# Quickie No-Fuss Hog Dressing



## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

Here is an image of a hog I shot last weekend. I just put the hog on its tummy and remove the backstap and large portion of the ham. Tools are shown...folding utility knife for the skin, folding Buck knife for the meat, rubber gloves, and grocery bag full of meat. No guts, not much blood. The nasty hog is never in the truck or at the camp....just put a rope around the carcass and haul it away from the blind with the truck.


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## KIKO (Oct 24, 2006)

That is a wast of meat!!!


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## LIONESS-270 (May 19, 2005)

KIKO said:


> That is a wast of meat!!!


Nope....Depends on the hog and circumstance....(after cleaning dozens)....I used to feel the same way but when you are over-run things change.......

Nice job...I've done the same. ....when nessessary. Some 200lb boars are great meat hogs and some 100lbers stink so bad you can't get close to em...
When you need to take out a lot of hogs...Have a list of folks who want them and never show up....you do what you have to do.
Its better than leaving them lay....I've had to do that too.

Humane killing gets our respect....after that...its all about numbers and circumstance.

We are building a holding/feeder pen in base camp now and have a transfer box from traps to pen..
This will buy us time to give more away this year.

chief


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## ytbj (May 26, 2004)

your wasting alot of good meat---ribs are great on pit


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## bayourat (Jan 7, 2005)

KIKO said:



> That is a wast of meat!!!


Agreed.....what about the front shoulders, ribs and tenderloins?


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

How do you wast meat? Do you mean waste?  

Sorry, It's Monday so I'm in a bad mood. LOL


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## michaelbaranowski (May 24, 2004)

I have to agree that the are way to many hogs I see nothing wrong with just cutting out backstraps.


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## Bukmstr (Nov 12, 2004)

I do not see this being a problem at all. I know several ranches where they are just gut shooting them in the belly and leting them run off and die.....


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Looks good to me, plenty of hogs to go around. In another 10 years were gonna have a serious problem.


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## LIONESS-270 (May 19, 2005)

Bukmstr said:


> I do not see this being a problem at all. I know several ranches where they are just gut shooting them in the belly and leting them run off and die.....


I question the values of any human being that is capable of doing that.....and the justification.....

All animals deserve a humane death....even Hogs.

chief


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## deebo (May 22, 2004)

Bukmstr said:


> I do not see this being a problem at all. I know several ranches where they are just gut shooting them in the belly and leting them run off and die.....


Gosh I hate hearing that. I have absolutly no problem with only taking the straps, or even just shooting them and not taking any meat, but please never gut shoot an animal on purpose so it will run off to die. I hate hogs as much as the next guy, but at least make a clean kill so it doesnt suffer. Most of the hogs i kill, i never take any meat, but i do make a clean kill. No animal deseves to die from a gut shot. Make a clean kill, and take the 5 min to drag it off, or even let it lay if its not under a feeder or something. But i think gut shooting an animal for no reason is terrible, and is a poor reflection on hunters. Make a clean kill, and take a few min to drag it off.

My $0.02.


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## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

*What????*

I guess none of you have cut breast halves from a duck or goose? Or, filleted a mess of fish. In each case you could argue that you leave a lot of meat behind. Anyway, I just wanted to demonstrate it for those who might not want to jack with a 200 lb hog. (I did not invent this, I learned it from other hunters) PS this hog was shoulder shot and did not take one step.


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## Psycho Trout (May 26, 2004)

I have to agree on the gut shot. Take him down with one shot with no suffering.

As far as taking the straps and hams. I see no problem at all. The only thing that I might consider waste at that point would be the shoulders. The ribs are good eating, but I wouldn't consider waste. The tenderloins are not big enough to even really talk about.

Consider that not everyone eats all the edable parts on a deer either. Everyone does not take the liver, heart and ribs off a deer to eat. Some do though. Are you going to say it is waste. This is a matter of opinion. My $.02.


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## deebo (May 22, 2004)

Sorry, Johnboat, i didnt realy respond to your original post. I think what you showed is great. Heck, you took more meat than a lot of folks. Nothing wrong with it at all. I could go for some chicken fried hog straps about now....MMMMMMMM


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Given how many hogs get killed with no meat taken (thery are a pest) I have no problem with how you deal with the meat so long as the effort is made to have a quick, clean kill. I use as much of the non-organ meat as I conveniently can, but I do not kill that many.


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## LIONESS-270 (May 19, 2005)

Thanks Johnboat, Deebo and Mr. Helm...you gentlemen have my respect for speaking out on humane killing....

It helps generate some positive peer pressure to a lot of other hunters that is sometimes needed..

Good How Too Pic....I'm sure many will benefit from it....

Greenies and Kudos...owe ya one Charles

chief

vBulletin MessageYou must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Charles Helm again.
​


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

chiefcharlie said:


> Greenies and Kudos...owe ya one Charles
> 
> chief
> vBulletin MessageYou must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Charles Helm again.
> ​


I'll cover that for ya.


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## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

chiefcharlie said:


> chief
> 
> vBulletin MessageYou must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Charles Helm again.
> ​


Gotcha covered Chief.


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## pirogue man (Jul 13, 2005)

Considering the gut shot, I remember in Army Basic Training, in preparation for Vietnam, we recruits were taught to gut shoot rather than a clean kill. The rationale was that a wounded man will potentially take a couple of guys out of the battle temporarily to help, whereas a clean kill will just keep them all coming. Remember, though, the military bullet was full metal jacketed and not an expanding bullet like we use in hunting. The military bullet would penetrate and usually go right on through. It was the thought of all of it that was rather sobering. Fortunately, I was assigned to do medical research at Walter Reed and stayed stateside.

The thought of gut shooting an animal to let it suffer is rather gruesome.


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## espanolabass (Jul 20, 2006)

Gut shooting is completely unexceptable. I hate hogs too but wouldn't do that to any kind animal.


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## JD761 (Jun 7, 2006)

Johnboat, thanks for the useful info, I'll give it a try one day. Sorry your thread got jacked, some people...


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## Bukmstr (Nov 12, 2004)

*My Post....*

Sorry guys on the hi-jack, I would never gut shoot an animal on purpose. I should have thought about it before I posted. I was only saying what I know is happening with certain ranch owners who choose to do this. We all know there is a major hog problem that is getting worse, Like chief said we owe it to the animals to dispatch them quickly as possible.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

i hunt in east texas an we have an abundance of the critters, we were told by the paper co to dipatch as many as possible, because of the damage they do.

I think the only way that I would gut shoot one would be a case of him or me, if you are going to clean do a head shot othwise a shoulder shot and drag em off, we have a place to discard our remains after dressing that we also varmit hunt , so you get multiple benfits from them.


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## Tiny (Dec 19, 2006)

I am going Hog Erraticating in February or March at my Dad's Friends place up on Rocksprings, We have to kill at least 200 hogs, My dad says they just leave them lay or gut shoot them. I told him, Well, when I go, I'm taking an Ice Chest to the Stand, It'll be one shot, in the ear and then I'm getting at least the backstraps!

So I say good job! That's exactly how I'm Gonna do it!


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Johnboat

I was going to say thats the way I do it too. I even posted that here some time earlier. 
Dont worry about the folks shooting at you. Its the best way. When your out alone its the best and easiest way. No stinking hog in the truck or camp. I just didnt have pictures like you and that job looks perfect. Nope dont worry about the ribs. they mostly just dry up on the pit and forget the loins.

Charlie


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

I wonder if the rear hindquarters would be pretty easy to take out like that without getting too messy. I'll have to try that one of these days. Thanks for the pic and the idea by the way.


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## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

*Hindquarters*

Yes, you can do a better job than shown in my picture....just takes a little more time. My buddy took more time skinning all around the hind legs and left only the bare ham bones behind. I am getting better at this each time. One other thing I failed to mention...removing the backstrap toward the lower rear be careful because you get off/below the rib area and could cut into the gut cavity....pretty obvious but use small knife strokes. Back at camp I keep my FoodSaver. I vacuum seal each hog into portions and into the icechest it goes. (no bloody ice chest) Nothing to do at home but put in the deep freeze.


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## HEAVYDUTYCHEVY (Aug 3, 2005)

Good Job john boat!!!

People all too often waste meat by putting it in the freezer, and never eating it. At least you know you will eat what you brought home......


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## expressfish (Jun 8, 2004)

I wish I had as many hogs as everyones complaining about coming to my feeder.....Id have ribs, pork chops, backstrap and sausage for years to come.........


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

justletmein said:


> I wonder if the rear hindquarters would be pretty easy to take out like that without getting too messy. I'll have to try that one of these days. Thanks for the pic and the idea by the way.


If you want the whole, bone-in hindquarter, it isn't too much more difficult. Make the same but down the back bone, and peel the skin off the straps and cut em out. Roll the hog onto one side, and skin down the hind quarter. Remove the quarter, roll onto the other side and repeat. Simple.

The bad thing about this method is that all the work is done bending over or on your knees. I'd rather hang them up if possible, but on a big one it isn't worth the trouble of getting them someplace to hang.


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## neckdeep (Oct 12, 2004)

"I wish I had as many hogs as everyones complaining about coming to my feeder.....Id have ribs, pork chops, backstrap and sausage for years to come........."


are you sure about that ? They are like deer and you only see afew of the ones who eat your corn and tear stuff up


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## KillaHookset (Jan 6, 2005)

So approximately how much meat do you get and how much are you missing out on say a 200 lb hog if you just take the hams and backs not counting the ribs.
I took my first hog last year and plan on taking many more soon but would also like a way to speed up the process of hanging them and dressing them out like a deer more important when you have 4 or 5 to do in one sitting.


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## expressfish (Jun 8, 2004)

thats probably true NECKDEEP, Ive only shot one this year at my feeder---and he was solo (strange).....seen a dozen running on the road, and alot of ground torn up around the ranch, they just seem to illude me when IM around !!


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

Get a winch hoist that swivels and mounts in your receiver hitch. It makes it easy to raise the pigs up from their hind legs, skin them down, take the backstraps and hams and go on about your business. Or just to swing them into the bed of the truck if you're by yourself.

My back won't let me clean deer or hogs on the ground anymore but with the hoist I can put most of them on my tailgate.

TH


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## expressfish (Jun 8, 2004)

Hey chief.......on that list of folks that never show up..........I can show up on standby


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

expressfish said:


> thats probably true NECKDEEP, Ive only shot one this year at my feeder---and he was solo (strange).....seen a dozen running on the road, and alot of ground torn up around the ranch, they just seem to illude me when IM around !!


Most of the boars we see are alone. I imagine if my wife was a pig I'd want to avoid her too.


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## neckdeep (Oct 12, 2004)

we have about turned all our pigs nocturnal, they don't seem to like arrows and lead so much any more.

They still tear up enough stuff to keep us mad


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## txhoghtr (Aug 14, 2006)

About waste, when it comes to hogs everyone has thier own way to clean them. I have cleaned 72 hogs this year in one area where I hunt. some 3 to 5 at a time and sometimes just one. I have done them both ways full dress and skin and some just the back straps and whole hams. Front shoulders are not that "meaty" and the tenders sometimes are not worth the trouble. I have several people who take the meat when I am over run so thats not a problem. I have even taken orders for them whole from a local Boy Scouts Of Americ troop. To say it is waste is rediculous. Guess the helicopter operations to save farm land during which none of the hogs are even processed is not right either. Lets remember these are animals which are in some areas beyond a problem. Guess it is up to the hunter..... God Love America!!!!!!!


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

About wasting meat.

I think a lot of people look at hogs as a food source, you know, the other white meat and they are delicious and we eat all we shoot.

But to some they are like nutria; just a pest that needs to be killed because of the damage they do to the land and crops.

I've killed a lot of nutria, skunks, ***** and coyotes in my life but never took the meat and don't intend to as to me they're just pests.

Always try to see things from both sides.

TH


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## Stretch (May 22, 2004)

Johnboat unfourtunatly left out the fact he shot this pig through the front shoulders in his first post. It might have made a different to some on the waste remark and it might not have. I shot a doe this January and pulled the shot into her off side shoulder. there was so much damage it was not worth taking. If you only take one pig a year, I would consider salvaging as much meat as possible, but if I am shooting pigs each time I go out, I think this approach is very resonable. As I wopuld think that on most leases it a standing rule from landowner to take out all hogs when seen. At least it was not left to feed the coyotes(which also have standing orders to shoot on site as well I'm sure).

Thanks for the pics and Ideas.


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## ruben f. (Nov 28, 2006)

Boy howdy, I am sure you are glad you didnt ask what the best deer rifle caliber in Texas was! your head would have been more than bit off! Thanks for the good read anyway.

Ruben


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## Roscoe (May 12, 2006)

Hog tenderloins or as my butcher friend calls them, "Kidney Tenders"....seasoned and wrapped in bacon on the grille. Be hard pressed to find anything more tender or tasty. And Ribs, just starting saving the ribs this year, very good on the grille.

Neat post for quick cleaning Johnboat.

I say kill all the hogs you can & save what meat you want. While I hate to see good meat "wasted", I'd rather see the buzzards fed than let the hog walk....we are losing the battle with the hogs!


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## L.T.K.56 (Nov 2, 2006)

wound on purpose? naw. kill every one you can of breeding age and drag off if your as tired of them as we are.If your a deer hunter that is!


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## Bevo34 (Feb 10, 2005)

What would be the purpose of gut shooting them? If some ranchers are doing it, is there a method behind their madness. I can't think of one, just wondering.


Before I get jumped on for asking a question , I am not in anyway advocating ever gut shooting any animal.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Bevo34 said:


> What would be the purpose of gut shooting them? If some ranchers are doing it, is there a method behind their madness. I can't think of one, just wondering.
> 
> Before I get jumped on for asking a question , I am not in anyway advocating ever gut shooting any animal.


Gut-shot hogs run off to die. They don't die on the road where you have to see and smell them, and they do not keep eating the corn you put out for the deer.

I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS! That is just the rationale I have heard. I advocate a clean kill and some sausage in the freezer.


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## Bevo34 (Feb 10, 2005)

Makes sense, but really inhumane. My grandad would kick my *** if I ever did anything like that.



Charles Helm said:


> Gut-shot hogs run off to die. They don't die on the road where you have to see and smell them, and they do not keep eating the corn you put out for the deer.
> 
> I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS! That is just the rationale I have heard. I advocate a clean kill and some sausage in the freezer.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Charles Helm said:


> Gut-shot hogs run off to die. They don't die on the road where you have to see and smell them, and they do not keep eating the corn you put out for the deer.
> 
> I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS! That is just the rationale I have heard. I advocate a clean kill and some sausage in the freezer.


A lung shot will accomplish the same thing. The hog is off the road, but, dead within seconds.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

TXPalerider said:


> A lung shot will accomplish the same thing. The hog is off the road, but, dead within seconds.


But mine drop fast! I think the theory is that with a shot like that they may drop where they can be seen (smelled, etc.) so they are wounded to die later. And again, I would not do it and have made my feelings known.


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## Doubless (Aug 22, 2005)

I guess I am too "old school". The only hog I have shot so far this year showed up right at dark. I broke his neck, and when I got to him discovered he was too big to put into the hunting buggy. No way to get him into a tree for skinning, so I spent well over an hour skinning and quartering the animal on the ground. (He and 40# of ice filled a 120-quart Igloo...) I left NOTHING but head, skin, entrails, organs and feet. Back home, the fried strap tasted like pen-raised pork, just a bit chewy because of the dense meat.

As for "front shoulders aren't all that tasty", take a look at picnic-style ribs next time you are at a store. They are front shoulders run thru a band saw, and there isn't a better cut of meat off a pig...

I am not pointing fingers, I understand we are overrun with hogs and it is not hard to kill them when you are hunting them, generally speaking. I just think there are far too many folks out there that would welcome front shoulders and ribs from feral pigs. And to me, if it is shot it should be retrieved and processed for consumption by *somebody*. Again, just my $.02...


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Charles Helm said:


> But mine drop fast! I think the theory is that with a shot like that they may drop where they can be seen (smelled, etc.) so they are wounded to die later. And again, I would not do it and have made my feelings known.


I agree Charles. We believe have the same feelings on this.

I don't have a problem with nuisance pigs being killed and not kept. I do have a problem with them suffering.

Also, IMO, the shoulders are better than the hams.


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## El Cazador (Mar 4, 2005)

Good job Johnboat! You made a good shot and you took some meat. I remember 15 or so years ago we didn't have _any_ hogs. People use to say "man... I sure wish we had some hogs to kill". Well, we got 'em now, and we sure don't want 'em. Not in the numbers that we have them (anyway).

Now... our neighbors are gut shooting them as many have attested to. My brother brought up a good point a few weeks ago, when our neighbors told us what they were doing (gut shootin them). My brother said, "we have too many doe - are we going to start gut shooting _them_?" Good point bro...


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

El Cazador said:


> ...........Now... our neighbors are gut shooting them as many have attested to. My brother brought up a good point a few weeks ago, when our neighbors told us what they were doing (gut shootin them). My brother said, "we have too many doe - are we going to start gut shooting _them_?" Good point bro...


The only difference is, the WT deer is a native, state regulated game animal. The hog is a non-natitve, non-game, *nuisance *animal that was introduced to the ecological system.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

TXPalerider said:


> Also, IMO, the shoulders are better than the hams.


I have two in the freezer you are more than welcome to. I'm just going to give them to the neighbors as I really don't care for them.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Doubless said:


> As for "front shoulders aren't all that tasty", take a look at picnic-style ribs next time you are at a store. They are front shoulders run thru a band saw, and there isn't a better cut of meat off a pig...


Good to know. Always wondered why I didn't like those syle ribs! My wife doesn't, either.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Looks like you did a great job. You got the best parts and the rest is for the vultures and varmints. Way to go!


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

We had a pair of big boars tearing stuff up lately. I took the 270 and waited in a stand after turkey hunting. sure enough, right at dark here they came. I picked the one I wanted most and made a quick kill. He was about 250 lbs. and a good clean(as pigs go) boar. The other one was running off. I had a split second to decide on whether to shoot or not. Instinct said no, because I really didn't want to have to fool with butchering two, this one was bigger than the one I already had down. Then I got a mental pic of all the damaged feeders, spilled corn, time and trouble to corect it all and I shot. I hit the boar but could not find it. We looked with the spot that night and by sunlight the next morning. I am not one for wasting a life, but in light of the circumstances, I don't feel bad about this.

And by the way, I cleaned the one I had down just like the first post, except I took the whole back leg and the straps. Nice, clean, quick and easy.


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## expressfish (Jun 8, 2004)

chief....about that list and people that dont show up.............can I be put on standby !!? lol


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