I killed my unicorn

[crtbc]

I have two unicorns in my life which no matter how hard I try I could never seal the deal with, the first is a black tree squirrel (another story, another time) and second being javelin. I have moved here 8 years ago and began hunting them then and have yet to find one. I have always said, the day I find a javelina in season, is the day I will kill one. I started out gun hunting them but soon I got exhausted on the idea of taking a week off from work just to not find them so I got into archery last year for the purpose of extending my hunting schedule but also so I wouldn’t have to take off a week but to have a month to hunt the fabled creatures. Turns out archery was great to me, I got my bull elk out of show low this sept gross score 320 6x6 and now I was out to get me a stink pig in 20b, I have always hunted the big 42ish unit for the last 3 years with no luck so I decided to try something new. Not being able to get out opening day, the first Friday I was out in the field looking over a nice set of hills, about 1-2 hours after first light and all I was seeing was a burrow hee hawing up the canyon I decided I was going to move up to the next ridge. That was when my angle appeared, I assume it was G&F spotter plane doing a survey but they came real low, and circled the hill that was one hill over from me 5 times then flew off, I said to myself this is it and got a move on. After cresting the hill I set up the binos and begin looking, I find a man with a bow making his was right on the hill and look over way far right to see a pack of pigs just chowing down, so I curtail my excitement and sit down to watch the show. He after a while takes 3 shots with the bow, scattering the herd each time then he walks away and I see the pigs 200 yards away from him now heading down the hill…THIS IS MY CHANCE!!! I run back to the jeep, throw my crap in, grab my bow and range finder and do the 700 yard dash to get my pig, as I near5 closer I hear his truck scraping the ground making all kinds of racquet and he stops right in front of me, he never saw the pigs apologize for all the noise, he was hunting a 2 point and never went for the pigs, lol. We make a plan and start heading up, we see or hear NO PIGS, get to the top use the wind make my way over start heading down, and there it was, almost with an angelic aura surrounding it, 20 yards away, I range him, draw on him and he moves behind a Palo Verde, let the bow down, move over 10 feet and get spotted by another but since I'm in full camo I stay still and he starts eating again but a bigger one comes into the picture, range him at 30 draw back and he moves behind a Palo Verde but he keeps moving so I stayed drawn and what feels like forever he changes directions my hands and arms are shaking and let the bow down once more, getting slightly frustrated I can’t seal the deal even from this close on my unicorn, wind changes I’m in the wrong place now and they disappear, but they didn’t wind me but they did disappear, go back up hill, move over 40 yards come back down again, couldn’t find them…WHERE DI THEY GO (I’m screaming to myself inside my head) they I hear a squabble, a fight breaks out 50 yards above e me and to the right and a male gets kicked out of the herd and starts running to me, I quickly range the tree I think he will cross, 20 yards, here he comes….wait for it…draw back the bow….grab the 20 pin… settle it on him…. He stops and see me….I never felt the trigger and I never felt the bow let loose but the next thing I heard was THWACK!!!!!!! ROARRRRRR!!!!!! And watched him circle circle circle circle, run up the hill, circle circle circle then crash through Palo Verde and [prickly pear and run diagonal. I know where he went go to find the blood and retrieve my arrow I see blood, a decent blood trail then I find my arrow….guts, cursed myself and started looking for blood, I found a decent amount so I wasn’t worried to bad, 2” cutters better have hit something good. I find him piled up in a Palo Verde clacking he jaws at me and won’t budge, settle my 20 pin on him and it flies over then another it goes under, now I’m out of arrows, I get closer to him and around him, find my flung arrows grab one and point blank put another in his chest sealing the deal…..MY FIRST PIG!!!!!!The adrenaline rush of being so close, stalking like I never knew I could, using the wind and sealing my victory, god the flavor is great, can’t wait to taste my prize

[CouesWhitetail]

Congratulations!! Glad you finally got a javelina! And that's quite the story!

[Will K]

Very nice. You are really hooked forever now. Congrat's on your first stinker.

[buckmaster21]

Good deal I'm having a hard time finding them in 20b this year went 2years in a Rowe and now they have vanished glad to see 20b is paying off congrats

[trophyhnter]

Great story on the one that didnt get away! Congrats on your first pig!