What I did this weekend

[dkhoward]

Here are pics of what I did this weekend. We went to the deer lease to do some end of the year maintenance and clean up. A group of about 20 feral pigs appeared at the end of the wheatfield late saturday evening. I got off three shots and this was the result. BBQ this week!!!!

[TheRic]

What time is supper??

Got a couple of questions:
1. What is a deer lease?

2. How do feral pigs taste? Much different from a regular pig / hog? Any tougher?

[dkhoward]

Its common practise in this part of the country for land owners to lease hunting rights to a group. I am fortunate, the lease I am part of is family owned so the cost is minimal. Some places it can be thousands of dollars a year for rights to hunt.

Feral pig is not much different that domestic pig except it is more lean.

[Ed62]

That BBQ has my mouth watering.

Ed

[TheRic]

Its common practise in this part of the country for land owners to lease hunting rights to a group. ...

Hunting deer only or all animals that are in season, I'm assuming that they still have to be in season? I would guess that feral pigs are open season all year round?

[dkhoward]

really depends on the landowner Some leases are year round. Some are for deer season only. And feral pigs are one of the few animals that you can hunt in texas all year and at night with lights, dogs etc. They have become such a nuisance, that almost any method of control is used.

[Uncle Cracker]

Love that feral pig roasted... Marinate in lemon juice and black pepper. Makes good sausage, too, but you must deal with the leanness much the same way as you would venison sausage (i.e. add some fat from the butcher shop). Yum!

[ironhat]

The last time I had 'wild hog' sausage it was very dark brown and I was wondering if that's a product of what they feed on or just the fact that the muscle tissue is under constant use. I have noted that wild geese have no white meat, per se (sp?) and are also quite lean. Also, I bought a side of beef some years ago where the steer had not been 'grained' before slaughter. That meat was *very* deep red with a sheen to it which I have supposed was due to the chlorophyl. Is it both factors that contribute to the color difference? One more than the other?

[rnelson0]

Way to go, Locke! I mean, Dennis!

[jackellis]

I think wild game is leaner because a) it gets lots of exercise before it is taken and b) it isn't grain fed like beef.

I don't consider myself a hunter but I shot a caribou (reindeer) five years ago and an antelope more than 20 years ago. Excellent eating, though sausage and ground meat are easier to cook well than the thighs.