Best javelina EVER!

[My Rights As An American]

I was blessed and honored to have picked up a rifle javelina tag and share the hunt with my 6 year old daughter, my step father-in-law and TJ from this site. I have never hunted javelina with a rifle, just a bow, and have been lucky to have taken quite a few over the years.

 

Took my daughter and step-father-in-law down for a hunt down outside Tucson on Friday afternoon. After a short chat with a nice Game and Fish officer, TJ and I ran out to a spot that was just up a "little" hill according to me, the hill from heck according to TJ who was already tired from a tough hunt that morning. Saw some pre-rain sign but no animals. When we got back, TJ had found a whitetail shed earlier in the day which he gave to my daughter, who now has a lifelong friend!!!

 

Next morning saw us in an area that TJ had seen some javelina the day before and I was very familiar with from years of hunting the unit. After glassing for a while, we tried to move to the back canyon around 10 am when some less than courteous "lion hunter" in shorts rudely cut us off. After exchanging some words about courtesy, he clearly did not get it and the conversation quickly became confrontational. Jerk had no respect, courtesy or class. Really the worst person I may have come across in all of my years hunting!!! Anyway, we walked another way around the mountain into a different canyon but found nothing. Daughter did GREAT!!!! On our way back we almost stepped on a small king snake and we took the opportunity to educate my daughter the differences and she just had a blast!

 

Back at camp, I had some friends from town visit us for lunch. My 6-year old schooled the 14 year old twins and their grandma in checkers and Candyland. FUN to watch!!!

 

That evening, TJ and I went out by ourselves. TJ glassed, I walked a mountainside. Finally, after hiking over a mile through rough terrain, I decided to glass where I had come from one last time and found four javelina coming up towards me, but still 500 yards away and the day coming to an end quickly. I decided to cut them off, but the moment I got off the mountain, the wind shifted right to them. They were 200 yards from TJ but he had no chance of seeing them from his position. Kicked them up three times and finally landed a bad round into the back half. I debated going back to get my daughter to teach her tracking but was curious, the terrain was steep, it was cold and dark. TJ and I tracked a very poor blood trail by following the tracks and found the javelina about 50 yards later. Black out in thick four foot tall weeds, the javelina bedded down. I almost stepped on it and it scared the heck out of me as it looked like it was going to lunge at me and tear me apart! Ended up dying only about 100 yards from the truck!!! Boar, about 42-43 pounds, pretty nice.

 

Food was great, camp was great, all-in-all, GREAT time was had by all!!!

 

Daughter had a TERRIFIC TIME, was extremly courteous to all. Step-father-in-law may now be hooked on coming with me more often. I cannot speak for TJ, but it appeared as though he had a great time also. Cannot say enough about what I great time I had with all. I was very proud of my daughter and how well she did with everything!!!!!!!

 

Special thanks to TJ for all of his friendship, knowledge, patience, help and anything I missed! Glad to share in new memories made with him! Especially after helping me with my elk hunt, now I feel like I offered something in return!

 

Thanks for reading, did not take pictures (DUMMY!!!!!!!) except on the way out I grabbed the head and skin to take a quick picture with my daughter.

[bonecollector]

Sounds like a great time and with good people to share camp with.

[Will K]

Congrat's.

[T.Murphy4]

Nice story and nicely done.

[CouesWhitetail]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your adventures!

[Mocha1545]

Nice write up. Thanks for sharing. Congrats to you and your daughter. Great times with family and friends.

[tjhunt2]

Thanks for the kind words Brian but the pleasure was all mine for sure. You certainly said it right: "The food was great, camp was great,and all-in-all GREAT time was had by all." I'm not sure what was worse, your so called little 10min climb up the hill or getting beat 2 out of 3 games at Candy Land by a 6 year old. OUCH!

How could it have gotten any better? Brian had breakfast burritos and coffee for me every morning and his daughter was a real treat to be around. I still get a smile on my face everytime I think about her calling me Mr. TJ. Found out that Brian's father-law and I have known each other for years, since we both work for the City of Chandler, but never connected Brian till recently.

Thanks for your generous hospitality and the opportunity to see some new country.

 

TJ

 

ps....I ran into Ernesto while driving out of camp Sunday. It was good to see and chat with him. His daughter shot a pig that morning and maybe we'll get to hear her story and see some pictures.

[My Rights As An American]

Just finished making brats, four hours from starting deboning to completely wrapped and cleaned. Total was 8.5 pounds clean javelina meat and 7 pounds excellent pork cuts. This made 50 large brats total.

 

TJ, brats coming your way buddy!!!

[tjhunt2]

Just finished making brats, four hours from starting deboning to completely wrapped and cleaned. Total was 8.5 pounds clean javelina meat and 7 pounds excellent pork cuts. This made 50 large brats total. TJ, brats coming your way buddy!!!

 

TJ