Hey Everyone,

Looks like I have a hog hunt planned in florida for this december. It's private land and it sounds like a pretty good chance of seeing hogs. So, on to my questions.

I've been hunting deer for ten years now. And I've always butchered my own, my dads, my grandpas, my sisters. Pretty much everyones. I enjoy it, and I've done over a hundred deer. Can I butcher my own hog and get decent cuts? Is it way different than a deer? Or should I just get it processed to get good stuff made?

Also....If I should get it processed....It's a 16 hour drive from where Im hunting to where I live. COuld I skin it, pack it in ice and make the drive? And about how much does it cost to get a hog cut up and made into bacon or whatever it is they do to them.

I'm totally clueless on this subject, so ALL opinions and advice will be appreciated!
thanks!
-Jake

If you can process a deer, then you won't have any problems with a hog. I hang mine and field dress and skin. I take the shoulders, ribs, loins and tenderloins, and hams. In warm weather, I cut the skin on the back, and take the loins and hams. The hogs, coyotes and buzzards share the rest.

What do you do witht he meat? Just cook or roast it as is? Or do you smoke it or marinate it or something first? Also, how can I get bacon made??
-Jake

hi there most processing places around here wont take a wild hog because of the **** they carry like a tape worm that is hard to kill if u get it the meat is really good just make sure u cook it all the way through good luck on ur hunt and if u dont get a good hog there email me and i can hook u up

I always 'process' my own. If you've done deer, you won't have any difficulty with a hog. I just throw the carcass into an ice chest with a couple of bags of ice and bring it home. I usually cut it up the next day. I just cut the meat off the bone in chunks, then wrap it up and mark it with a description like rump roast, loin, shoulder, stew chunks, or whatever.

When I get a really big hog I'll cut the back bone in half just behind the ribs so that I can then nest the two pieces in my ice chest. If you're going 16 hours you'll probably want to stop somewhere around halfway or so and add a bit more ice, but I don't think you'll have problems.

As for cooking, you need to cook it slowly but well. The rock-bottom absolute minimum internal temperature requirement is 140°F, but to allow for variations, thermometer error, etc. go for at least 150°F. Me, I cook everything to no less than 160°F, checked with a digital meat thermometer.

Jake
What part of FL are you huntin? There are processing places around that'll do it. Or you can yourself. We smoke a lot of our bigger pieces. We had some done up in sausage last year and it goes great in dishes that normally use hamburger or sausage crumbled up. You can marinade it too if you want. It all depends on what you want really.

I will say that if you ice it to take it home, you need to check it every couple of hours. The ice won't hold too too long in the Florida heat.

It would be near...... Archer Florida I think. That's where my buddy lives, so somewhere close to there. Can you get bacon made from hog? And if so, what is that process?
-Jake