Javelina Hunt

[bohunter3]

Im going on my first javelina hunt in Jan. Over in AZ. Anyway, If the Planets all aline and I get lucky, I have a question. How does everyone prepare the meat for the butcher? I was thinking of quartering it, then putting it in my cooler. Problem is, I have never had to quarter anything. Can anyone out there give me some directions how to quarter one? Such as, where do you cut the back bone, close to the hips or more toward the front? what do you use to cut the chest and the length of the back bone?

 

[rhaney]

Hi bohunter3, congrats on the tag, those pigs are pretty small once you get the hide and head off. If you have a decent sized cooler you can get the whole thing in there pretty easy. Now when I take them to the butcher if they are de-boned its usually cheaper to get them done so that would be somthing you could do. To quarter I usually just disconnect the rear leg from the pelvic socket, if you work your knife in there it comes apart pretty easy. The front legs pretty much just are held by muscle tissue, good luck.

 

[jmbn]

Rhaney's post is right on; I might add that I lay the pig on its side, cut around and break off the hocks, then skin up the inside of the legs much like i do a deer, and skin the side clear up to the backbone. After cutting off the quarters on the side, fillet off the backstraps and neck, flip the pig over and do the same to the other side. There is not enough rib meat to bother with in my opinion. Keep your knife out of the gland on the outside of the hide in front of the tail.

If this is your first pig and you want to mount it, it would probably be easier to just gut it and then skin it from a mesquite, where you can do a better job.

What zone are you hunting? I hunt nearly every year in 34A and have been hunting there and 36C for more than 30 years. Love that country, also for AZ whitetails! Good luck to you.

Watch the bladder when cutting off the hams!

jmbn

 

[PAnative]

bohunter, here's a good site for javelina - http://www.javelinahunter.com/
I've hunted them in AZ going on 20 or so years. Lots of fun. Makes for good chili in a crockpot. Keep the meat clean while skinning, the hide really smells and you'll transfer the smell with your hands if you're not careful. We'll be in 20C for the 1st HAM season in Feb.
good luck

 

[huntducks]

By the time your done loping off the head and skinning you will have 20lbs of meat cut it up yourself don't bother with a butcher or BBQ it whole in the ground.

 

[arizona hunter]

Congratulations. Hope you get one, but mostly I hope you enjoy the desert and have fun.

I also hunt 34 A; After field dressing it, and getting back to camp I always hang it in a mequite tree and skin it from there. Since it is not a very large animal you'll figure out real quick how to remove the quarters.

For cooking, I'm a big fan of the crock pot. I put a 1/4 or two in a large crock with water and let it cook about 6-8 hours. At this time you will be able to pull the bone out. Then let it cool a bit and if you like you can pull the meat apart (shredded). Then start adding beans, onion, tomato, green chili sauce etc for a great chili-oh, and I always add BROWN SUGAR, my wife calls it the secret ingredient.

If you prefer burger, just shred the meat and freeze it about 1/2 way, it will grind very well then.

 

[SDhunter2]

Hey guys I'm going on my first javelina hunt also in 34A.
I found some entry points near Tumacacori and Amado.
Josephine Canyon area and south. Also I hear east of Sahaurita
is good. Any insight would be appreciated.

Also I hear it is better to skin out the critter and make sure you don't touch the glands with you hands and knife.