Finally, a javelina

D

DesertRam

Director
Staff member
I've been trying to bag a javelina in NM since 2002, and finally started figuring them out this year. Here's a nice boar I took this past Saturday. I called him in to about 25 yards, where he presented (unfortunately /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif) only a head shot - leaving me with no trophy other than these pictures.

Javelina1.jpg


Javelina2.jpg


Now that I think I'm starting to get these little critters figured out, I can't wait to hunt them next year with a bow! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Are you 4' tall or is that HUGE?!?!?

I shot one last week in Texas, my first also but it doesn't look nearly as big as yours!

I'm having a full body mount doen of mine. But, now I have to wonder if mine is just a dink?

205javalina.jpg
 
Quote:
Are you 4' tall or is that HUGE?!?!?




Nope, 5'10" or so, I think it's just a good sized javelina. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif To be honest, it was only the second one I've seen up close and personal (i.e. dead), so I can't comment overly much on the size.

I do harbor a little regret for not at least getting the cape and doing a shoulder mount. However, considering that I have three African animals scheduled for shoulder mounts as soon as the funds become available, I thought it "unwise" to add another to the list. "Yes, Dear" would have been very upset... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif An upset wife makes future hunting trips (think hogs in March) that much more troublesome. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif With luck I'll keep drawing javelina tags and manage to take another nice one in the future, hopefully with a bow!
 
Nice job! Congratulations!

Not to worry, as that is a new “New Mexico” state record boar that you have there!

His younger offspring will make a nicer mount next year, just won’t be a state record.

Seriously, You did good! That is a fine looking rodent! A picture is worth a thousand words and the smile on your face is the trophy statement!

Now a Bow would also be nice, arrows would also be nice! But then it is your choice!

Good luck and keep it up!
 
That is a HUGE javalina!

I shot my first one a couple of years ago. I have had a couple of opportunities to take others, but passed since I had what I wanted. The one I shot smelled EXACTLY like a skunk. I gave the meat to the Mexican that lived at the ranch.

Mine was about the size of the one Randy got, which looked about like all the rest I saw.

javalina.jpg


Here us what I did with the skull.

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You did good! That is a fine looking rodent!



Cactus Rat, you know they aren't rodents, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
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Are they not more closely related to a rodent than any thing else??????
I always heard that they were rodents and that the mexicans would not eat them.
 
Rodents are mammals in the Order Rodentia.

Rabbits are often referred to as rodents as well and are not.

Javalina (Collared Peccary) are in the Order Artiodactyla

This is the same order as all hoofed animals such as deer, elk, swine, bison, antelop.

Javalina are the family Dicotylidae, while hogs are in the family Suidae.

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I always heard that they were rodents and that the mexicans would not eat them.



Most of the Mexicans in South Texas would trade you 2 deer for 1 javalina.
 
Thanks for the kind words gents. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif I wanted to do a skull mount like YH has there, but they don't turn out so well after a 95 grain .243 caliber BT passes through the head. All this talk of his size has me ruing the decision to skip a mount all the more... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Thanks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Oh well, I'll just have to shoot a bigger one next year! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
DesertRam,

I can't tell from the picture, was the right side of the head messed up?

If just the skull was messed up, that wouldn't have affected the mount since they don't use the skull any way.
 
Actually, there was only a tiny .243 caliber hole in the cape. I shot at enough of an angle towards him that the bullet didn't exit, it stopped somewhere down in the throat area near the back of his tongue. The cape would have been fine for a shoulder mount. The problem with the shoulder mount is the kudu, springbok, and black wildebeest waiting in line before it that require what little taxidermy money I can scrape up! That and Mama said (after reading this thread) that by not getting the shoulder mount she won't be able to give me too much grief about hunting hogs in Texas next month AND later in June. So see, I guess it's all a tradeoff two relatively hassle-free hog hunts in exchange for not getting a shoulder mount.

Hopefully when the African critters are paid for and on the wall I'll have another opportunity to take a good javelina and add him to the collection.
 
I hear ya /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

But, I think you will have to hunt for a long time to find a bigger javalina than that one.
 
DesertRam,

We would expect you to do just that! Next season, bigger, better! You have it in you! A broadhead won’t do as much damage but will still get the job done.

I don’t want to make you feel bad, but Sir, That was a very large Animal!!!!

I have seen a lot of them over the years, and very few of them were as big or bigger looking than that.

Yellowhammer,

I have 50 plus years in Arizona and YES, Javalina (Collared Peccary) are rodents! Maybe not in scientific terms, but they can still be rodents, pests, a pain in the butt and do a hell of a lot of damage to gardens. When I was a kid we had a farmer/rancher that would pay us $.50 per each and he would furnish the ammo for us to use.
 
Rub it in fellas, rub it in. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif It's not like I can go back out there and fetch the cape... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Hey Desert we have all been there before and we have all learned the same sort of lesson. It is too bad you couldn't keep more than just a pic for the trophy. That is a big javelina. I got one close to that size in Texas, but man thats is a monster you have. The skull bioled and bleached is really cool. Not many people around here have ever seen one like that.

Oh, by the way I learned the whole "should have got it mounted" ordeal on my wifes 6X6 310 inch Bull. She has yet to let me forget about.
 
Elks,

I learned that too. My wife wants a good red fox mounted. I shipped a nearly perfect fox to Crapshoot and my wife has been biting me about that ever since!

If in doubt, mount it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif



Randy
 
Two or three times a year sometimes more I have Javelina in my yard. My boys and I have a great time chasing them out and shooting them with BB guns. We love it! Just a couple of weeks ago we chased them away 5!!! time in one evening.
Harvey7
 


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