This year’s javelina hunt started out as normal a possible.  My hunting partner Roy and I headed to Arizona on the Wednesday before the hunt started.  The hunt started on Friday and we were ready.  We started the hunt as usual by driving the washes and looking for tracks.  There were none in the first wash but we took a hike up into an area that we had found them before.  We did manage to spot 3 javelinas but didn’t go after them since they were a ways off and we figured that we could find some others.  That day after lunch we took a hike into a canyon that we call the “Snake Den” since I had found a rattle snake den up in it years ago.  The only thing that we saw up in it was a couple of snakes that were enjoying the afternoon sun at the den site.  So off to our friend’s home for the night. 

Saturday found us in a driving snow storm on our drive out to the hunting area.  We watched as the car in front of us managed to spin out several times before I decided to let traffic go by so that we wouldn’t have any problems when our turn came up.  We had hunted javelina in the snow before but didn’t have any luck so we didn’t figure that we would get into any that day either.  Around 10 am I found where 3 of them had crossed the road that I was on so I checked the wash below and sure enough they had crossed it.  I figured that the tracking couldn’t be any better so off I went.  Now this area was covered in a brush that is called “Cat Claw” and it is called that for a reason.  The javelinas love it and everything else hates the stuff.  I would follow the tracks for a while than then try to circle in front of them.  This went on for about a half a mile and then I jumped them.  There were 3 of them and they went off in 2 different directions.  I followed 2 of them and jumped them again without being able to get a shot off.  I then started to follow just one but gave up after another half a mile and went back to my bike.  I then headed down another wash and had only gone around 200 yards when I saw where another herd had crossed.  So off I went again.  They headed up a hill to the west so up it I went.  When I got to the top I spotted 6 of them on the next saddle away from me at about 200 yards.  I headed up the ridge to get ahead of them and once there I headed down the hill a ways to intercept them.  I started to glass but I couldn’t find them.  Just then I heard a dog yelp and looked in that direction.  Up the hill came the javelina with the dog in pursuit.  They stopped just before going over the ridge about 30 yards from me but I couldn’t get a shot since they were grouped up and one shot would of killed 2 or 3 of them.  So off they went down the hill and into the area that Roy was hunting.  He never did see them but did see where they had headed back my direction.  He also ran into 3 dogs that looked like their owners had abandoned out in the desert.  Some people should be shot. 

Fast forward to Wednesday when I spotted 3 of them on a ridge about a mile away as the crow flies.  I figured that I would have to cover 5 miles to get to them so I decided to wait until Thursday to go after them.  Thursday came and Roy and I were after them on a death hike.  We had covered about 6 miles and checking out every canyon without finding them.  I then topped out on a ridge around noon and didn’t go any further.  Roy who was below me headed up the ridge and into a little saddle just below me.  He stopped for a minute to get his breath and heard rocks rolling below him.  It was a herd of around 8 javelina running away from him.  As I watched the scene below me I heard the report of Roy’s T/C Contender.  He yelled up at me that he had one down.  One down one to go.  I tried to catch up with the remainder of the herd but never did that day.

Friday we headed into an area that we called Rock Springs.  I went up one ridge and Roy headed up another.  Around 11 am Roy called me and said that he had some spotted so off I went.  I got to the top of the ridge and he told me that there were 2 making their way over to a saddle to the south.  I went over to where I could watch the saddle and down the hill a ways to where I could get a good shot.  Then I waited, and waited, and waited, nothing showed.  I started to glass the area below me where Roy had said that they had disappeared and finally saw a head.  All I could see was the head looking straight up the hill at me.  At least it felt that way.  I could see the ears, eyes, the snout, and the left front leg.  Well I watched this fellow for about 1 ½ hours and he didn’t move.  I couldn’t get any closer and he was about 170 yards away downhill with an angle of about 45 degrees.  So I decided that I was going to try and end the hunt right there.  I pulled my T/C Contender in 7/30 Waters out of the holster and steadied it across both of my knees.  I placed the crosshairs on the snout and pulled the trigger.  After the shot I took a look and he was still there and hadn’t moved a bit.  I chambered another round and figured that I had shot over him so I aimed about a foot below the snout, I pulled the trigger.  When I looked again I couldn’t see him, I was above him and had a good point of view but he was nowhere in sight, either running or where he was before.  So down the hill I went.  When I found him he was till in the same position that he was when I had shot but now laying down.  The 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip had taken him right through the heart and had exited right behind it. 

We were now two for two for another year.                 

Preview	Attachment	Size
	Hunting Area.JPG	112.36 KB
	Area 2.JPG	107.29 KB
	CatClaw.JPG	70.78 KB
	Snakes.JPG	87.61 KB
	My Pig.JPG	162.55 KB