I seem to be turning into some sort of pig specialist, or at least collector (feral hog, warthog, bushpig) so where is a good place for javelina and who is a good contact for someone with limited time during normal hunting seasons?
Thanx

Texas. If you go to south texas on a whitetail hunt most places just let you shoot your limit of two javelina. If you drive down there through west texas, you will see several groups right by the road around dusk and dawn. Here is a pic of my S. Texas javelina from last week. bottom cutters are 2 3/4" and uppers are 2 1/2"! The guy we were hunting with had never seen a javelina with as large of tusks.

Javelinas can be found in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. I drew a tag again this year for AZ and will be hunting them the month of January. Incidentally, everyone here calls them "pigs" (myself included) , but they are not pigs at all, or even related..

There is a ton of info at Javelina Hunter.com

Good luck!

Just talked to my brother at christmas get together. I was telling him I was looking for a pig hunting area maybe near Paso Robles. He was telling me about him and his buddys messing around in arizona near the colo river, and they had seen a "herd " of javalinas walking down the road. I need to call him up and find out exactly where....

Sarge,

We hunted with Pope brothers guide service and outfitting last January and seen lots of pecarries as well as pigs.
The website is www.varmintexpress.com
Fordfreak

Sarge,
you DO know that peccary AINT pigs, right? They are RATS and smell like a gaint wharfrat... just like in a biology class...

STINK STINK and STINK on STINK

think of the foulest spelling OB you've ever had the mispleasure of being around...

now pour TWO bottles of distilled "musk" aftershave on it....


leave it out in the sun for a week... in july.. in houston...

and that's what javelina smells like

don't ask me what they taste like... i aint been THAT drunk, and pointing a gun at me would merely be a better choice

jeffe

Jeffe,
Well, I'm not sure just what the DNA analysis would show as to their exact relationship in the taxonomy, but since the SCI puts them in the same box as other pigs, for my consideration . . . "oink, oink!" I understand that from the eatin' standpoint they're o.k. but a tad dry. Sounds like an excellent use for a good, well-spiced brine and a pound of bacon strips larded over the outside. To hunt, perchance to eat . . . Ay, there's the point!

Harry,
you clean it.. i'll help cook and eat it...

shesh, what am I agreeing too?

jeffe

Arizona javelina are some what easy to hunt. Most places from central to southern az are good. You just need to spend alot of time looking for them.

I realize that they aren't technically pigs, but what animal are they most closely related to? They obviously share some physical traits with pigs......

Well, they are more closely related to pigs than hippo are but they have an ancient lineage in the fossil record of their own. Still, they are less unrelated to pigs than they are to anything else.

Actually, the back straps aren't that bad.

Never butchered on personally, but have been assured that they have musk glands that must be avoided at all cost.....

There is a single musk gland in the rear-center of the back that causes most of the problem. Ironically, they are taught by older herd members how to use it so if you caught a baby (back when that was legal) and raised them away from other wild javelinas they made great and loyal pets. The meat is at least as dry and maybe a little drier than venison. Good in any kind of stew or other long cooking receipe.
But it takes some gumption to skin one, no doubt.

Sarge,

Call this guy:

Johnnie Hamilton
719-846-3559

He hunts a great ranch in the middle of Big Bend National Park that is covered with javelina. You may also see and have a chance to see a mexican black bear, numberous desert mule deer, a free range aoudad, shoot a mountain lion and will certainly have a chance to shoot coyote, fox and all the jack rabbits you care to. You can hunt this area any time of the year, but for your teaching schedule a late May or early June hunt may be best. I have hunted the past three years over Memorial Day. It is a bit hot during the middle of the day, but tolerable. A big plus is the ranch is home to a petrified forest and dinosuar bones and fossils. Johnnie will even provide an ATV for you to ride and you can spend a good bit of time exploring the ranch if you want.

Perry

Thanx Perry,
How is he around the week before or after Christmas?