Tusks from Big Pigs

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  • Last Post 05 December 2024
Wilderness posted this 09 September 2024

 

This is getting a bit off theme for CBA, except insofar as it relates to a previous post.

Back in June I posted some images of a pair of big barrows I shot one night with the hard HP .30-30 cast bullets.

A few days ago I collected the tusks The smaller pig actually had the longer tusks (top), which I could pull with pliers. The larger hog was less obliging, and the tusks took some damage from the axe used in the extraction, hence the approximate length measurements.

Barrows tend to end up with bigger tusks than boars, possibly because they don’t break them off fighting.

There is a New Zealand scoring system for tusks – the Douglas score. As I understand it, this system takes the smaller from each pair of measurements, doubles it and then totals the doubles.

Measurements are length around the curve, length of grind, circumference at base of grind, and circumference at base of tusk, all in inches.

Kiwi members please correct me and add examples. I shoot nutritionally deprived pigs  - I’m sure you fellows can do better.

Measurements for the newly collected tusks:

                         Smaller                            Larger

                          Pig                                    Pig

 

Length                9.750 - 9.000 > 18          9.25+ – 9+      >     18+

Grind                   2.625 - 2.500 >  5           1.750 - 1.500 >      3

Circ @ grind      2.500 - 2.500 >  5           2.250 – 2.250 >     4.5

Circ @ base        2.500 – 2.500 > 5           2.625 – 2.375 >    4.75

 

Douglas score                              33                                       30.25+

By any standard, nine inches is a good tusk.

I’m not really into keeping this stuff, so now I’ve measured them I can probably give them to someone for earrings or nose ornaments.

 

You are only as good as your library.

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longhunter posted this 09 September 2024

Nice set of Tusks!

When I was in Germany, I love hunting the Russian Boars that roamed the woods there.(8x57)

We normally shot smaller pigs for the meat markets.(100K or less).

Wildmans Heil

Jon

Jon Welda CW5 USA Ret.

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Clod Hopper posted this 10 September 2024

In the US a "barrow" is a castrated male.  Aren't the pigs you shot wild?  Who castrated them or what am I missing?

Dale M. Lock

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Wilderness posted this 11 September 2024

Dale - not just in the U.S. but in the English speaking world as a whole. For background see previous posts. Some of the lads who catch wild pigs with dogs cut the young boars and let them go. Of course they hope to catch them again later to eat when the now barrows are bigger and no longer reeking of boar taint.

You are only as good as your library.

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Exmagnum posted this 02 December 2024

Good stuff - it will be 30 years Wednesday that I bagged a big boar at Lake Sonoma CA ( archery tho’ ) still have the tusks somewhere - not sure about the skull. JB

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Ross Smith posted this 04 December 2024

OK  i admit my ignorance, are those the upper or lower tusks?

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Wilderness posted this 05 December 2024

Lower. Upper also curve upwards but are much shorter.

You are only as good as your library.

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