A deer hunter told me Wednesday morning he had encountered his first feral swine on the property where he hunts. He said he knew it would ruin his hunt, but he shot the medium-sized sow.

I asked what he’d done with the animal. He said he dug a hole and buried it.

“Those things are not any good to eat, you know,” he said.

It’s true feral swine and the pork you purchase at the grocery store are two different creatures. Commercially raised pigs are fed a special diet that produce a controlled level of fat that makes the meat flavorful. Feral swine eat whatever they can find. They are lean and rarely have any flavorful fat.

It is not totally accurate to say they are not good to eat, however. It all depends on the wild pig you choose and how it is prepared.