I arrived in Southern Arizona on the first day of the year. My plan was to go out the next morning to hunt javelina and camp out. It was my first western hunt and I was very excited. I had a place picked out with help from the game and fish website, and Big Browns from the wonderfully helpful form.
Well, I woke up to way more snow than I thought Southern Arizona could ever get. Being I was in a rwd truck, I had another night to stay in a motel. I spent that night fighting off thoughts second guessing myself for even trying this adventure.
The morning of the 3rd, I was getting back to my hunting spot no matter what. I got to a spot to park and starting hiking with all my camping gear in my pack. I was having a ball looking at the beautiful snow in the desert, and the tracks in that snow. I came up to the first ridge and thought I would get on top of it and glass the floor for javelina. I looked out and saw little black dots walking on the snow as soon as I got to the top and before I even got my binoculars out. I heard myself say “javelina” in my head.
The bow got an arrow nocked, and I was on my way to the first spot and stalk hunt of my life. I caught up to the smelly little things in no time. After a few times getting busted I got the hang of what I could and couldn’t get away with. I then got one within range and let an arrow fly. I was successful within the first few hours of hunting. What a thrill!
As I was cleaning the javelina I looked around at the snow and thought of how it really helped me in the end. These little pig like mammals stuck out like a sore thumb against the white ground.
I finished quartering and got the meat and skull in my pack. Instead of camping out I would go back to the motel and get the meat cleaned up and cooled down. All the camping gear was just more weight in my pack as I wasn’t going to use it that day after all.
It was then I turned my attention to the harder of the two game I wanted to hunt on this trip, the gray ghost. This is when Big Browns got me in contact with CatfishKev. What a great guy. CatfishKev spent the next few days showing me where and how to spot these little gray deer. I even got a few stalks on them. I can now see why people get so worked up about Coues Deer bow hunting. So many things have to go just right for it to happen. It didn’t happen for me this trip, but there will be more tries in my future.
What a blast! I’m now a believer in Arizona hunting. It will be in my dreams most nights until I get to come back and hunt this land of beauty and the friendliest of hunters. CatfishKev could be a great guide anytime he feels like quitting his day job. I really can’t thank him enough
