First Hunt

[Cody_Frankum]

For anybodies first time hunting a given species I always say shoot the first legal animal you get the opportunity at, so if a giant stanky boar comes waddling out I would take him immediately to get the experience, also a few farmers would be cursing you under their breath if you pass on any hog. Like has been stated before getting the meat cooled is the most important thing. Typically where you'll be hunting I'm assuming you won't be that far away from a truck and gutting a pig then getting it in the truck and fill the cavity with ice and maybe putting a few bags on top is the easiest way to go.

Me personally, I have a hard time telling someone to go ahead and butcher an animal by themselves if they have never hunted or been around something like that before, if you can find someone that has experience most people are willing to lend a hand in this process.

I guess the next biggest step is just spending time on the range and getting used to the gun and get a good sharp knife.. also wear gloves when cutting up a pig.

 

[Droltack]

Again more great advice thanks! I have an uncle that is a chef at a major restaurant and often butchers whole animals I'll see if I can get him to help me. If it wasent for this zoning change that just happened two weeks ago I would be able to hunt hogs in my back yard in the bayou. How do you tell a sick animal apart from one that is fine to take I've been reading about illnesses hogs carry and was wondering if there are signs to watch for?

 

[Droltack]

Feral hogs may be hunted on our WMAs during any open season and with the gear allowed for those seasons. High powered rifles may only be used during the dates of firearms deer season.

In southeast Louisiana, feral hogs can be found on Pearl River WMA.

You don’t need tags for hogs, but you will need a big game license with deer tags to hunt feral hogs with a high powered rifle.

Hogs root around a lot. They also like to wallow in the mud., They can usually be found near drains or some water body. When scouting, look for areas where the ground has been torn up, sloppy mud, and trees with a muddy base where the hogs have rubbed.

Feral hogs can carry many diseases, some of which are transferable to other wildlife and humans. The meat from them is still safe to eat if cooked properly. It is suggested to wear latex or nitrile gloves and eye protection when handling feral hogs.

Thank you,

Forest Burks
WMA Biologist Supervisor
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

 

[Droltack]

That looks like good timing for me it should be colder by then which will help with the strain of hunting in hot weather.

 

[Cody_Frankum]

Again more great advice thanks! I have an uncle that is a chef at a major restaurant and often butchers whole animals I'll see if I can get him to help me. If it wasent for this zoning change that just happened two weeks ago I would be able to hunt hogs in my back yard in the bayou. How do you tell a sick animal apart from one that is fine to take I've been reading about illnesses hogs carry and was wondering if there are signs to watch for?

No there isn't really any way to tell because the diseases that a hog might carry like Trichinosis doesn't physically affect a pig, when cooking wild pork you just go by the rule of thumb that they have that and you have to cook the meat to I believe its 160*, you cannot eat it rare or medium rare or you run the risk of contracting it.

 

[Droltack]

From what I'm reading
Leptospirosis
Brucellosis
E. coli
Salmonellosis
Toxoplasmosis
Rabies
Swine Influenza viruses
Trichinosis
Giardiasis
Cryptosporidiosis
Are all "common" illness carried by hogs have any of y'all caught any of these I'm just asking for health reasons I want to make sure I know all the health risks involved so I can plan for them. The last time I got the flu I was hospitalized for three months in liver failure I don't want to live life in a bubble, what are the chances of getting these illnesses.

Thanks everyone for your help and guidance every bit is appreciated!

 

[Droltack]

When y'all go hunting do you use ear protection, suppresors, or go all natural. I don't think I've seen anyone hunt with the ear muff style hearing protection on.