When you guys bleed them out, do you skin em all the way to the bone and THEN bleed them? Or do you throw them in the ice chest with hair ticks and all?

I have shot about 15 hogs but was just not real sure how to properly bleed them out so I always cut the tenderloins off and them awarded the food chain.

Thanks fellas.

I will take the skin of the quarters and throw them, the backstraps and the tenderloins in a cooler, all skinless, and cover with ice. drain it and replace the ice every day, until the water that comes out is clear. you can add lemon juice, or a product called gamefix to it as well. Never met a boar I couldn't eat.

I have not tried it yet, but I read online that some people add like 1/2 cup of vinegar to the mix. Anyone done this or know what it is supposed to do?

works fine from what I hear from several reliable people. I've tried the lemon juice and it works, seems to speed the process up some but not needed.

I clean my hogs different from most,If i take them home to clean i hang them up by head and skin out and then hose all the hair off and then gut.I found it alot easier to keep the meat clean that way.Then let it sit in cooler for three days draining water ach day and keeping covered with ice.Ater that i take it out of the cooler and clean cooler and rub my rub on the hog and inject with tonys marinade and rub italian dress all over and wrap tight with foil and put in cooler and ice down for a few days them smoke on smoker 275-300 degrees for six-eight hours.

clean it, throw it in ice chest, put in ice, and a lil water, drain water in morning, add more ice, do periodically throughout the day. thats what id do.

I've never shot a hog but plan to do so soon. As soon as I can find the funds or a place I can go for free. So keep the thoughts and ideas coming so I will know what to do with it after I shot one. Does anyone know of a U-tube link to show what to do with them? I have a feeling the more I know the better off I will be when the time comes.

ok folks here is how we do it hangem by the head skinem out quarter put in cooler on ice for 2 days draining water and blood off daily on the third day drain fill with ice and the cheapest cola u can find i use sams choice it take three or four 2 liters let it set 24 hrs take it out of the cooler rinse in sink cut and wrap for freezer. you wont be able to tell the difference in wild and store bought pork

For smaller ones I gut em and cape em, hose em off really good and let them soak in ice water for several days. Definitely no dirty hide in the water... just clean meat and bone. Anything nasty in the water is not only gross, but will taint the meat. Larger hogs I quarter up just for easier handling. If I have more time I may bone them out, but usually I do that later before I prep them for the freezer. Never felt the need to add anything to the soak... its good eatin just out of an ice bath.

Learned my lesson early on the caping. First hogs I ever shot (mr and a buddy took 3 big 200+ boars in one hunt) we field dressed and hung em in a really nice walk in cooler. That Sunday before we went home we started caping, and the hides and tallow had gotten so stiff it took 2 hours to fight them out of the capes. Cape em while they are fresh.... peels off much easier. A whole hog should take less than 20 minutes, and that's with a beverage break or 2...

Been brine soaking deer and hogs for years and it works great. Cup of apple cider vinegar and some salt in the ice water changed daily till it clears up significantly. Could take 2 or 5 days. One day of plain ice water then drain and process.

Thanks now I know what to do with them when I get one.

The method that appeals to me is shown in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gU7TNXYNHA&feature=related

However, I must state that this guy not wearing gloves is asking for trouble.

I'm sure most will agree, before the love, get a glove!

[edit]
Question I had though, are the ribs worth saving? As in bbq ribs?
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Or you could go with this method

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXcze4NPsk8

Some don't bother with them, but I like em. Not very much meat, but tasty. One of the reasons the wife puts up with my hunting. I like to throw small pigs on the smoker whole, and the ribs get a bit crispy. Best when you do em separate.