Vanilla Ice ventured to Palm Bay to hog hunt for the holidays, seeking way more than one bacon “slice, slice, baby.”
Cue the iconic Queen/David Bowie bass line and “ding-ding” riff. This past weekend, the ’90s rapper and reality TV star, who catapulted to fame in 1990 with his hit, “Ice Ice Baby,” posted on Instagram and TikTok about his Sunshine State hog hunt with the caption, “Bringing home the bacon. HOG HUNTING.”
His post includes a video of him holding a pistol, and reads:
“Holiday hog hunt with the boys. These things are pretty tricky and super dangerous. My friend had 150 stitches in his leg got ripped open like I can’t [sic] opener by one of these things so you use the AR with the sniper rifle at first, then you try to chase them down and they come out of the bush on you so you use the 45 for close combat situations. Lol. Go Ninja go Ninja go #HolidayHogHunt #PalmBayFlorida #Florida #GoNinjaGoNinjaGo”
The rapper, actor and television host, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Miami, Florida. He was the first commercially successful solo white rapper, following the 1990 release of his best-known hit “Ice Ice Baby,” which sampled the iconic bass line from British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie’s, 1981 song, “Under Pressure.”
It’s not clear from the posts specifically where in Palm Bay that Vanilla Ice was hunting. But another Instagram post during the 2025 holiday season thanked Triple M Outfitters in Palm Bay for taking him hog hunting.
The company’s website says their hog hunts happen on a “pre-selected ranch, farm, or grove in central Florida,” and that parts of the areas are adjacent to the St. John’s River.
A phone message to Triple M on Monday, Jan. 5, was not immediately returned.
Vanilla Ice also posted on TikTok from a 10-foot-tall buggy, after they reportedly killed some hogs. “Got some hogs back there for the boys for the holidays. They’re going to smoke it up, make sandwiches,” he said.
Not all his followers were impressed by Vanilla Ice’s holiday hunt. One reply on Instagram had a one-word response: “Unfollowing.”
Vanilla Ice is a reality TV star. When did Vanilla Ice film HGTV show in Melbourne, Florida?
Vanilla Ice has been hanging out with friends — and filming episodes of his reality TV shows — including in Brevard County, Florida, for years.
It’s worth noting that “A1A, beach front avenue,” an iconic line from “Ice Ice Baby,” stretches across 72 miles along the Space Coast.
In 2015, Vanilla Ice filmed in Palm Bay for “The Vanilla Ice Project,” breaking ground on the therapeutic pool for Owen Johnson, who is paralyzed from the neck down. In the episode, the rapper with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tattoo called Johnson his “little ninja.”
In 2017, Vanilla Ice filmed another episode here for his DIY show “The Vanilla Ice Project.”
His other reality TV credits include competing on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and an Amish-themed show on the DIY Network, a sister station of HGTV.
What are wild hogs? Where are wild hogs in Florida?
Florida defines wild hogs as those that cannot legally be claimed as domestic pigs in private ownership. Early Spanish settlers brought them to Florida as food, but now they harm habitats, so Florida encourages hunting them. The invasive species is popular to hunt and can be found in all 67 Florida counties.
How big are wild hogs? How much do they weigh?
Feral pigs prefer oak-cabbage palm hammocks, freshwater marshes and sloughs and pine flatwoods. They can reach weights of more than 150 pounds.
Their powerful snouts are thought to be responsible for the decline of more than 300 species of plants, as they seek roots, tubers and grubs.
State and federal wildlife officials estimated more than 500,000 feral pigs in Florida.
Feral pigs are difficult to eradicate because females reach reproductive maturity in just six months and have large litters (from six to 14 piglets).
Contact Waymer at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on X at @JWayEnviro.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Vanilla Ice posts Instagram, TikTok videos about hog hunting in Florida
Reporting by Jim Waymer and Jennifer Sangalang, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
