Well I closed the deal on my first Javelina this year. Took my 2 older kids out with me on the first day, mostly driving around and not seeing much. Day 2 was a holiday so I was off work and my daughter, Cursten, was out of school. We went and picked up a buddy I work with, Tim, and off we went. We hadn't gone a few miles down a county road when I spotted 4 pigs on my side of the road. They ended up spooking before I could get into bow range and went about a hundred yards down the canyon and stopped in some brush. I made it to about 40 yards and ended up missing 2 of them!! I crossed the canyon and found my arrows and made sure that both shots were clean misses and during that time Tim and Cursten started making their way down toward me. As they left the Jeep the kicked up 2 more pigs that apparently hadn't spooked with the first group. One was coming at me and the other was crossing the canyon to the other side. Well by the time I got an arrow knocked and drew the pig ran past me at about ten yards but had no intention of stopping and never slowed down. I knew that other one was across the canyon somewhere and started moving slowly looking for it. Sure enough I found him near the bottom of the wash and was able to get to 30 yards. He was quartering real hard to me and even though the entry was decent the exit was far back by the hind quarter. We ended up tracking him for about a half mile down the wash with good blood when the trail lead out of the bottom and up into some really thick brush on a real steep part of the ridge. I circled around and got on top of the ridge and my friend followed the blood trail up thinking that if he kicked out up on top I could get another shot on him. Well this whole time I had found it kind of odd that this pig had not stopped at all, it was like he was on a mission to get somewhere specific. Well sure enough he knew exactly where he was going and Tim was about to find out. Now Tim is a tall guy, little over 6? and as he was slowly climbing this steep ridge in thick cat claw brush it seemed like the whole ridge began to rumble and he looked up and found himself looking at this boar in the eyes at about ten feet. This pig had gone back into his den and was holed up there. The entrance was about the size of a beach ball and went about 4 feet back into the ridge and was solid rock. I scrambled down the ridge, cause I was the only one with a bow and had only 4 arrows left. Now I am a lot shorter than Tim and in order for me to get a clear look into the den I had to take a couple extra steps up the mountain to get at eye level with this thing. Tim asked me what I was going to do and I said ?shoot him between the eyes I guess.? He said ?wont that mess up your skull mount? and I said ?guess at this point it doesn't really matter does it?? So here I am at about 8? from this angry boar who is popping his teeth and shaking his hair against the rock den. My first arrow goes right over his head and into his back. Definitely not a fatal shot, but just enough to really piss him off good. As soon as I released Tim and I both side stepped real fast not knowing exactly what was going to happen. So I knocked my second arrow and was a little more timid this time, didn't climb quite so high and when I shot my arrow hit the base of the entrance and exploded on the rocks. Now this thing is really mad and is starting to charge out of the den then backing back in. I take out my 3rd arrow and know I really need to make this one count. So I get up to my shooting spot and take an extra step to get a little closer and release. I didn't see the shot to well but I hear Tim say ?you got him right in the eye!? So now this Javelina comes charging out of the den with about 2? of arrow sticking out of his right eye, stumbling, turning circles, charging at anything it can. This whole time Cursten is down by the wash, observing from a safe distance. I look at her and can tell she is a little shaken up over what she has just witnessed and now this thing is working its way down the ridge. I yelled to her ?don't worry sweetie, he is dead he just doesn't know it yet? and without skipping a beat Tim tells me ?well you got one more arrow, why don't you remind him of that!? So the boar gets tangled up in some cat claw and I put the last arrow right in the pocket and is quickly dies.
I am not sure how big a ?big? pig is but this guy was pretty good size, and I was happy with him for my first Javelina hunt. This whole time Cursten had a video camera with her and I never thought to yell down to her to turn it on, otherwise this whole deal would have been captured for all to see??oh well.
Jeff
I am not sure how big a ?big? pig is but this guy was pretty good size, and I was happy with him for my first Javelina hunt. This whole time Cursten had a video camera with her and I never thought to yell down to her to turn it on, otherwise this whole deal would have been captured for all to see??oh well.
Jeff
