Heat Report post Posted January 6, 2014 Arrived at my camp spot with my cousin Jon around 3PM on the 1st. We had time to get out for a little glassing during the evening hunt. Right before dark I located some javis about a half mile away at the base of a big hill. We figured we'd just find them in the morning. During the night the wind picked up a lot so the thoughts of an easy locate in the morning started to go away as the wind got stronger. The next morning we looked for the pigs right where they were the night before but they must have moved off quite a bit during the night. We hiked around looking for sign and whatever else and started heading back to camp around 1PM. As we were approaching an area where a guy had parked earlier in the morning near our camp, we started hearing squealing sounds that almost sounded like a baby crying. We thought it was probably the guy with the truck doing some predator calling or messing around with a call. The next thing I know is I see my cousin hurdling a fence as he whispers "pigs". Somehow we walked right in on the pigs. Good thing a little one was vocal, because it gave away the herd. So I stalk in on them and only see a half pint sized pig. All of a sudden a bigger one appears out of the bushes right in front of me. I shoot and miss. So at the shot the rest of the herd starts to scatter and another one pops up in the same spot the last one was. Draw back and let one go, whack! I see the pig run off with the arrow sticking way out of him. Oh no, I think to myself! I hit too far forward and too high according to my cousin, who also got a shot and missed. We followed a decent blood trail for about 50 yards where we see my snapped off arrow shaft sticking in the ground with the fletching buried in the dirt. I don't know how the pig managed to bite the arrow off and stick it in the ground but that's what we saw following the trail. We were able to determine that I only got 3-4 inches of penetration including the broadhead. I must have hit shoulder or head. The blood was only basically small drops beyond that, and eventually there was no blood to follow at all. Obviously, I was mad at myself for rushing the shot and not going through my shot sequence correctly and a bit depressed about wounding an animal. This resulted in a hit that was not as fortunate as TJ's. I spent the rest of that day following fresh tracks hoping to get back on a bloodtrail or wounded pig, but there was no more luck to be had. I did bump a sow with piglets at 15 yards or so right at dark, and let them walk. The next morning we had high hopes of finding something else. The morning started good with me glassing up a nice 3x3 buck within minutes of setting up the glass. We watched him haul butt across the desert floor, never stopping much, eventually getting into some really thick cover where we lost him. My other cousin Joe, who arrived the day before attempted a stalk, but never saw him again. Later that evening, I glassed up the herd of pigs again very near where we had the action the day before. We had high hopes to find them again right there in the morning but they relocated again. Dang! That afternoon I saw a smaller 3x3 buck with 3 does but that was the last of the game sightings for me. I had to head home on Sunday, ending another hunt with no pig! So the curse continues...I am totally ashamed to admit it, but this is the exact thing that happened two years ago, and very similar to what happened in 2009 or so. I get in on the pigs, rush the shot and make a bad hit, not able to recover the animal. I know that when you hunt with a bow, these things happen but this trend is very disturbing to me. I know that I need to become a better shot under pressure. I don't seem to know what else to do, other than not give up and stay after it. At least I had a chance I guess. I have never had this happen on any other archery animal I have shot at. Everything else has died right away. I am very perplexed why I can't seem to shoot straight at these darn pigs! Pig Fever I guess, LOL! Thanks for reading! If anyone has any wisdom regarding the normal behavior of javelina during the night I am very interested. Do they normally feed quite a bit after dark during the warmer times during the winter? We were back after them at first light, which is generally early enough to find late rising pigs. We figured that they wouldn't move far after locating them in the evening twice, but they proved me wrong both times. What gives? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkhunter Report post Posted January 6, 2014 If it's warm then they can move quite a bit overnight. I always like to watch the pigs until I see them bed down under a tree before leaving them to find them in the morning. Alot of times in the last few minutes of light the pigs will cover quite a bit of distance to go to their "known/usual" bedding spots. I have seen pigs run nearly thousands of yards from their feeding spot when the sun went down to their bedding grounds. Again every herd is different! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rclouse79 Report post Posted January 6, 2014 Well you are one step ahead of me. I can not even get in a position to make a bad shot. On Friday I climbed up a hill to start glassing. Apparently I made a bit of noise, because I noticed a pig running away from me across the wash. I watched for about 15 minutes and saw that is was a herd of around 7. I must not have spooked them too bad, because they all ended up coming back to the trees right underneath me about 100 yards off. It looked like they were settled down and were going to bed. I decided to backtrack around the side of the hill and make my way down the to wash slowly so I wouldn't spook them. I snuck in on the spot I had let seen them and they were gone! I swear I was being quite, was stopping to listen more than I was moving, and was completely down wind the entire time. Thank goodness man invented the rifle. I don't consider January to be hunting, but rather hiking with a bow. It still beats not getting out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kaffer62 Report post Posted January 6, 2014 Make sure you look under every tree too. Shot a pig two years ago and it died tucked way up under a juniper. Without really looking into the tree i would have never found it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr.smith Report post Posted January 7, 2014 Good news! There is still more than two weeks left in the hunt. Get back out there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted January 7, 2014 I'm afraid if I go hunting anymore this winter I'll be sleeping on the porch with the dogs! After spending every weekend down in the Gilas during December and now the first 5 days of January out hunting for myself, my weekend pass has expired unfortunately! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr.smith Report post Posted January 7, 2014 Take her with you! I love hunting with my wife. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
