
KPRC 2 photographer and wild hog hunter Byron Nichols said the animals taste a lot like domestic pork, but with a slightly gamier taste. “However, always use a meat thermometer to ensure an internal temperature of 160☏ has been reached and the meat is thoroughly cooked. For more information on Food Safety, visit: “Feral hogs make great table fare,” Texas A&M Agrilife Extension’s website adds.

To protect yourself, avoid all contact with visibly ill animals or those found dead, use clean, sharp knives for field dressing and butchering, wear eye protection and rubber or latex gloves (disposable or reusable) when handling carcasses, avoid direct contact (bare skin) with fluid or organs from the hog, burn or bury disposable gloves and inedible parts of the carcass after butchering, wash hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or more and dry hands with a clean cloth, clean all tools and reusable gloves used in field dressing and butchering with a disinfectant-such as dilute bleach.Ĭhill raw and cooked pork promptly. The CDC notes you may start to feel sick a week to months after coming into contact with germs that cause brucellosis with symptoms like fever, low appetite, chills, fatigue, sweating, joint pain, headache and muscle pain. You can get sick when field dressing an infected hog or when butchering or eating undercooked meat.
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You may be at risk for brucellosis if infected hog tissue, blood or fluid, comes into contact with your eyes, nose, mouth or a skin cut. People may get the germs through contact with an infected hog’s blood, fluids, or tissues (such as muscles, testicles, liver or other organs). The germs that cause brucellosis are spread among hogs through birthing fluids and semen. But brucellosis - a risk factor with feral hog meat - is different. Most of these diseases make people sick when they eat undercooked meat. There are more than 24 diseases that people can get from wild hogs, the CDC notes. The hog meat is a viable food source, though you need to be careful with it. Hunting wild hogs is a popular sport among hunters, as well as a population control method supported by wildlife agencies. The hogs can be eaten for their meat, but you need to harvest and process them safely. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that more than four million wild hogs are found in at least 35 states and can destroy farmland and crops, compete with native wildlife for food, and can spread disease to other animals and people. Can you eat feral hog meat?įeral hogs - or wild hogs as they’re sometimes called - are descendants of Eurasian wild boar and released or escaped domestic hogs. We decided to dig in to this tasty topic and see about eating feral hog meat. We’ve wondered that a time or two and have seen a few warnings about doing so. Many hunters and trappers are doing their best to rid the state of these destructive creatures, and there’s plenty of meat to show for their labors.īut can you and should you eat that meat? Contact us below for more information and to sign up for The Hunt.HOUSTON – Feral hogs are a problem in Texas, as KPRC 2 has reported extensively over the years. You will walk away with a deeper appreciation for the food in which you feed your family as well as a tremendous sense of accomplishment. All hunts include onsite lodging, locally sourced organic meals, a knowledgable guide, tours of ROAM Ranch, and a once in a lifetime adventure. After your animal is harvested, you will be provided a hands-on learning opportunity that includes instructional field dressing, butchery, and processing.

We are best suited to accommodate visitors who share a respect for nature, appreciation of wildlife, and are willing to work hard during the hunt. Our hunts are formatted in a traditional way that includes tracking game, stalking animals, hiking, and harvesting. Nestled deep in the Central Texas Hill Country, ROAM Ranch is located on a beautifully diverse track of land that is abundant in wildlife, water, and natural grandeur. In efforts to help consumers form a deeper connection with the meat they consume and the living animal in which it was sourced, we have developed an incredible onsite opportunity that we call "The Hunt".
