# wild pigs



## mothernature (Aug 22, 2010)

We are overrun here in north Texas!! The state is actually telling people to shoot as many as possible to try to contol the population. A lot of people eat them, but the state says not to because of disease. It's amazing to ee all the color varieties, some look more "hoggish", while some are pretty pigs! Anyone else have trouble with these? What do you think about eating them?


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Whomever from the "state" says don't eat cause of disease is wrong. Yes they do carry some stuff but if you handle the animal properly after killing, there is NO worry. I kill AND eat them year round and have had NO problems with health. They make great ham roasts on the smoker or all ground up for seasoned sausage. Have even got the smaller ones and cut them up & chicken fried them in quarters. The loins are great cut up, tenderized and chicken fried. There are a million ways to eat them and YES we have a BIG problem with them also in my part of Texas. Im in the Heartland area, between Abilene and Brownwood. So there is NOTHING wrong with eating them, as long as you properly take care of the meat once you shoot it. Some pigs yes have that wild piggy musky smell (mainly a older, bigger boar) those get tossed. It's not like there won't be more lol.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

What diseases is the state warning about? That would affect how I felt about eating them. 

Up here we don't have wild pigs, we do supposedly have a small population of feral pigs and we're encouraged to shoot the on sight, regardless of time of year.


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## mothernature (Aug 22, 2010)

On the news "officials" (who IS "the state", and who are "the officials" anyway?) say samonilla, I have eaten them, no problems either. It seems like a waste to shoot them and not use the meat!! Thankfully it seems like a lot of people do eat them, the processing plant are always full of them!! We have always had a lot pigs around, guess they are finally causing problems in the non-rural areas.


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## ninny (Dec 12, 2005)

The only part of the state that isn't having a problem is in West Tx., Terlingua area. I'm sure there are some there but not like the rest of the state. I posted a video a while back of hog hunters shooting them from a helicopter. They're definitely a problem. My son, who lives in San Antonio, said the hogs are coming into peoples yards that live in town and tearing up their lawns, his boss for example. They're definitely a nuisance. 
I wouldn't worry about eating them, just make sure they're cooked right. I don't think you have any bigger risk eating them than you would deer with CWD or cows with mad cow or chickens/eggs with salmonella. 

Here's the video of hog hunting here in Nueces county from a helicopter.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiHmYsyVniE[/ame]

.


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## Swamp_walker (Sep 30, 2010)

As long as the meat is cooked good, i wouldnt worry about disease. We shoot them on sight as well as trap them. I have an animal damage control buisness so i usually have freezers full of meat and keep everyone i know stocked as well. I use to donate alot of meat to the homeless shelters but now it has to be processed to donate it....and processing isnt cheap! I still pay to have a few processed and donated around christmas but the rest goes in the bone yard as i cant afford to donate it anymore.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I would think the groups that work with shelters would be eager to know that forcing the person donating to pay for the processing is a barrier to getting the meat to the people that need it.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

We too have a wild hog problem in S.Al,there is no closed season-it's 24/7.The destruction they can do overnight to a farmers field is incredible.Local processors won't handle them because of fed regs concerning pork,too much paperwork/inspections.Farmer up the road trapped some and is feeding them grain to fatten them up.Now that it's getting colder,I'll shoot'em and hang them and process them myself..


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Salmonella????

And are they saying dont eat chicken?

Feral/wild hogs/pigs, whichever you choose to call them are very good eating! 

I slice the tender loin into rounds and chicken fry it and make pan gravy. Am getting hungry just thinking about it.

The bellies make good bacon and the legs make great ham and you can just slow cook any part of it with some water or stock and its meltingly tender in 4 or 5 hours.

My local wild life management area doesnt allow hunting in the summer so cant wait for it to open. Only 2 days and 17 hours left till I can go hunting again :nanner:


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