1 for 2 with a broken hand

[Couestracker]

Jorge, Brian and I got drawn for our 2nd HAM choice, 20B, and Brian and I got a leftover general tag in unit 29. Jorge got very ill and had to bail, wound up in the ER. Good thing he went, he had colitis and needed urgent care.

Due to several distractions, no one got to scout in 20B, and none of us have hunted there before, so we just went where G&F suggested, which was up Constellation Road to Swallow Mountain. Brian was nice and setup camp as I have a broken hand with 2 pins and a cast. (That was one of my distractions)

Brian and I hunted for over 4 days and didn't even catch a glimpse of a javelina. Saw lots of fresh sign, but no luck.

Fast forward to the Chiricahua's. Brian and I glassed up a herd around 10:00 opening day. We hiked up to a ridge above where we saw them going down a drainage, but we were worried about the wind. There was 1 mom with 2 babies and 5 other adult pigalinas. I sat and ranged them and some spots so I'd know when to shoot.

I brought my Ruger PC40 carbine, small, light and not much recoil, as I couldn't hold it with my right hand, I just needed to pull the trigger. Brian had a bow with a .357 revolver for backup.

They were too far away for Brian, so he said if I had a shot to take it. I was aiming at the lead pig and was about to pull the trigger at 70 yds, when all of a sudden the wind swirled and they did a 180 and took off! They went back up the drainage and we circled around up range, but we couldn't find them again.

We went back to camp for lunch, returning later to glass the rest of the day.

We didn't see any Saturday, so Sunday we went back to try glassing some more. Well, at 10:00 we found them again, in the same area. As they moved down the wash, we lost sight of them due to the near ridge. Brian wanted to go down an adjoining wash, as he thought they were going down to a spring we knew of, but I wanted to stay and glass, thinking they'd come up the ridge nearest me.

About 15 minutes after Brian took off, I heard a shot from down the wash. I was thinking it was too soon for Brian to have intercepted the herd, when I heard another shot, followed by several more shots in rapid succession, 7 shots all together. I'm glassing like mad looking for javelina running around, but I don't see anything. After about 20 more minutes, I see Brian climbing up the ridge above where we saw them. Then he hiked up range in a big circle and eventually hiked back to me. He said it was someone else doing the shooting, but we never saw the people or the javelina. Brian had to leave that afternoon, I returned and glassed the rest of the day to no avail.

Monday morning I hiked into a different spot, but still was able to glass the same area I had been. Well, around 10:00, I glassed them up again, in the same drainage as before! By now it had gotten very windy. I was worried about camp, we had put up an easy-up awning. After I hiked over to the ridge above the javelina and saw how windy it was, I figured it was already too late for camp, I figured the ezup was probably in New Mexico by now!

So with the high wind in my face, I start down into the drainage where I last spotted the pigs. I caught some movement across the canyon, and there they were, directly across from me. There was some scraggly bushes between me and them, so I dropped my pack and made it down the hill a ways. I sat down and ranged some of them, but I couldn't find them all. I saw the mom and 2 babies, plus 2 others across from me, about 75 yds, and 2 below me in the brush. They were all feeding. I picked a big one across from me and aimed, waiting for a clear, broadside shot, then fired......and missed! They started running around, I saw a big one pause for a moment, so I fired again. It staggered to a tree, but then I saw one of the babies by it, and it was squealing, then I saw it had blood on it's side...my heart sank to my feet, OMG, don't tell me I shot the mother! I got closer and the big one was down but still breathing, the baby wouldn't leave it at first. I figured it was bloody because it rubbed against the big one, but I was very upset because I'm thinking I shot the mother! I got right up to the downed one and lifted a rear leg with my foot......it's a boar! With very large credentials! Wow, what a relief, didn't shoot the mother. I put the boar out of its misery.

I wondered why only 1 of the babies was hanging around. Probably was scared and confused, lost track of its mom.

Ok, now for the work. Not easy gutting a javelina with a cast on your dominant hand. So it took me a while for that and to pack everything back to the truck. Like 4 hrs 20 min. He weighed in at camp at 40 lbs, which is a 58 lb boar!

 

No wonder it about killed me getting back to the truck.

Camp was pretty much destroyed by the wind, except my tent hung in there.

 

Ez-up was a pretzel. I ended up skinning that javelina on the tailgate of my truck by flashlight. But it was all good, another successful javelina hunt!

 

[tjhunt2]

Now that is the kind of stuff I like to read about with coffee first thing in the morning. Thanks for sharing Tommy. There is no doubt you had a hard time with that cast on your dominant hand. I'm glad to know there are others who will go the distance and beyond for a javelina. My favorite of all game to hunt. Great story Tommy and congratulations on a big pig.

 

TJ

[mbiewer]

I got two good hands, and can't find em ever. good job

[Pixman]

Congrats on your pig Tommy, it sounds like nothing will keep you down!

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations on your hard earned pig! Sounds like quite the adventure.

[Red Sparky]

Sounds like a great hunt.

[maximus]

good tequila !!!

[bhuntin]

great job! those ezups are ez downs in the wind.I had all 4 legs snapped off my 10x16...