I am going to be in AZ this December and am trying to get an idea if it would be worthwhile to try for one of these little critters? Don't have such an animal in AK. They have always intrigued me and I think I can talk the wife into a mount for the den. Are they edible? I'll be checking the AZ regs soon on their F&G site. But am looking for some input. I'll be in the PHX area.

John

They are quite edible (in contrast to what many will tell you). They are a hoot to hunt, and seem to made to hunt with bow or handgun. However, if I'm not mistaken, in AZ all the javelina hunts are draw only (lottery) and the deadline to apply has passed. It's usually mid- to late-October, so I think you've missed out this year. If you ever make is as far as Texas, many counties allow you to shoot two per year, the season is most or all of the year, and you can get tags over the counter.

I've got no experience in Arizona--mine have been taken when they showed up on hunts for other things in Texas. From what I've read, Arizona regulations are substantially more restrictive than those in Texas.

Hope you have as much luck as I did hanging one in the den. I was planning to put it in my office, but my wife took one look at it and told me it wasn't leaving the house. She wanted it for our own den wall...

And they are edible. The guys in Texas that I hunt with tend to look down on them, perhaps because they have a scent gland in their back which gives off a really repulsive odor. However, it seems to come off with the skin, so it doesn't taint the meat (be careful that you don't transfer musk from gland to meat with your hands), and the meat is quite good. I generally marinate it for 24 hours or so in a red wine-based marinade, then roast the larger cuts. So long as you don't let it dry out--like most game meats, it's lean, and benefits from basting with the marinade--you will probably find it enjoyable.

now wait a dang minute....

a trophy javalena is anything above 45 lbs.. 60 is a monster...

NICE skull mount, as it looks like a GIANT rat, with those sharp and pointy tooffesses

they travel in small packs.. and pairs.. if you shoot one of the pair, get ready to take the other one... these little buggers have a VERY bad attitude, under these condition...

eating one? NO... giving it to the ranch hand, everytime....

good lord, I could not imgain even COOKING the sob... yes, I know how to degland them... and I wear rubber gloves to get rid of all THREE glands (1 each on the hams)...

they STILL STINK!!!!!!!

for what it's worth, the hide, once process, still smells faintly, but is a nice comfy chair back throw

jeffe

For some reason I've gotten quite an urge to hunt one of these little sob's as well. I deer hunted a place south of San Angelo this past week, and hoped I would come across one...no luck.

I'd be willing to swap a hunt on one of my places north of Abilene for a feral hog for a Javelina hunt.

See this thread for examples of trophies you might see: Hog Link

Jeffe- I like your style. In all sincerity, any person that uses the term "tooffesses" is a friend of mine. Plus I would like to pick your brain on big bores.

Anyway, I have to confess, that I have eaten some Javelina tenderloin, slow smoked over a Mesquite fire that was pretty tasty. The person that was doing the cooking and cleaning was a wildlife biologist, so, he knew his stuff. I have not been brave enough to attempt this on my own.

To echo what Jeffe said, they make good European "skull" mounts; I have two of them. Their hide, when tanned with the hair off makes a glove beyond compare. I have gloves for my entire family.

Last fall I was deer hunting on a family place in Guadalupe County, Texas. 6:00 pm came along and daylight was rapidly disapaiting. In hunting in that area for 25 plus years I have never seen a Javelina. Well, two silhouettes appeared in the sendero at 142 yards (I lazered it afterwards). Two pretty quick shots from my 6.5 WSM yielded what I thought were a couple of feral hogs. I gather up my gear, go to my vehicle and go to pick up my hogs. Now, it is dark. Out comes the flashlight and to my utter amazement I am standing over two Javelina.

They are fun to hunt!

Well, I've been limited to only one javelina so far, so take this for what it's worth. My buddy killed a big ol' boar a couple years ago near Animas, NM. Maybe we got lucky, but he turned out to be pretty tasty. After the shot (and a couple hero shots with the digital camera), we carried him over to a mesquite tree, strung him up, and stripped his hide, paying careful attention to the afore-mentioned glands. After the hide and head were off, we gutted him, keeping the meat clean at all times. Then I hoofed it back to the truck for a cooler, which we then used to tote him back to the truck. We had him on ice within an hour of his death.

I cooked him up on the barbie just like a regular Texas pig - low heat, lots of granulated garlic (mmm garlic), plenty of moisture (I use a spray bottle of water with a little wine), and a thermometer to monitor internal temperature. When all was said and done, the meat was practically falling from the bones. I did this with both hind quarters (complete) and the back straps. The rest of the little booger was cut up into smaller chunks and cooked in the crock pot with red chile.

Like I said, maybe we're just lucky, but I certainly won't hesitate to bring home another one given the chance.

Well John if ya ain't got your tag the only way you'll hunt them is with a camera, draw is over and tags have been issued. If you get down into the SE corner of the state give me a call and we can go out a find some for ya.

I would like to see a 60 pound Javalina, I have weighed many of them and 39 lbs was the largest I have seen...Many folks tend to over guess the weight of Javalina and swear they weighed them..Same with deer.

I shot them for 3 cents apiece with a stevens 22 SS that shot only 22 shorts for my dad on our ranch and bought my first 22 Long rifle with the money.

West Texas Javalina are not so good to eat as the Lecheghea is bad feed for pig meat!! but those killed from Del Rio East are very good eating, if young, especially when bar b qued over mesquite coals.....The old boars are a little rank and smell like a skunk...

the hide makes wonderfull soft and tough gloves when tanned for leather...

His nearest relitive is the ant eater, not the pig.

Hell, when we go over to the res.(San Carlos) or Tombstone to get one, we just turn them into breakfast sausage. Better'n Jimmy Dean's! RKBA!