Sow & young boar

[RLL]

I trapped this sow (about 125 lbs) and this young boar (about 110 lbs) on Sunday. Had a nice bbq boar ... about 80 lbs in another trap.

 

[Lurediver]

What do you do with them?

 

[RLL]

I put them in a holding pen (I think there are 15 or 16 in there now) ... and harvest them. I keep my freezer full of pork chops, ham steaks, etc. I make summer sausage in 25lb batches ... and give lots of it away. It doesn't last long. The rest I give to virtually anyone who wants one ... always trying to feed families in need. I also send some fresh hams to the fire dept.

 

[Lurediver]

Cool, post some pics of your holding pen.

 

[ozstriker22]

THAT'S SAA-WWEEEEET. I know someone who's in need of some summer sausage...

 

[rwlittle]

those are some healthy looking pigs!!! You are a good man RLL for giving to families in need.

 

[DEERSLAM]

Lots of good eatin there

 

[RLL]

QUOTE (Lurediver @ Dec 11 2006, 05:51 PM) http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=790669

Cool, post some pics of your holding pen.

I don't have recent pics, but here is one from this summer. It is on a piece of heavily wooded piece of property with cows but no one lives there. We have it with shelter, water, and hog feeders (they can eat all they want) and we divided it into two sections. In one section we keep the pigs we are fattening up for ourselves. In the other section we put the new wild pigs that we give away. The panels just pin together ... are easy to move ... so we can reconfigure the holding pen and keep it from getting nasty. The holding pen is really convenient. If I have hogs in my traps, I load them up, drive to the holding pen and drop them off ... and can be at work by 9 or 10am.

This is a pic of a harvest party we had last spring. The holding pen is in the background. We harvested 16 hogs and gave them all away. Way, way too much work. I find it harder than you would think. Food shelters won't take the meat because they require UPC labels ... and all the wild hogs I trap seem to have left theirs at home. Most folks want the meat but don't know how to skin and clean them. Or ... if I skin and gut the hog and give them the carcuss (in an ince chest) they tend not to know what to do with it.

 

[Speckmisser]

RLL, don't they have a Hunters for the Hungry in Texas? I know they're not active is some states due to health codes (took forever to get them into NC), but I was pretty sure they were in your area.

 

[RLL]

QUOTE (Speckmisser @ Dec 12 2006, 07:22 AM)

RLL, don't they have a Hunters for the Hungry in Texas? I know they're not active is some states due to health codes (took forever to get them into NC), but I was pretty sure they were in your area.

Yes, we have Hunters for the Hungry in Houston. I have donated to them. And they will take quartered meat. BUT ... they are on the east side of Houston (I am on the west side and Houston is a sprawling city) ... about 30+ miles from me ... and requires traveling on I-10 through some of our toughest traffic. With good traffic ... a 40 minute drive ... with bad traffic ... a couple of hours either direction. Not a drive I ever enjoy and one I always try to avoid. It's quite a hassle, so I try to find families closer to home.

 

[Lan-Lord]

cool pics and details RLL. What product is that hanging on the edge of the hog trap? A little liquid romance?

 

[Speckmisser]

QUOTE

Not a drive I ever enjoy and one I always try to avoid. It's quite a hassle, so I try to find families closer to home.

You would think for that much quality meat, they'd be willing to work with you on the delivery. But they don't have a ton of funding, so maybe not.

Anyway, cool pix and interesting stories. Thanks!

 

[dhall61]

QUOTE (RLL @ Dec 12 2006, 06:17 AM)

Food shelters won't take the meat because they require UPC labels ... and all the wild hogs I trap seem to have left theirs at home.

Damn pigs should be fined for not having proper ID on them.

Nice work, good to see folks like you making an effort.

 

[Jagermeister]

Too bad you are far away! I would take a couple off your hands live, if I could bring the .357. Even including the couple pounds of fleas and ticks you usually find on these critters.

Why do you fatten them up? Are they too lean as caught? What I have gotten here in CA was lean and healthy.

George

 

[Shot]

Nice setup you have there!

Just wondering what you use to lure them into the traps?

 

[RLL]

QUOTE (Jagermeister @ Dec 12 2006, 10:35 AM) http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=791039

Why do you fatten them up? Are they too lean as caught? What I have gotten here in CA was lean and healthy.

We fatten them because ... we can? Not really sure why other than my trapping buddy likes to keep some around to piddle with. We look at it like this. An 80lb pig if slaughtered will yield 35 to 40lbs of meat/bone. If we free feed it for a couple of months ... they gain about a pound a day. So in 90 days it weighs around 170lbs ... which yields about 85lbs of meat. Plus the meat is more marbled.

Still, I absolutely love the hogs just the way we trap them ... so I'm ok using the holding pen so that we can schedule the harvest over a weekend instead of the day we trap them. Just more convenient that way.

 

[RLL]

QUOTE (Lan-Lord @ Dec 12 2006, 07:54 AM)

cool pics and details RLL. What product is that hanging on the edge of the hog trap? A little liquid romance?

Yeah it is a lure. It's called Black Gold. Hold love to rub in it and eat it. I'm not affiliated with it but here is where I buy it ... Black Gold

Truth is I try all kinds of attactants and this one seems to be working.

A guy in Hawaii baited an area with it and filmed it. An unbelievable film. Here is the link Video

The file is large so I recommend saving it into a temp folder. It is fascinating watching the hogs rub in this stuff.

 

[Jagermeister]

QUOTE (RLL @ Dec 12 2006, 11:46 AM)

We fatten them because ... we can? Not really sure why other than my trapping buddy likes to keep some around to piddle with. We look at it like this. An 80lb pig if slaughtered will yield 35 to 40lbs of meat/bone. If we free feed it for a couple of months ... they gain about a pound a day. So in 90 days it weighs around 170lbs ... which yields about 85lbs of meat. Plus the meat is more marbled.

I can see that it is tempting to put them on the feedling lot for a while. I certainly would piddle with them too, it's not like they need much care. The fat is good for sausage making! I must admit, my Tejon porker from earlier this year bearly was fat enough for bratwurst. Aside from sausage though, I prefer the lean cuts.

Keep up the good work. I am hungry now!

George

 

[XDHUNTER]

15% fat is the best combo for sausasge you can ask beastslayer or leftyhunter.

 

[RLL]

Jagermeister -- go to your local grocery store and speak to the meat market manager. I have them save the heavy fat they trim and throw away. They give it away free. Makes it easier to control the fat content of your sausage.