Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Collared peccary. Sorta cute, but smelly little critters. Mostly run about 35 pounds on the hoof, mature, but every now and then I've seen some taller ones that might go as much as 50. I'd have to see the scales to ever believe 60.
Very near-sighted. The hearing is fair, but their little old noses work great!
If the wind's in your favor, you can ease along slowly and quietly fairly close to them. I've run in and grabbed a baby piggie, and Mama stays behind as the rest run off. She'll circle around and pop her jaws and make all manner of threatening noises while Junior squeals as though the boogers have hold of him. Let him down, and he hauls tail to Mama and away they go.
Folks occasionally walk up into the middle of a bunch when they're resting in the middle of the day. When they up, jump and run, they all head off in pretty much the same direction. Statistically, then, one or some will come by or at you--or even between your legs. A head toss with those tusks can be seriously painful. But they're not attacking, they're fleeing.
IMO, head shots are the best, since they don't hurt any meat. In field dressing, the first thing is to cut off that gland in the skin of the middle of the back. Easy to do. I always did a slow barbecue of the hams, and the flavor is great. Good flavor. The main thing is to not let the meat dry out. The tiny little backstraps cook quickly, and serve as appetizers for the pore ol' hard-workin' cook.
Very near-sighted. The hearing is fair, but their little old noses work great!
If the wind's in your favor, you can ease along slowly and quietly fairly close to them. I've run in and grabbed a baby piggie, and Mama stays behind as the rest run off. She'll circle around and pop her jaws and make all manner of threatening noises while Junior squeals as though the boogers have hold of him. Let him down, and he hauls tail to Mama and away they go.
Folks occasionally walk up into the middle of a bunch when they're resting in the middle of the day. When they up, jump and run, they all head off in pretty much the same direction. Statistically, then, one or some will come by or at you--or even between your legs. A head toss with those tusks can be seriously painful. But they're not attacking, they're fleeing.
IMO, head shots are the best, since they don't hurt any meat. In field dressing, the first thing is to cut off that gland in the skin of the middle of the back. Easy to do. I always did a slow barbecue of the hams, and the flavor is great. Good flavor. The main thing is to not let the meat dry out. The tiny little backstraps cook quickly, and serve as appetizers for the pore ol' hard-workin' cook.