High adventure on the Big Island

[daddy63]

Nice pig doc. As much as I would like the opportunity of having that many pigs on my land, i know it's a hassle for you. good luck thinning them out.

I'm curious what your solution of water and baking soda in the cooler does?

Thanks

 

[doccherry]

To answer a couple of your questions:

Pig alarm---It's also called the Driveway Alert or some nonsense like that. The sensor is about the size of a beer can and has an infrared sensor that runs on batteries. When something crosses within the scope of the infrared beam, the sensor sends a signal to a second device which I keep in my kitchen. It makes a weird alarm sound. It is sometimes cattle, sometimes a feral cat, very often vegetation blowing in the breeze, and sometimes a mongoose. But at night, between 10PM and 5AM, it is either cattle or pigs. With the pigs, it will usually go off 3 or 4 times within one minute. I stumble out of bed, put on my shoes, grab the crossbow, and walk quietly up to the lava rock wall that forms the boundary of our property. If pigs are there, I can usually here them, and often barely see them, in the dark. I cock the crossbow, turn on the red dot sight, aim, and press the flashlight pressure switch. Sometimes the pigs just stand there and sometimes they take off. If I have a shot, I take it.

Sometimes I get so fed up that I just throw rocks at them. If I kill a pig, I need to drag it about 300 yards through really tough terrain [elephant/guinea grass and lava rocks] and that's a bitch. So, I just throw my hands up in disgust and throw rocks at them.

But, thinking back on CA and how it took me an average of 5 trips [14 hour roundtrip drive] to Wilderness Unlimited property to get one pig, I still find this hunting to be thrilling. After the shot, my hands still shake a little and I feel the adrenaline rush. You'd think by now I'd be over that.

The baking soda/ice water dramatically removes the gamey taste and tenderizes the meat. I also toss in about 1/4 cup of salt which also removes gaminess. The difference is amazing and I suggest you try it with gamey meat to see if it works for you.

 

[EvBouret]

I tried that out on that sheep we got after you told me about it. Im amazed how good it works, no gamey taste at all and sooo tender. We used to have one of those sensors on my driveway.

 

[deadducks]

Great job,

How big of a ice chest and how much baking soda to water do you use? It snice to hear that the game wardens let you do what is necassary to take care of your own property.

Dan

 

[doccherry]

deadducks:



I only take about 25 pounds of meat from a 150 pound pig. I remove the backstraps and bone out the hams. If it's a really fat pig, I may bone out the shoulders. To CA hog hunters, this may seem like a waste of meat, but these pigs are vermin here. I shoot so many of them that I just take the best cuts.

All this boned meat only occupies the space of about 3 shoe boxes, so you don't need a large cooler. I mix 1 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of salt, and enough water to completely cover the meat in a medium-sized cooler. Then I toss in about 8 pieces of Blue Ice. Then I put it in a shady place and let it sit for about 36 hours.

You can buy cheap baking soda at Costco.

I cooked a backstrap last night. I put it in a crockpot, chunked into pieces the size of lemons, and mixed in 2 tablespoons of Hawaiian salt and a tablespoon of liquid smoke. This morning, the pieces of meat were tender and smoky. Man, that's good stuff.

No pigs last night. I found my pig alarm lying on the ground. Pigs must have knocked it off.

Aloha

 

[EvBouret]

mmmm, thats the lazy man's kalua pork. I make my pork like that pretty much every single time. Try shred it and mix with bbq sauce then put on a nice bread roll. Best pulled pork ever!!!

 

[Huntr Pat]

Making me hungry1

 

[Nic Barca]

I haven't checked this bored for a while. First thing's first: DocCherry-stories! Doc, me and Evan will have to come visit you some time.

Muggs, we're talking about pig numbers unprecedented in the history of Hawaii and there's a few factors that lead to it being that way, including fear of lawsuits in a sue-happy society, landlocking, shifting land holdings, the demise of sugar farms, the rise of diversified agriculture, reduced numbers of hunters, and a pig population that just got out of hand and needs culling. We play by the rules in the public hunting areas but when it comes to protecting property, we fight dirty and it's accepted as okay even though the hunting rules might not allow it.

 

[Uncle Ji]

Interesting... When I lived Maui I used to hunt my friends property WAY out in the boonies in Kaupo on the southeast coast of Maui. My friend lives out in the boonies 2 hours from the nearest enforcement office but he was always afraid to even shine light at game at night on his own 120 acres with surrounding wilderness. Another friend who owns land another 10 minutes away but lives in town had 2 night time hunters busted trespassing on his land and both were arrested and got a year of jail time and confiscation of all equipment. Again this is in the boonies with hardly any neighbors, and all neighbors being old time locals. I guess enforcement varies from island to island. If pigs, Axis deer, or goats were in my yard I'd pop um with a crossbow, they overrun and overtax the ecosystem wherever they occur in the islands, Maui has no closed season or bag limits on Axis deer.

 

[Uncle Ji]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doccherry @ Aug 19 2008, 05:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

The baking soda/ice water dramatically removes the gamey taste and tenderizes the meat. I also toss in about 1/4 cup of salt which also removes gaminess. The difference is amazing and I suggest you try it with gamey meat to see if it works for you.[/b]

Hey Doc, have you noticed any difference in flavor the Laupahoe/Piha pigs versus the Kona pigs? I had pretty much open access to hunt the old Greenwell Ranch behind Kona Waena High School but mainly hunted birds, and sheep there the pigs tasty quite gamey compared to the Laupahoehoe/Piha pigs which were always tasty tender and never game, worth the 2.5 hour drive each way. Just wondering if you found the same thing. Also on Maui I had big pigs just 10 minutes up the mountain from my house but they were pretty gamey and covered with ticks so I preferred driving 1.5 hours to Kaupo, the pigs there being much more tender, tasty, and fatty (made bacon from belly). I think the high fruit diet and close proximity of food source made both the Laupahoehoe and Kaupo pigs much palate pleasing.

 

[EvBouret]

Laupahoehoe pork is the best wild pig I've ever eaten. I only have experience with a 180lb boar too.

 

[sancho]

wow thank you for the perspective. i thought it was always fun and games. i was borderline jealous that you had so many chances so close to home. i would hate to have property always in danger. would a pig fence work? i see them around some bay area farms.

i was on a very long flight with my lovely wife this morning. (just got home actually) i may have her convinced of an island visit. we would go in a big group, and she would allow me steal away for some hunting. (any young single guys? her friends are cute). when it gets closer, i will email you locals..

great story, thanks.

 

[Uncle Ji]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (sancho @ Aug 24 2008, 06:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

i was on a very long flight with my lovely wife this morning. (just got home actually) i may have her convinced of an island visit. we would go in a big group, and she would allow me steal away for some hunting. (any young single guys? her friends are cute).[/b]

C'mon Ev & Nic, step up to bat for a noble cause.

 

[el_vaquero]

Awesome stuff doc....sorry to hear about the injury. Glad it's not slowing you down too much.

Thanks for the tip on soaking the meat...I'll have to give it a try if I ever get a chance to get out and hunt this year.