BIGPETE 0 Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 Dear all, Earlier this year I was lucky enough to get a good amount of wild boar and it was bloody gorgeous to eat!! If I am lucky again (next week) I want to take the whole carcas and even freeze a joint Christmas dinner. My questionis this, Does the meat of the male wild boar species suffer from boar taint ? My last batch was from a sow and was absolutely great but I have been told that the tusks from a good size male are all I would get off him as the meat would be no good!! is this really the case or am I being mis-lead. I would really appreciate any info as I would not want to take a beast just for a trophy. I am not judging trophy hunting it is just that I want to fill the freezer with some quality meat. Best regards, Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pops 19 Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 (edited) before the population exploded in Texas (1 million and growing), they used to catch them in the summer and barr them, then turn them loose to catch again in the fall/winter for eating. so yeah, unless it is feral hog from a line of domestics w/o taint, it's only fit for dogs and frenchmen Edited October 14, 2008 by Pops Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tallyho 181 Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 What is boar taint ?????? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BIGPETE 0 Posted October 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 before the population exploded in Texas (1 million and growing), they used to catch them in the summer and barr them, then turn them loose to catch again in the fall/winter for eating. so yeah, unless it is feral hog from a line of domestics w/o taint, it's only fit for dogs and frenchmen Thanks for that, it may have saved me from making a bugger of things. These are not feral to my knowledge, I would suspect that even if they were from a once feral line the gene pool will be so far diluted by now that the effect of the domestic strain will not be noticeable. regards, Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BIGPETE 0 Posted October 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 What is boar taint ?????? What causes boar taint? Boar taint is caused by two naturally occurring compounds known as androstenone and skatole, the odour of which is said to be comparable to sweat, urine and faeces. The two compounds can accumulate in the meat of boars (male pigs) whose testicles have not been removed or castrated. If available in high quantities, the compounds can be detected by people through taste and smell when they cook or heat the pork meat or meat products. Androstenone is basically a pheromone and is produced in the boar’s testes once it has reached sexual maturity. As the boar ages, androstenone accumulates and is stored in the fatty tissues surrounding the muscle. Skatole is a by-product of the microbial activity that occurs naturally in the digestive tracts of all pigs, male and female. In situations where pigs are kept in poor sanitary conditions, the skatole present in pigs faeces can be absorbed through the skin and directly into the body. Female and castrated boars can metabolise excess concentrations of skatole, removing it from the body. However, in uncastrated boars, the metabolism of skatole is slowed down by the action of their reproductive hormones and, like androstenone, skatole accumulates in the fatty tissues. Thats a google, regards, Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Grant 4 Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 The answer seems to be that you castrate it in the proceess of shooting it. If that is not an option then get out with the knife. Only had wild Boar in the sixties when I was playing Soldiers in West Germany. Since then only home grown. Tasted fine. Never looked for its testicles. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BIGPETE 0 Posted October 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 The answer seems to be that you castrate it in the proceess of shooting it. If that is not an option then get out with the knife. Only had wild Boar in the sixties when I was playing Soldiers in West Germany. Since then only home grown. Tasted fine. Never looked for its testicles. Years ago I dont mind saying that I could could indeed shoot the proverbials off a gnat but never tried a boar! dont reckon he'd be reet pleased about it either. On a serious note, as I understand it so far, removing the testicles post mortem would be a bit late as the tainting is already present in the meat/fat. Does anyone know if this tainting is present in all boars or is it pot luck? Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 why not just hold your fire until another sow comes along? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pops 19 Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 got a better chance of winning the lottery than gettting a true wildboar w/o taint. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BIGPETE 0 Posted October 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 why not just hold your fire until another sow comes along? To be honest I may have to do just that, but after a 500 mile round trip and a blanking session because I did not take a boar that presents a shot may really pi** me off. These boar are causing considerable damage so if a boar presents its self then I think it will be lights out and hope that I get a chance at a sow also ( for the meat ). The purpose of my post was requesting information on boar taint and many thanks to those that helped me out. At least now I feel more able to make an informed choice, knowing more about the meat quality of boar. On a closing note, I reckon a few choice herbs and spices will hide a bit of taint so a half hundred weight of boar bangers it is then ! lol. All the best, Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Yokel Matt 918 Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 When i was in NZ i heard the term 'Venison Pork' banded around a fair bit... this referred to the juvenile boar's that were good eating. Also the suckers were pretty popular for the table and the sows ranking above the big old boars. As with Deer i imagine a big mature trophy piggy with nuts like melons is more likely to taste a little on the gamey side... be a nice gift for the in-laws Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 well now i'm curious! would the taint still be strong and noticeable if you made it into sausage? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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