Start Preparing Now For Bow Season

I can't wait for bow season to start every year, but I know my bowhunting skills need some tuning up. I want to go bowhunting right now, take some game and bring home good meat to eat. Well, I've found the answer to my dilemma -- I'll hunt hogs with my bow.

The hog populations in much of the South have mushroomed in the past decade with feral hogs now living in places never known to have many feral hogs before. Many states' WMAs permit hog hunting only during gun-deer season or at certain other times, according to specific WMA regulations. But if you know individuals who have private lands and hog problems, oftentimes you can hunt their hogs. Too, you can help the landowner rid his property of these rooting nuisances. For instance between Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, about two years from my home in Birmingham, last year a farmer had more than $10,000 worth of damage done to his corn crop by feral pigs.

I love to hunt hogs with my bow during the summertime. If you'll wear mosquito repellent and hunt downwind of where you expect to locate the hogs, which have a highly developed sense of smell, you can go after the porkers. I use D-Scent's deodorizer and scent eliminator when I hunt hogs to keep them from alerting because they've smelled me.

If you don't have a place to hunt hogs this summer or fall, consider stepping across the line and going to Florida, which homes several year-round hog-hunting operations. You can use the following excuse that, "Honey, I'm going to take you and the children to Orlando this summer to go to Disney World. You know I'll go with you for a day or two. But amusement parks just aren't my thing.

"I want you and the kids to stay in the Disney World area and visit all the sights you've always wanted to see. I'll drive about an hour from Orlando to LaBelle to hunt hogs at Wingshooters. When I finish up my hog hunt, I'll be ready for bow season, and our family will have fresh ham, pork chops, tenderloins and ribs to eat. You and the children will have had a wonderful time at Disney World and plenty of pictures to show off when we return home."

If you want to take your family on a Disney World retreat while you experience some of the finest hog hunting in the nation, let me tell you about my hog hunt when I stepped across the line, went into Florida and hunted at Wingshooters, a 5000-acre hunting preserve.

"No one around here ever knows of a time when this section of the state hasn't had hogs," says Don Teston, owner and operator of Wingshooters near LaBelle, Florida.

The first hogs in Florida came there with the early Spanish explorers. Until recent years, Florida homed one of the largest populations of cattle and hogs in the nation -- surpassed only by Texas. After the enactment of the fence laws in the early 1900s, ranchers never caught up all the hogs that lived in Florida's palmetto swamps.

I like to hunt hogs with a bow and arrow after deer season ends because ...

* I really enjoy hunting with a bow -- getting in close, sitting still and taking game in close quarters.

* Hogs have large numbers in some areas and make great targets.

* Landowners generally want hunters to come in and remove these nuisance animals from their lands.

* My family enjoys eating feral hogs, much leaner and more tasty than domestic hogs.

Here's some of our family's favorite pork recipes. Don't forget that you'll need to use recipes that help the pork be moist because of wild pork's leanness.

Farmhouse Pork Chops

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 large egg white

4 boneless center-cut loin pork chops (5 ounces each), trimmed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. In a resealable plastic bag, combine bread crumbs, oregano, lemon peel, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well. In a shallow bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Dip pork chops into egg white, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Place pork chops in plastic bag, and shake until coated. Put pork chops on prepared baking sheet. Bake pork chops, turning once, until pork is cooked through and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Place pork chops on a serving platter. Serve immediately.

Range-Top Ribs

2 lbs. country-style pork ribs, trimmed

1 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 c. reduced-sodium ketchup

3 tbs. water

1 tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbs. frozen orange-juice concentrate, thawed

1 tbs. Dijon-style mustard

1 tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. chili powder

Orange slices for garnish

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add ribs; cook, turning frequently, until well- browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ribs to paper towels to drain. Wipe fat from skillet with paper towels. Return ribs to skillet. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. While ribs are simmering, in a small bowl, combine onion, ketchup, water, soy sauce, orange juice concentrate, mustard, brown sugar and chili powder. Mix well. Add to skillet. Increase heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Place the ribs in a serving dish and garnish with orange slices. Serve any remaining sauce from the skillet on the side.

Stuffed Pork Chops

3 tsp. margarine, divided

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 c. cooked white rice

3/4 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

1/4 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbs. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme

4 boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 4 ounces each), trimmed

Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

In a medium nonstick skillet, melt 2 teaspoons of margarine over medium heat. Add onion; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in rice, 1/4 cup of broth, cheeses, and thyme. Mix well. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep horizontal pocket in each chop. Spoon rice mixture into pockets, dividing evenly. Secure openings with toothpicks. Place the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining margarine and melt. Add chops; cook until browned, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Add remaining broth. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until chops are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Place on serving plates; remove toothpicks. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with pan juices on the side.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), trimmed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

3 tbs. white vinegar

2 tbs. honey

Place pork in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. In a small bowl, combine garlic, orange peel, thyme and pepper. Using a fork, mash until a paste forms. Rub paste onto pork. In a measuring cup, combine orange juice and vinegar; pour over meat. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Drain pork and transfer to a cutting board; discard marinade in dish. Cut pork crosswise into 12 equal slices. Spray a large nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add a single layer of pork slices; saute until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Place on a plate; cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pork. Remove pan from the heat. Return the pork to the pan. Drizzle with honey; stir slices to coat. Serve immediately.

For more information on hog hunting, contact Don Teston at Wingshooters (941) 693-2549, P.O. Box 980, LaBelle, FL 33975. To learn more about D-Scent, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to 3-J Corporation, P.O. Box 32, Fostoria, IA 51340, or call (712) 332-5072.

TOMORROW: HUNTING HOGS WITH A CROSSBOW

Check back each day this week for more about FLORIDA -- A PLACE WITH IT ALL ...

Day 1 -Taking Turkeys In Florida
Day 2 -An Eager Tom
Day 3 -Start Preparing Now For Bow Season
Day 4 -Hunting Hogs With A Crossbow
Day 5 -Other Places To Hunt Hogs In Florida

John's Journal