Bull543

Is there much difference in way a wild hog taste than store bought hog? Never tasted one ...just curious

mcraddock

Some difference. It's a lot leaner than store bought and has a little more redish color. There will be a slightly different taste, but this varies from hog to hog and greatly depends on their diet. Hogs from the coastal regions of my state tend to taste more like the brackish marshes they inhabit (not pleasant). In the piedmont where I primarily hunt, they eat more soft mass and generally taste better (acorns, muscadines, persimmons, and food plots).

As a rule of thumb, the smaller the hog, the better the meat. My opinion- Any size sow is good eating. Small boars are good up to 250 lbs. If you can smell that sewage smell when field dressing a hog, just stop and bury it.

JIMRABY

up to 250 lbs?
that is a HUGE WILD HOG.
do you mean 250 with guts still in him?
or 250 dressed out?
a 250 pound hog, after its gutted.. is a huge boar.
when we look at magazines with pictures of Hunters... and they put weights on them like 200lbs 250lbs 170lbs..
and almost all the time, the hogs in the pictures are maybe HALF that weight. (once dressed)
i have never weighed the Guts, but i would guess on a full size boar, all the insides might weight 60lbs.
I always weigh mine after they have been gutted and an MY average Boar is 140lbs but they look much bigger.
here is an example... this Big boar.. Field Dressed out.. 170 but he looks Much Heavier than that.
i would guess him at 250 With all the Guts still in him.
i see people online and magazines with hogs Smaller than this one, stating 200 - 300 pounds.

PS.. i think im going to also post this as a new post for peoples opinions.
i have always wondered about this.

Bull543

Would like to head down to SC to hunt a hog...any recommendations where to go?

mcraddock

If you're wanting to try public land, then look at the WMA's that run along the Savannah River corridor. Lake Russell has held some good luck for me. And my second choice would HellHole WMA in Sumter county, but better have waders on if you go in there.

mcraddock

That's what I call "live weight", so yes, guts intact. I think you loose an average of 50 to 70 lbs for the gut bomb.

250 lbs is a medium sized boar for us. 2 years ago I took a hog that weighed over 450 lbs with a knife. Same day my Dad shot one that tipped the truck scales at 525 lbs. Both of those were taken in the lowcountry of SC at Bostick Plantation.

Myself, my dad, and all 4 of my brothers all got hogs on that trip and none were less than 200 lbs. Took three days so thats why a few of them are already field dressed and caped.

JIMRABY

i killed this one when i was 12.. so i dont look like the Bald guy in the Picture up at the top.
this appeared to be a big boar.
his body size was just like the one i have hanging up top....
but... he only dressed out at 117

JIMRABY

this one dressed out at 160lbs