My wife & I hunted with Malcolm Callaway on the Boot Ranch near Alpine Texas. Malcolm is the real deal. He rodeo'd for years, raises horses ("never had a bridle on 'em") & Spanish cattle for the rodeo circuit, and, back in the day, partied with Willie & Jerry Jeff. He's got herds of free-range elk on his ranch, with feeders set out for them.

We walked several hundred yards from a truck to a feeder and found a herd of about a dozen javelina. I was testing .375 solids for an Africa hunt & my wife used Malcolm's .22/250 w/HP loads. I shot off sticks & she off of Malcolm's shoulder. On a count of "3" from about 75 yards we shot. My wife dropped a nice boar with a neck shot and I picked off two others.

A big boar ran by us but I missed, luckily. I say that b/c when we walked up to the downed critters, I had head-shot a 4th javelina on a pass-through and our tags were filled. Mine were all stone dead with neat little holes and minimal meat damage. (I'd practiced back home on fox & coon carcasses from a trapper buddy). My wife's was very much alive, gnashing & popping for all he was worth. I started toward him, opening my pocketknife to cut his throat like I'd done on many FL & GA hogs. Dumb Easterner! Malcolm tapped me on the shoulder & handed me his 9mm carry gun. Dead javelina, Tejas-style.

I de-boned all four and we flew home with loads of meat. For those who say these critters are no good to eat I have two words: "Ain't so". The meat surely does have a musky smell, but it leaches right out into a vinegar/beer/spices marinade. The t-loins & backstraps were superb grilled. I made maple/blueberry sausage out of the darker pieces of meat. I ended up using over 70 feet of lamb casings. Friends and relatives, to a person, loved it.

My Wife and Malcolm


And now the work begins...

Great report/hunt pictures, and Many Thanks for the comments concerning the table qualities of Javelina.

No, it will never replace prime elk tender loin, but if handled right and fixed right, it ain't bad.

I served deep fried javelin back strap medallions to all my clients over the years and all were amazed because of all the tales they had heard about how inedible the stuff was supposed to be.

Those javelins must be heavy for a hoist that size.

My wife refused to hold 'em up while I skun 'em out!

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
Those javelins must be heavy for a hoist that size.

Use enough hoist! I always say!

Congrats!!

congratulations here we have 3 species of peccary ,lipped peccary ,giant peccary and collared peccary .