250 lb and they have ate good. But skin him as above and you will be ok.


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## harryrichdawg (Jul 29, 2014)

I wish I could kill and/or be given a couple of hogs this season.  I've killed one and a club member killed another in the past few seasons.  Both were 75-90 lbs and DELICIOUS.  I skinned and butchered both just like deer; skin, quarter, straps, loins, trim the rest, leave the guts in the chest cavity.


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## shakey gizzard (Jul 29, 2014)

Read this!     http://www.cdc.gov/features/HuntersBrucellosis/


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## grif (Jul 29, 2014)

Chunk it in the bushes.  The coyotes and buzzards will make it disappear.


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## Hunting 4 Him (Aug 5, 2014)

I'm no expert by no means but I have cut up several using nothing more than a case trapper.  Even when cutting off the legs.  Just cut through the knee joint it leaves no sharp bones to worry about or to punch through your plastic bag while packing them out.  Just leave the hide, guts, head and most of the skeletal bones where you shot him.


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## gaqdmhunter (Aug 5, 2014)

On boar hogs make sure to get the scent glands out of the fat if you grind or take to a processor.  Will make for some nasty tasting sausage!  Check the groins, inside front legs, neck, etc.  They look like big purple / black looking balls.


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