Field Dressing

[Ratdog68]

I agree with this guy's philosophy, get the gut-pile/blood out of the animal and get the chest cavity open ASAP. The sooner that meat cools, the "more gooder". I'm sure there's many good ways of doing it, this pretty much mirrors how my dad taught me.

 

[Ratdog68]

European Style Field Dressing After Killing With a Sword.

 

[Ratdog68]

P-p-p-p-p-p-iglet !!! Dress 'im Out and Skin i'm for Cookin'...

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

I DONT GUT. Just CUT

 

[FrankT]

I only skin the part I want, hams and straps, no gutting, no mess...unless under 100lbs then I will clean the whole hog and at that size they are easy.
My cleaning station.

 

[Afalex1]

I'm with FrankT on this one. Unless a hunter specifically requests me to only gut them I only cut the hide back enough to remove the hams and back straps. If I do gut I do it a little differently than in the first video. I will actually separate one side of the ribs from the sternum by cutting/breaking the connection point of the ribs and will continue the cut all the way up the neck and into the lower jaw. Then I cut everything out from the tongue back. I don't like to leave anything inside of them that can start to turn. Of course sometimes a hunter will want the ribs and then I will do it like the first video, but wild hog ribs aren't worth eating enough to mess with in my opinion.

Also I would remove my watch and glove up unlike the first video. I couldn't imagine what his watch looks like after 5-6 pigs in one morning!

 

[FrankT]

I also use a jaw hook and clean them head up, I want the poop hole down not up and stuff pouring over the head and whole body should something go wrong...LOL

My Knife/cleaning kit, love my Havalon knives!! The hook blade is for opening the skin

 

[histopicker]

What are the gloves for?
I have had the misfortune of skinning and cleaning many hogs. I hang them head down. Out of the ones I cleaned on the game ranch, probably 98% were gut shot. So it's head down over a wash tub. I cut the hide into three longitudinal strips for easy peeling, sawsall the head off, then start evisceration. I cut around the anus, open the abdomen, and let all that blown up mess roll right into the wash tub with the head and hide. Once that is out of the way, sawsall the sternum open and pull the rest free. Wash out thoroughly with the garden hose and there it is.

 

[Ratdog68]

Given that (although it's been many) the animals I've killed/gutted have been grazers and browsers... I've never bothered with the notion... but, with hogs... I can see a use for zip ties... one for the "goes-in-ta" pipe, and one for the "goes-out-ta" pipe... and one to keep from getting pissed on. LOL And, CAREFUL use of the knife. I can also imagine good use for hay hooks too. LOL

 

[FrankT]

Yeah the gloves are for good intentions but I have to admit they rarely get used. Since I gut so few hogs the jaw hook is my preferred method I am not a butcher so the hams get smoked or roasted and that is the way I eat them. I did debone one once for stew meat all cut up into chunks like I do for grinding sausage. I always saltwater brine, the meat is too strong smelling without it especially boars and over 100lb animals. I don't like the taste or smell, so I never use a processor as to me that is ruined meat as they do not brine. Since we eat parts of all our kills there is always an abundance of meat in the freezer.

 

[sjb67]

Yeah the gloves are for good intentions but I have to admit they rarely get used. Since I gut so few hogs the jaw hook is my preferred method I am not a butcher so the hams get smoked or roasted and that is the way I eat them. I did debone one once for stew meat all cut up into chunks like I do for grinding sausage. I always saltwater brine, the meat is too strong smelling without it especially boars and over 100lb animals. I don't like the taste or smell, so I never use a processor as to me that is ruined meat as they do not brine. Since we eat parts of all our kills there is always an abundance of meat in the freezer.

Frank
What is your prefered brining recipe ?

 

[FrankT]

1 cup Kosher salt/1 gallon of water, just to cover the meat w ice and liquid, drain after first 24hrs and redo fresh and keep same liquid but add ice as needed for 1-4 days. I will use a 1lb can of table sea salt to 2-2 1/2 gallons of water. This does not make your meat salty to taste. I rinse, clean and vacuum seal to freeze after that.

 

[Ratdog68]

LOL... when I make it down to try it all out, it's gonna be a new twist for me. Ticks, fleas, snakes... never been an issue with the critters I've killed (and locations). I'll probably get a lot of miles out of... "What the hell???" LOL

 

[sjb67]

1 cup Kosher salt/1 gallon of water, just to cover the meat w ice and liquid, drain after first 24hrs and redo fresh and keep same liquid but add ice as needed for 1-4 days. I will use a 1lb can of table sea salt to 2-2 1/2 gallons of water. This does not make your meat salty to taste. I rinse, clean and vacuum seal to freeze after that.

Thank you sir.

 

[FrankT]

You bet SJB
RD, funny thing is the ticks and fleas are not really an issue with our hogs, the lead poisoning seems to be fatal though...LOL