Hunting and Butchering My First Wild Pig in California
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
- In this video, I recap my wild pig hunt from earlier this summer. I tried to explain some things about this hunt and why I did it but there's only so much that I can cover in the video. Here, I'll list out some answers to common questions:
FAQ:
1. "What got you interested in hunting?"
Food and cooking is what got me interested in hunting. I enjoy learning about where my food comes from, whether that's through foraging, gardening/farming, fishing or hunting. While my primary goal for hunting is food-based, I've also learned that there's a lot more to the hunting experience than just obtaining meat. Hunting has taught me a lot about the environment, the ecosystems that these animals exist in, the behaviors of these animals and so much more.
2. "Why are you hunting a wild pig?"
Wild pigs are an abundant, invasive species in California. Managing their population is another topic and wasn't the reason behind me hunting them. My primary reasons for hunting a wild pig were: 1) get meat to eat and learn to cook wild game. 2) get some hands-on experience skinning and butchering a wild pig with guidance. 3) Learn more about wild pigs and how to hunt them.
3. "Why are you doing a guided hunt instead of hunting them on public land?"
To learn from my guide on how to hunt them and get hands-on butchering experience. Also most pigs in California reside on private land. So your odds of being successful are higher on private land.
4. "Why do you want to learn to skin and butcher an animal?"
I enjoy learning about food and where food comes from. Butchering an animal is a part of the process. I also plan to do more hunts in the future and having some hands-on experience processing an animal is important. I could pay someone to do it and I'm not opposed to that if I'm too busy to do it myself, but I want to know how to do it myself as well.
5. "How is wild pig meat different from commercial, farm raised pigs?"
The meat from this pig was very lean and dark in color compared to regular pork. The meat would dry out more easily while cooking and tougher cuts (ex. pork shoulder, shanks) needed to be cooked for longer to get them tender. The meat had no "gamey" flavor to it. It tasted like a mix of commercial beef and pork. Also wild pigs rarely get fat enough to provide bacon. So if you're a bacon lover, you're probably not going to get any from a wild pig.
6. "How can you be ok with killing an animal?"
I accept that if I'm going to eat, something will die, whether directly or indirectly. After shooting this pig and prior to finding it, I wasn't excited, I was nervous. I didn't know how far the pig ran and whether it was still alive or not. After finding the pig, I wasn't overly happy or excited either, I was just relieved that it died quickly and didn't suffer.
If I'm happy after a hunt, it's not because I enjoyed killing an animal. It's because I failed a lot prior to having success. I actually had 2 guided wild pig hunts over the past year and a half with no success. So when I was finally successful on this hunt, the joy of success and relief of a quick death outweighed the grief of taking an animal's life.
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Music from Tunetank:
Coffeehouse by 99Instrumentals
Long night by cloudsystems
Thanks for documenting and sharing. Doing my first boar hunt in March, this was extremely helpful in knowing what to expect in the processing.
Np. Glad you found it helpful. Good luck on your upcoming pig hunt!
absolutely incredible recap, congrats on your first wild pig hunt! those dishes at the end looked amazing ✨
Thanks man!
Great material, man. Thanks for making these videos.
Np. Glad you enjoyed it
Howdy, Brother! The absolute respect you showed for this gift of animal was epic. Thanks and Drive-On, Cowboy! 🤠
Thanks!
Dayummm bro! Great video! I’m just getting into it so I’m learning and I don’t really have any hunters around to show me but your video had the whole process! Keep it up!! Can’t believe how much you got off that one pig! Awesome!
Thank you! Ya, you can get a lot of meat off a wild pig. They get bigger than this too. Good luck out there!
New rabbit and quail hunter this season here in CA. Found your video to be informing and educational. Starting with small game mammals and birds and hope to one day target wild pigs. Food is the main motivator for me as well. Keep it up!
That's awesome, you're on the right track by starting with small game. Rabbits and quail are fast animals, they'll test your reflexes and shooting skills! Good luck out there and thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed my video!
I've been planning to do as you have just done. I have my hunting license and pig tag and waiting to take a home butcher class in January. I want to use a guide to teach me the ropes also, and then go on public land later, but it seems that public land is much more difficult to get them, most of the pigs are taken on private land. I do want the meat also, and wouldn't mind hunting turkey with bow as well...The Home Butcher Class I'm planning to take is at Oak Stone Outfitters. I need to wait until the end of January though. I have property in Lake County so plan to eventually hunt A zone, which is said to be good after the fires. There is a bill on the Governor's desk to remove the tag requirement and allow the pigs to be hunted without such. Would be nice if he does it, but I'm not holding my breath. Part of the reason I want to learn to dress and butcher the meat is me and my son feel that if one eats meat, one should experience what it takes to process it. Many people won't do it, but will buy meat in the market. I find that hypocritical. That the way our Governor will look at it while is slops it up at the French Laundry...he's not fond of firearms...🙄
That home butcher class sounds helpful! It's a valuable skill to have if you hunt and definitely makes you appreciate meat more when you know how much work it takes. And yes, public land wild pigs in California is definitely a tough hunt. If you have some land, your chances are probably better than most.
@@truoutdoors I only have 2 acres, but unfortunately in City Limits so no firearms...no pigs at my property, but both turkeys and deer, and the deer used to bed down where I'm building the house. Oak Stone Outfitters does guide service also, and I haven't ruled that out yet either. Ultimately I want to be able to go out alone, dress it, and bring it back.
@@truoutdoors It was awesome, I do have the confidence to field dress, and planning to go out either to Fort Hunter Ligget or Monterey. The butcher class was well worth the cost. I got to skin half a pig and break up one of the hams into 3 roasts, one that I got to take home. I also got 1/2 a rack of spares.
@@konoctiswigwam8130 That sounds awesome! I've been wanting to go down there but haven't had time, I bet all the recent rain has been great for the pigs.
I offer firearms dm details
Very cool video, thanks for sharing
Thanks!
Hell yeah educational video
Thanks!
We just found your channel, we love your videos bro! keep making California videos since it is cool seeing this here in our own backyard, we are in Riverside County and San Diego County borderline and there is plenty of wild boars, turkeys, and other good food out here.
Thank you for the support! I'll keep making them. Hope you're having luck hunting them down there!
how can I join you for the pig hunt ? do we need a lic. to hunt pig in california ?
@@LifeIsGoodThankYouGod Yes, you need a California hunting license and a wild pig tag.
Hello my friend, Good video to watch here. My friend's work is really Good. i am proud of you🥰🥰 Great friend! Happy Holidays to all of you! Good feeling to you all! Great friend!😉💘🤟
Great video. Cool to see the whole process. Thanks!
Thanks!
Well done. Great to see you process your own meat as well.
Thank you! Processing the pig myself made all of this even more rewarding.
Dude that’s a lot of meat from one pig incredible👍🏼🤙🏼
Yup. This pig provided a lot of meals and I'm still not done eating it all lol.
Congratulations I appreciate you taking liver and heart. I do the same it’s really good for you. You just need to not over cook the liver. I’ve been hunting pigs and not buying meat from stores it’s not the same at all. Helps my wife to feel better she has arthritis.
Thanks! Yea, it's definitely an acquired taste but it's healthy so I don't want to waste it. I like to make pate out of it or mix it in with some ground meat.
Great video. You already seemed to know a lot about the butchering process. I’d have no clue. Your guide seemed very knowledgeable and patient. Where did you go for your hunt?
Thanks! I just did as much research off RUclips as I could prior and while butchering. I went Tim from hogndog Guide service in Lockwood, CA.
How did you find your guided hunt? And who did you use for your hunt? and why? I am very excited to learn , learning skills have been on my list for a few years now. I bought my first hunting rifle 2 years ago. And i've been practicing but haven't really found a way to get out there yet
I went with Tim from Hog N Dog Guide service, he was recommended to me by a friend. If you want a legit wild pig hunt that's not high fence, I'd recommend him. A guided hunt is a great way to get a shot opportunity and gain some experience processing a large wild animal. Make sure to ask a lot of questions to learn about the animal that you're hunting. But... It can only teach you so much, it's only a few days. If you want to seriously learn to hunt, you're going to have to get out there on your own and hunt public land.
Congratulations on your first hog! You should consider investing in a vacuum sealer set up. Your meat will keep for a year no problem
Thank you! It's on my list of things to buy.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm looking to eventually go on a guided bow hunt... eventually.
No problem. Bow hunting is tough, but it'll be a great experience. Good luck!
Great video. Nice hunt
Thanks!
Nice boar! Lots of wild pigs here in Hawaii for hunting and trapping. I like soaking the meat in ice water for a couple of days, changing the water several times to get some of the "wild" flavor out of them. Some good looking meals at the end of the video!
Thanks! That's awesome, I'd love to hunt in Hawaii one day. Luckily, I didn't have any issues with the flavor on this pig.
And then make some smoke meat?!? I'm originally from Hilo!
Great job. The bun thit nuong and The bibimbap look delicious.
Thank you! I never actually knew the viet name for the dish, I just grew up eating it lol. Now I do.
Nice video. I've been lucky enough to harvest 2 pigs and 2 bucks in public lands so far. Thank you for sharing . Lmk if you find yourself in cCentral Cal.
Thanks and congrats on your kills/harvests. Getting pigs off public land is not easy. Hope you have a good season this year too.
@truoutdoors thanks man. I got one this morning 😊 .
The vibe was out since I saw your video.
Wow that's amazing! Congrats!
Sorry if this was answered. But what distance did you take the shot and where were you aiming and where did you hit? Great video
Congrats dude! 🔥
Thanks!
Awesome video
Please make more of other things you hunt and catch the shot in camera this time lol. Still great vid and good job!
Thank you! I'll try my best 👍
That was a well documented video. I really enjoyed watching the whole video. What gun caliber/cartridge are you using? I want to try hunting to wild pigs but I hear from everyone about how hard it is 😄. Also just subbed to your channel #478
Thanks! I also subbed to you. Nice to meet another California hunter! I'm using .308win. If you're trying to hunt a wild pig in California on public land, then that'll be tough but not impossible, a friend of mine got one.
SOOO awesome! tons of FOOD
Yup. Lots of tasty meat 👍
Great documentary you've put together here...very informative...looks like you did it right...congrats on filling the freezer!
What part of CA were you hunting in?
I'm interested in doing a DIY public land hunt down there sometime.
I live near Portland OR but have family/friends I can visit in the SF/San Jose and San Diego areas...thought I might try and do a long OR/CA road trip & hunting adventure along the coast in the Big Sur area. Looking at the CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife harvest stats it seems like Monterey county has a high concentration of pigs...not sure how many are on public land though.
Thanks! This was in Monterey County. You're on the right track looking at the CDFW resources. Monterey County has the most wild pigs harvested but most are on private land. You can find them on public land if you put in enough time to figure them out. They're nomadic though, so they're not always around.
Nice job on the hunt and documenting the processing afterward. Must have been a lot of work but looks like it was all worth it.
Thanks! Definitely a lot of work but I learned a lot.
Wow 👏 Phonemal hunt my dude, I'm sure it's gonna be tasty!
Thank you!
Very nice work, great video. What region was this in if you dont mind sharing?
Thanks! This was near Lockwood CA.
Great video, entertaining and informative. Can u share the guide information as well.
Thanks I went with Hog N' Dog guide services
Tru, excellent video, straight forward, concise. Congrats, which outfitter did you use.
Thank you! I went with Hog n Dog guide services.
Lots of hard work but the results are awesome! Who's your guide?
Thanks! Hog n dog guide service
Fantastic hunt man. Yes I recall that the meat of wild pigs is far superior to that of farm raised. The meat is dark red almost like beef.
Thanks! Yup, my pig's meat was mostly dark red.
Just came across your video and it was well made and very useful. Thank you.
Would you be able to share who your guide was?
Thanks! I went with Tim from Hog N' Dog Guide Services.
Nice shot. Was this a Guided Hunt on Private land?
Thanks. Yes this was guided on private land.
You should try curing some of that. Maybe a ham or some prosciutto
Maybe some day but definitely don't have the space to cure meat right now lol.
Those dishes looked incredible. How did the meat taste compared to store bought pork
Thanks! For this pig, it tasted like a cross between pork and beef.
Absolutely nice shot. Did you make all them food?
Thank you! And yes, I cooked all the meals 😁
All that ground pork would make a lot of great sausages - yum, yum.
This was a really good video, what guide did you use for the hunt?
Thanks! I went with Tim from Hog N' Dog Guide Services.
What erea is this where you hunt wild pigs ?And how do you get there ?
My buddies and I want to go hog hunting here in Cali, problem is neither one of us has ever hunted before. Could you give us some tips and where I could start looking for information. We live in South Cali, Los Angeles County.
Hey, first thing is to make sure you've completed your hunter's education and purchased your hunting license. I recommend going with a guide for your first time, ask a lot of questions and learn as much as you can.
If you want to hunt public land, check out CDFW's webinar on wild pig hunting: ruclips.net/video/2pFlTPb8CU8/видео.html. They share some places to find them on public land. Pigs are nomadic, so you need to catch them moving through public land.
@@truoutdoors That helped a lot, thanks for the information and thanks for posting your video!
Where would I find a guide? I am new too, and Noone I know is into hunting. I'm halfway between LA and San Diego
@@mikemettelka7432 Google, you'll get results, then give them a call, ask some questions, see which ones sound like friendly people. I don't know any Guides in the LA/San Diego area that I can recommend.
Would you recommend the guide you used? I grew up hunting in Hawaii but haven't hunted here in CA. Looking forward to getting into it!
Yes, Tim answered all my questions and helped show me how to skin and gut the pig. It's also more affordable than other places if your hunt only runs 1 day. If you end up using 2 days, you'll pay similar to other places. I'd recommend hunting in the summer, they're a lot more scattered in the winter.
Awesome!!!
Thanks!
Great great vid. Subbed
Thank you!
Nice video. Looking to do the same. What outfitter did you use?
Hog n dog guide service
Same reason I’m
Watching the video brother same 1 and 2
Well done brother! About how far would you say that hog ran from the point of bullet impact?
Thanks! He didn't go too far. Maybe 20-30 yards but he ran straight through a bunch of thick brush so it took us a bit longer to walk around to find him.
Just wondering where I can hunt at California.. where did you go this time 😂
A lot of places. National forest and BLM land is open to public hunting. Or go with a guide to hunt on private land. Make sure you get a hunting license and know the regulations. This hunt was with a guide.
@@truoutdoors thanks for sharing!! Liked n subscribed!
Thank you!
What ranch were you on or what guide service did you use
Hog'nDog guide service
Where is this in California
Nice! Are you around Nor Cal?
Yes
Where did you hunt in CA?
How does it taste? Is it safe to eat it?
Yes, it's safe to eat. Cook it to the proper temperature. The meat tasted like a mix of pork and beef. Some cuts were tougher than others, so low-temperature, slow-cook recipes work great.
I am new to this, I would like to learn more. Where do I find a guide? To go hunting for a pig ?
Have you completed your hunter's education and purchased your hunting license and wild pig tag? Just look on Google for wild pig hunting guides in California.
What scope do you use in your 308
I have a 4-16x44 Vortex Diamondback Tactical.
Would you recommend this guide service? And about how much could one expect to pay for a guided hunt like this
Yes, I'd recommend the summer though. In the winter, there's more water available and they're feeding on grass so they're spread out and more difficult to locate. Tim was also willing to answer a lot of my questions. No lodging though. I think Tim charges $200 guide fee per day now and an additional $500 if you harvest a pig. I think most places charge around $800-$1.2k for a 2 day hunt.
We hunt them here in Texas. I was wondering if that hog smelled like death? I’ve been wanting to try eating it but they smell so bad!! Tell me about your experience with it please.
No bad smells or bad taste with this pig lol. No gaminess. The meat was like a mix of pork and beef. Some cuts were tough, but marinating or using baking soda tenderizes it well.
I've heard worse things about the taste of pigs in Texas but the ones in California are good eating. Idk what the pigs you're hunting are like, but what an animal eats will affect it's taste. Wild pigs will scavenge animal carcasses which will probably make them stink and taste bad. Also older and bigger pigs typically are nastier. A lot of factors, maybe try a smaller one lol.
I can't believe how much meat you got off that one pig! That's amazing. So much cheaper than buying it... that one pig could feed you for months
Definitely not cheaper than buying 😂 but I value it more.
Ey bro where were you hunting?
Curious I’m from San Diego is it in that area or else where
No, it's Monterey county.
Im in San Bernardino and want to get into hunting with my father since we never do anything , anybody recommend any spots ? For duck , wild pigs , or deer
I don't know any spots around there. And some advice, the majority of hunters will not share hunting locations with you. You should focus on asking questions about how to hunt the game animal that you're interested in. Then find public land that allows for hunting and use your knowledge about the animals to find them. Pigs are nomadic and will rarely stay in one area.
I hope that you've at least gotten your hunter's education done, it will help answer a lot of basic questions new hunters have.
What rifle/caliber did you use?
.308 win, 150gr
Just remember guys had some one do the skinning and all that if you can’t do it hire someone as well it’s extremely important
Very cool, was this a paid hunt? I ask because I will be up that way and would love ot pay for a stalk and shoot.
Thanks. Yes, this was a paid, guided hunt.
Where in this video did u hunt at
Monterey
Where's the gutting place at ?
At my guide's ranch/property.
@@truoutdoors I'm in Santa Maria and I want to take my grandson hunting but I've never heard hunting before. So I figured I would need a guide and someone to help with the gutting..
Have you taken your hunter education/safety course yet? You'll both need to do that first before you can go hunting.
A guide will be your best bet at getting a shot opportunity and they usually do the skinning and gutting unless you want to do it. I'd recommend being involved in that process as it's an important part of the hunting process.
You'll need to take the animal to a butcher to have it processed unless you plan to also butcher it yourself.
@@truoutdoors I will do those things first. Thank you.
Np
Which outfitter did you use?
Hog n dog guide service.
Where can I find myself a guides for a first timer?
Google. Find one in your price range, look at reviews and give them a call.
Where was the hunt/guide located?
Lockwood CA.
nice! congrats 👏
thanks!
I'm looking to get into pig hunting where would u say to go for public land?
I'm not sure. Finding pigs on public land is very hard. They rarely stay in an area for long. Look up CDFW's wild pig hunting webinar. They go over public land that has produced pigs. Time of year, water and weather will affect whether or not they're in an area though.
Thanks for the info.
Guided hunt?
Yes
Where is this ranch at ? I would like to go
Lockwood, California
Where in California did you get your pig ??
This was on private land in Monterey County.
Please don't use pull through sharpeners. They will destroy your blade and do not actually sharpen your knife. Keep at it!
Thanks for the advice!
Looking to run dogos on wild hogs.. Im also in Tehama county. If anyone knows of a good spot or want to run dogs together I'd be more then interested to meet anywhere in the county or near by counties.. Please reach out
You can make bracelets out of the tusks…
I got the skull cleaned.
you won't hungry if SHTF in Cali!
Hand held thermal, worth it's weight.
You used everything but the squeal!
you may need to wear gloves next time. these wild pig need to be well cooked to be safe to eat.
Ya, gloves are a good idea and yes, wild pigs need to be cooked properly to avoid trichinosis. Not all wild pigs have it, but some will.
얘 발음구리네
You’re wrong, king city Schmidt guide service is number one ☝️ n California. You don’t believe call the and hunt, the greatest guides on earth
Wrong about what? I'm not here arguing who's the best guide service in California lol.
need better shot placement. hit ‘em in the neck and they won’t run