I have been asked for advice many times on how I clean hogs, so here it goes!
Most of our hunting takes place within an hour of home, so there's no hurry to gut anything. We rarely gut any animal.
I start with the hog laying on its side {guts in}, spine to me. Starting at the base of the skull, sharp side of the blade out {this keeps your blade from dulling}. I poke through the skin and make a cut all the way to the base of the tail. I then start at the spine and make a cut just behind the shoulder blade all the way to the knee. Same as before sharp side out. I fillet the skin forward off of the shoulder. If you cut the right spot at the knee the leg separates from the shoulder. I then start behind the shoulder blade cutting down to the ribs and forward until shoulder is free from carcass and skin. You now have 1 shoulder ready for cooler. I move now to the flank on the back end and make a cut just past the hock of the leg up the inside sharp side out ring the leg with your knife sharp side out. I now fillet the skin off of the ham to the backside of the leg. Raise the leg fillet skin down to the crotch and leave skin attached at the crotch. Now follow the spine and hipbones from the topside of the hog as closely as possible but deep into the meat towards the crotch. Lift the leg start at the crotch cutting to the ball joint of the hip. The whole ham should now be free of carcass and skin. I hold the ham over my cooler by the hock and start at the joint cutting downwards around the femur {leg bone} until the meat falls free. You now have a boneless ham. Now fillet the back skin 6-8 inch and fold it over to take the back strap. If you like you can make a small incision in the flank reach in and take the tenderloin. Now flip the hog and do the other side.Didn't really skin him the skin is still attached to the carcass. The only lost meat is in the ribs. Not worth saving on a wild hog in my opinion. Of course we kill 50-60 a year {killed 63 in 06 and 50 in 07 AND 15 so far this year}.
Be sure and wear rubber gloves while cleaning and processing all game especially hogs.
The shorter blades work best. Not more than 6 inches, I use a short fillet knife.
I use a sharpening stick after each cut through the skin. If you let you knife get dull it takes a while to get the edge back.
I leave the meat iced down for a week before freezing. Before anyone ask about spoiling. Aint dead yet, been eatin' hogs 15 years!
I could have cleaned 2 hogs in the time it took me to type this.
hope this helps. I'll be glad to answer any questions through PM's.
PS. works on deer also except you take the neck meat.
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