Wild Hog Smoking?

[BobbyQ]

Tex is right on regarding the brining. It will add moisture and flavor and tenderness. My recommendation would be to change out the brine every 2 days. This will serve to dump the nasty hog flavor that has seeped into the brine.
You wouldn't take a daily bath in the same old water for a week, would you?

1/2 cup picking salt in 2 gallons water in a SS cauldron.

[rus_bro]

So maybe the guy i got the pig from wasnt AS suspect as i thought. The meat was soaking in water for 2 days before i got my hands on it. He had been replenishing the ice to keep the water fresh. And there was almost no smell to the meat when i was bagging it up for the freezer.

Im actually getting pretty excited to try it. Hopefully next weekend it will make it to the smoker.

Thanks guys, this has been a huge help.

rb

[OldUsedParts]

I've kept game a long time in the cooler it came from the Deer Lease in and all we had to do was keep the bloody water drained and fresh ice on top. Good Luck

[BobbyQ]

Wore Out Parts knows what he/she is doing!

I keep skinned, dressed, quartered venison in a converted upright freezer at 30 degrees for 10 days before processing into steaks etc. Very tender. Would work well with wild pigs. I am very meticulous regarding skinning/field dressing not allowing any gut content or hair to get onto the meat. Immediately after the deer is skinned/field dressed/quartered the meat is immersed in ice in Igloo beer cooler allowing immediate lowering of internal temp. of meat. Into the the covered plastic crates from Wally-World next day after meat reaches real cold in the ice. Unfortunately some of the younger axis deer I process in that manner is actually too tender; sub-al dente. For you folks from Rio Linda sub-al dente is pasta that has been cooked to almost mush.

[OldUsedParts]

Bobby-Q, that would be HE or at least the last time I looked it was 10-4 on proper "field" dressing. When I first started Deer/Hunting some of the old timers told me to get those musk glands off as soon as I could - - - - weeeeeeell, it didn't take long for some one that KNEW to crawl me like a short ladder and convince me that the less you messed with the stinky stuff the less that would be on your hands, gloves, clothes and eventually the meat - - - BOING We even started not field dressing and just hanging skinning, quartering and in the cooler. When we hauled the carcass off all of the entrails, glands and etc were still attached to the thrown away part and untouched. We did bone the neck roast off but sacrificed the inside small tenderloins, heart and liver which I can live without in order to have "prime" Venison.

OK, I'll S'hup Now

[BobbyQ]

I agree with OUP. Forget the stupid scent glands.

For me, head or high neck shots only so as not to disturb the guts and tear up meat.
My process of "Field Dressing" is somewhat different than most beginning with slitting the deer's throat a minute or less post-kill to bleed out the animal. Remember, the heart will continue to pump for several minutes until it runs out of blood to feed its own blood supply. When out of blood to pump the heart will cease functioning. Bleeding out the animal precludes a lot of mess during the subsequent processing. Back to the barn in a few minutes where the deer is placed onto its back in a U or V-shaped cradle, or manger, on legs. Deceased animal is at belly-button height for ease of processing. Skinning process is initiated with your common razor sharp 4 1/4" Case or Boker "Trapper" pocket knife. No need for long blade hackers throughout my process; too much blade simply renders the knife clumsy. Incise the skin circumferentially around the forearm and hock then longitudinally to the center-line of the belly of the deer. Cut just under the skin, cut no muscle tissue. Anus surgically released from colon with the Boker. Incise the skin from the anus to the top of the throat then begin the skinning process. You can get most of the skinning done here save for what remains attached to the back side of the animal. Gambrel then placed between hind legs then deer hoisted skyward with electric hoist assist. Place huge bucket under the head of dangling deer. Skinning process completed by pulling what is still attached toward floor. Leave skin attached to the head. Virtually no hair on skin. Front of chest opened by sawing thru entire length of sternum with saw. Carefully enter the abdomenal cavity from anus to sternum with Boker caring not to cut into entrails. Working from the far aft the entrails are surgically released from the abdomenal wall all falling downward into a bucket. Sever head and guts from rest of carcass. Rinse cavity, remove tenders, backstrap, quarter, each piece going under ice in 70 qt. Igloo. Sever neck. I leave the neck intact save for bisecting in half transversely. Great for braising with taters, cairts, turnips & onions in the usual pot roast fashion. Don't forget the home made biscuits. Larupin.

Time from entering blind to the kill- probably 1-2 beers. Time From slitting throat to closing the door on the filled Igloo- 1-2 more beers. That leaves plenty beers to consume while exchanging huntin'/fishin lies with anyone who will listen to ya.

[rus_bro]

I agree with OUP. Forget the stupid scent glands.

For me, head or high neck shots only so as not to disturb the guts and tear up meat.
My process of "Field Dressing" is somewhat different than most beginning with slitting the deer's throat a minute or less post-kill to bleed out the animal. Remember, the heart will continue to pump for several minutes until it runs out of blood to feed its own blood supply. When out of blood to pump the heart will cease functioning. Bleeding out the animal precludes a lot of mess during the subsequent processing. Back to the barn in a few minutes where the deer is placed onto its back in a U or V-shaped cradle, or manger, on legs. Deceased animal is at belly-button height for ease of processing. Skinning process is initiated with your common razor sharp 4 1/4" Case or Boker "Trapper" pocket knife. No need for long blade hackers throughout my process; too much blade simply renders the knife clumsy. Incise the skin circumferentially around the forearm and hock then longitudinally to the center-line of the belly of the deer. Cut just under the skin, cut no muscle tissue. Anus surgically released from colon with the Boker. Incise the skin from the anus to the top of the throat then begin the skinning process. You can get most of the skinning done here save for what remains attached to the back side of the animal. Gambrel then placed between hind legs then deer hoisted skyward with electric hoist assist. Place huge bucket under the head of dangling deer. Skinning process completed by pulling what is still attached toward floor. Leave skin attached to the head. Virtually no hair on skin. Front of chest opened by sawing thru entire length of sternum with saw. Carefully enter the abdomenal cavity from anus to sternum with Boker caring not to cut into entrails. Working from the far aft the entrails are surgically released from the abdomenal wall all falling downward into a bucket. Sever head and guts from rest of carcass. Rinse cavity, remove tenders, backstrap, quarter, each piece going under ice in 70 qt. Igloo. Sever neck. I leave the neck intact save for bisecting in half transversely. Great for braising with taters, cairts, turnips & onions in the usual pot roast fashion. Don't forget the home made biscuits. Larupin.

Time from entering blind to the kill- probably 1-2 beers. Time From slitting throat to closing the door on the filled Igloo- 1-2 more beers. That leaves plenty beers to consume while exchanging huntin'/fishin lies with anyone who will listen to ya.

WOW.... no more needs to be said.

rb

[OldUsedParts]

Only one more thing, if I may

Skinning process is initiated with your common razor sharp 4 1/4" Case or Boker "Trapper" pocket knife. INSERT Shrade Old Timer Folding Two Blade Knife with Scabbord

Good processing technique there for sure BUT you left out one important thing and I have inserted it in your quote above.

[BobbyQ]

The Shrade line of knives are certainly fine. Still made in USA. The steel comes from China, though. Their warranty- You break it, we'll fix it.
I've popped the tip off my Scrimshawed Golden bear Lockback twice, sent it to the factory that replaced the blade, no questions-no charge.

Wikipedia has a nice discourse on the history of Shrade knives.

Chilling down my home made Alaska Amber clone. Axis hunt this afternoon.

[OldUsedParts]

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