Too Hot for Texas Pig Hunt?

20 August 2003, 17:14

Guys,

Was wondering if it will be too hot to hunt pigs around the Houston area the first week of September.

My friend there is concerned about getting the meat to the the butcher before it spoils ... and recommends waiting until October (which is deer season at home).

Advise?

Also, is a 235 gr Speer Hot Core .375 projectile at 2600 fps "adequate" for porkers?

21 August 2003, 01:41

N E 450 No2

mstarling
I shoot pigs in the hot part of the year all the time. I gut, skin and break down the pig into the following pieces and put on ice immediately after the kill. Two shoulders, two backstraps,I cut the ribs into four pieces with a Browning saw [with the small tooth bone blade] two rear hams and two tenderloins. I do the final butchering when I get home. If you do not know how to break a pig down, have your butcher show you how to do it, or just get one of those big "Salt water fishing" coolers, skin the pig and cut off his feet with the Brwoning bone saw.
What ever method you use it is important to get the meat on ice pretty quick.

[ 08-20-2003, 16:43: Message edited by: N E 450 No2 ]

21 August 2003, 01:41

DesertRam

It'll be pretty warm during the day, but nights will be pretty nice. You can hunt them at night in Texas, which is the way I like it anyway. Just get them skinned as soon as possible and chunked and on ice within a couple hours and you should be fine. I've hunted them in May around San Antonio with no trouble, and would gladly go any other time if given the opportunity.

21 August 2003, 02:02

jorge

MStarling: Don't worry too much about the heat. We have a place in South Carolina (www.Blackriverplantation.net) where we've been whacking porkers all summer with no problems of meat spoilage. Jusst firld dress them to lower the body temp, get them into a cooler for a couple of hours and then finish the job. jorge

21 August 2003, 03:33

mete

I was just told of fellow who got a 350 lb pig with a 35Rem with the new 220 gr Buffalo Bore ammo . Penetrated completely through both shoulders . As for the heat , dress out immediately and put a 25 lb bag of ice in the body cavity that will cool it very nicely.

21 August 2003, 04:03

Stonecreek

quote:
Originally posted by mstarling:

Also, is a 235 gr Speer Hot Core .375 projectile at 2600 fps "adequate" for porkers?

Naw, they'll just shrug them lil' pills off like they were BB's from a Daisy.

The last 200 lb Texas porker I killed was with a .223 shooting a 55 grain Hornady. And 200 lbs is good sized for a feral hog (although you MIGHT occasionallly run into a boar at 350 or so.) Yes, I know, there are stories of 800-pounders running around out there, but if you get one within lying distance of 300, you've got a trophy.

21 August 2003, 06:49

N'gagi

We hunt wild pigs year round here in California. It's 104 today and was 108 last weekend.

Fill up some 2 liter soda bottles with water and freeze them. Stuff them in the body cavity after you gut the pig, and then get him skinned and quartered asap.

Kyler Hamann uses a sawzall and quarters them in a heartbeat. Pack him in a big ice chest and fill it with ice, no problemo..

The only one who will suffer from the heat is you. last time I was in Houston in September, I had to put the truck in low range to cut through the humidity.

21 August 2003, 08:28

TrademarkTexan

I've hunted pigs in Texas for over 10 years. Summer is great hunting, since they concentrate around water holes (in the western half where I hunt, anyways) during the day.

Personally, I don't eat many of them during the hot months, as they get very wormy and parasitic during that time. This may be due to the perennial summer droughts and lack of adequate forage (and water) in West Texas. The coastal varieties might be in better shape.

The key either way, as stated, is getting the innards out and the skin off ASAP. Splitting the pelvis and sternum, or full quartering, will facilitate cooling, as well. The rule of thumb is to get the meat "cool" to the touch within 2-3 hours. Big hams can be boned out or split to help cool the inner-most meat quickly.

If possible, waiting until the later part of Sept would make for a more pleasant hunt. Either way, bring a pair of windshield-wipers for your shooting glasses, scope, and binocs [Wink]

21 August 2003, 15:05

CoonDawg

Not more I can add, everyone has told you get it cool asap! Unless you run into a bunch of them, then keep shooting [Big Grin]

21 August 2003, 15:13

john17

nah man your fine. A local farmer has a permit for us to shoot deer during july and august for crop damage. I shot a doe at like 8 by the time my hunting partner shot his and had them both dressed it was like 930. We then quartered them and froze them. By this time it was 11pm. Met tastes great. Deer in august taste the best.