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.