Thread: What to do about bone taint

Originally Posted by Bagheera

I have a theory that after a non fatal gut shot, gut contents gets into he circulation and can be pumped all round the body by circulation if the animal takes more than a minute

I've personally kinda felt the same. Even maybe a Liver shot. Circulation is fucked but not entirely shut down and there is a bunch of shit floating around the Liver.

Not so bad when cooking and killing pathogens while eating liver. But med/rare Venison back steak from the only animal I have eaten that I know was liver shot and hung in chiller (slipped as firing, not by myself) had a funky quality I haven't seen since.

Was that the cause? Can't say, but have wondered about any kind of contamination from the "waste management organs" ever since.

Don't shoot many Poaka myself but definitely pop joints and cool asap. And never EVER cool meat in water. Hanging in trees in shade by running water=good, even cooled and in bags in water.....no thanks.

But that's just my thoughts/opinions.

Also what Moa Hunter said. Gutless method is underrated in NZ with any animal but especially pigs for some reason.

Originally Posted by gonetropo

personally i would chuck the whole beast out, not worth getting sick over.

Yep absolutely, biff the whole thing. Not just the part you think has the bone taint. The whole thing will be stuffed, cooking will do nothing to remove it.

Originally Posted by Preacher

Also what Moa Hunter said. Gutless method is underrated in NZ with any animal but especially pigs for some reason.

Thats because its more glorious to carry a pig out whole and intact, also everyone can see your kill!

Nah, majority of pig hunters do the whole thing as they sit on your back easier and more balanced whole. Also because of where pigs tent to live, pig hunters have to bash there way out of thick, nasty crap in order to get there kill out. Hence its better to leave the head on and often sew the stomach cavity up to keep the rubbish out/off the meat.

Also why a lot don't carry packs as such as they tent to get caught up as your pushing through the crap to get to the bail/hold.

With gutting in general, i only gut if im taking an animal out whole (hardly ever unless the vehicle can be driven close by). I'll also gut if i want to take the tender-lions, else i never bother. Just whip off the legs leaving the skin there and take the back steaks. Then into a solid, sturdy pack with a frame that'll sit square and true on my back in order to minimise wear and tear to my knees, ankles, hips and back.

I find I do the gutless method as fast as I can and then can reach in behind short ribs and still get tenderloins out. But only if abdominal cavity is intact and if I am fast getting to it.

Originally Posted by Preacher

I've personally kinda felt the same. Even maybe a Liver shot. Circulation is fucked but not entirely shut down and there is a bunch of shit floating around the Liver.

Not so bad when cooking and killing pathogens while eating liver. But med/rare Venison back steak from the only animal I have eaten that I know was liver shot and hung in chiller (slipped as firing, not by myself) had a funky quality I haven't seen since.

Was that the cause? Can't say, but have wondered about any kind of contamination from the "waste management organs" ever since.

Don't shoot many Poaka myself but definitely pop joints and cool asap. And never EVER cool meat in water. Hanging in trees in shade by running water=good, even cooled and in bags in water.....no thanks.

But that's just my thoughts/opinions.

That "Funky Quality " ....

Yes, even a good lung shot often also goes through the liver. Imagine all the gall bladder contents being hydraulicked into a major blood vessel nearby. Sterile but "interesting".

As an update. Chucked everything into the Manukau as my bin gets picked up in a few days.

Everything he gave me had bone taint.

Interestingly enough the goats I shot and carried out were completely fine.

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Originally Posted by Russian 22.

As an update. Chucked everything into the Manukau as my bin gets picked up in a few days.

Everything he gave me had bone taint.

Interestingly enough the goats I shot and carried out were completely fine.

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Good on you. With gut shot pigs, as I have said before an option is to cut the legs off. Another option if it is more practical is to drag / carry the whole animal out, is to roughly gut the pig and then cut the legs and saddle meat off at home. Avoiding / trimming off the meat that is connected to the peritoneal ( gut ) cavity. I have never had an issue with a pig that has been shot in the liver or guts suffering from meat contaminated from the hydraulic shock, but I have only shot about 500 so I am just a beginner.
The next question is 'have you been taught how to cleanly gut' ??

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Good on you. With gut shot pigs, as I have said before an option is to cut the legs off. Another option if it is more practical is to drag / carry the whole animal out, is to roughly gut the pig and then cut the legs and saddle meat off at home. Avoiding / trimming off the meat that is connected to the peritoneal ( gut ) cavity. I have never had an issue with a pig that has been shot in the liver or guts suffering from meat contaminated from the hydraulic shock, but I have only shot about 500 so I am just a beginner.
The next question is 'have you been taught how to cleanly gut' ??

The plan for the last pig hunt of the year is to drop the pig off at the home kill place just down the road from where we hunt and get it made into sausages.

Any other times I was planning on boning out as you said.

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@Moa Hunter, not necessarily "contaminated" just found a slightly less pleasant taste that haven't seen since. Like was said just a theory, no actual proof.

Don't really gut anything myself unless on a farm with vehicle access or making back end into backpack. I'm not a very big fella and most of the Reds I see/shoot are way too big for me to carry whole. So I use the gutless method almost always.

Originally Posted by Preacher

@Moa Hunter, not necessarily "contaminated" just found a slightly less pleasant taste that haven't seen since. Like was said just a theory, no actual proof.

Don't really gut anything myself unless on a farm with vehicle access or making back end into backpack. I'm not a very big fella and most of the Reds I see/shoot are way too big for me to carry whole. So I use the gutless method almost always.

Preacher, I am wondering if the observation that you have raised is more of a deer issue than a pig problem ? Certainly the bullet wounds in pigs are different to those in deer. Of course shifting from a 308 to a 270 will solve all these problems you are having !!

Possibly? It certainly is not scientific or even remotely close. Went from a 7.62x39 bush gun to a .243 so definitely halving problems Just adding more though

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

The plan for the last pig hunt of the year is to drop the pig off at the home kill place just down the road from where we hunt and get it made into sausages.

Any other times I was planning on boning out as you said.

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Soviet 22, The weather is getting warmer so whipping the wheels of a pig and stashing them in a pack without cooling may turnout to produce a very Un-cool result !
Field dressing and getting air through it would be best.
What if you get a cracking young boar or maiden sow of 60-70 lb ? It would be sacrilege to sausage the lot, and I would recommend that you be banned from the forum and publicly flogged if you did that right before Xmas when some choice roasts could be handy or even a wild pork ham which is always much better than the farmed stuff.

Have you been taught how to cleanly gut ??? It is important to know what you are doing. In the past a lot of blokes were trained at the freezing works and then they taught their mates. This doesn't happen much now so put your hand up, there are plenty of experienced blokes on the forum who would be pleased to help if asked.

I have been taught by a few people to gut cleanly I just haven't managed to shoot an animals by myself to practice. Everything I've shot has been with someone experienced who's helped me along the way

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As @Moa Hunter pointed out don't sausage the lot. If you don't know already learn how to butcher into various cuts. I was taught by an old school butcher but will still watch YouTube vids to "keep sharp" for lack of a better term/practice. Scott Rea/Rhea? Has some very interesting films and recipes. Probably not many regarding wild pig but the principles are still relevant.