Outdoors - Pork on the Range

   A friend of mine, Craig, went hog hunting in east Texas a couple of weeks ago.  From what I hear, the wild or feral hogs are getting to be quite a problem in many parts of the country.  The difference between wild and feral, at this point, is purely academic. Wild hogs, such as Russian boars, were turned loose by mis-guided sportsmen, to reproduce in the wild for the purpose of hunting. They are generally black, have very coarse hair and short ears. Feral hogs are the descendants of domesticated pigs that escaped and learned to survive on their own.  They come in any color, or combination of colors,  have large ears, and a smoother coat of hair.

   Both types of hogs are extremely destructive to the environment, and reproduce prolifically. A small herd of wild pigs can eat up a field of crops or destroy a waterway buffer in a matter of days. They will eat anything and everything, and plow the ground in their wake. Farmers and ranchers infested with hogs are generally glad for anyone willing to come rid them of the problem. Hunters have found them to be a challenging game animal. All that is required to hunt hogs is a hunting license, one or more guns, permission to hunt a farmers land, and a lot of courage.

   Craig said, hog hunting is a lot like deer hunting, except a deer will run away from the sound of the gunshot. Hogs will turn on their attacker. This will definitely add a bit of excitement to any hunt. It is not uncommon for a wild hog to top five hundred pounds and grow tusks several inches long. An animal this size and so equipped could do serious damage to a person. It is not only a good thing to bring more than one of your best guns, but also having a well trusted friend with his gun would be worthwhile.

   Craig had a successful hunt. He said it was both difficult and exciting. Hogs are smart animals that have learned to avoid situations that would make hunting easy. He crawled through patches of prickly pear cactus and waded streams in the wee hours of the morning when the temperature was forty degrees. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a truck load of really good eating. He arrived back in Iowa on Saturday when we were cutting wood. After looking over his cache of game, we let him help cut wood for a bit. For this privilege, he invited us over to try some fresh range pork. We arrived just before the barbecue sauce was to be applied to one of the smaller porkers Craig had whole on the grill. It had been cooking slowly for several hours and was so tender, the meat was coming off the bone. We just stopped by for a taste, but Craig would have none of that. Since we were nice enough to let him fill my truck with wood, he insisted we stay for dinner. It is hard to argue with a man that is pouring liberal amounts of barbeque sauce over a whole pig.

   The meal was delicious. The flavor of the meat was very close to that of a domesticated hog. I am sure part of the success of the meal was Craig’s expertise, but the meat was as tender and juicy as any I have had. He also sent us home with some whole hog sausage we had for breakfast Sunday morning. It would make Jimmy Dean proud. The problem of wild hogs is spreading, even into Iowa. After sampling the ones from Texas, I think we can eat our way to a solution.