I was lucky enough to be drawn for a 2019 spring javelina tag – these hunts are known to be one of the easiest (relatively speaking) big game hunts that one can endure. Javelina have horrible vision, allowing for a hunter to sneak up close with somewhat ease, assuming that the wind is favorable and no noise is made. For this hunt, however, I knew that I would have 3 days maximum to make it happen, but more like 1 – 2 days realistically. Additionally, I wouldn’t be able to begin hunting until Sunday, which means that I would have already missed the first 2 prime days of hunting.
With all of that said, though, I wasn’t worried. I knew exactly where I was going, exactly what my game plan would be, exactly what time I needed to leave my house to get there on time, and more. I had EVERYTHING planned out.
But then, things changed. Arizona experienced a massive winter storm that blanketed snow across the state. Usually I wouldn’t be afraid of snow, but there would be no way that my vehicle would make it through the dirt roads that I needed to trek across. Additionally, snow and cold weather can alter javelina patterns that were once trackable, essentially ruining any plans that I had. This forced me to Plan C, which was my less than desirable plan.
I started early on my first day of the hunt, at a location that was completely paved so I wouldn’t get stuck in the mud. The air was brisk with the unusual snow covered mountain tops surrounding my location; I was just below snow line.
I knew this location well, but I knew it would not be optimal with hunting pressure and snow. I began my hike to my first glassing point…
My first glassing spot was a ridge that I had glassed up many javelina from previously. It overlooks a wide wash that they seem to use frequently to travel from bedding to feeding areas – I knew approximately where both of these areas were.
I glassed for about 2 hours, gridding the landscape multiple times, all while hoping I would catch some movement within the wash.
But such didn’t happen, and I decided to move on into the wash to see what tracks I could find. I walked several miles, and only found 1 pair of tracks.
That’s it.
I knew at this point that this area was a bust. There would be nowhere else that they would be moving, except for on the other side of a mountain range that was many miles away, and I just didn’t have time to make it there.
I didn’t really know what to do at this area, and I didn’t have another plan that would keep me out of the mud.
I decided to then sit the tank that I sat I had the most recent close encounter to a javelina with. They wouldn’t be coming to this tank for water, because there was water everywhere, but they could possibly come to the tank because of the unique vegetation that could be there because of the relatively permanent water source.
Now, I know what you’re thinking…
“Jake, that’s a longshot…”
And you would be correct in saying that, but I didn’t really have any other options for the day. So I sat at the tank for a few hours, and nothing came in.
Meanwhile, I should mention that I was having vehicle issues that didn’t make the situation any better. With all of this having occurred, I decided that I should drive back into town, and not hunt the next day. To be quite frank, I felt as if I would be wasting my time in that area, but it was really the only area that I had access to, and my car was in questionable condition.
I spent the next day fixing my vehicle, so that I could hopefully get to my initial hunting spot within the following three days…
It was Wednesday, and I left town by 0345 to get to my designated hunting spot on time. I was excited – this was the spot that I’d seen the biggest javelina herd in my life. However, I knew the conditions still wouldn’t be favorable – cloudy, windy, somewhat cool, all with recent heavy hunting pressure. I’d have to hunt hard if I wanted success, which is what I planned on doing.
I didn’t see a single vehicle within about 8 miles of my hunting spot, which had me in high hopes. I parked my vehicle, and started assembling my gear. It was just then that I smelled something. Almost a little skunky, but more of musk scent – it was the smell of javelina. I had to be somewhat close, I just had to find them.
I began my trek to my first observation point. This hunting spot contained a series of hills and washes, of which are extremely rocky/bouldery (is that a word?). From experience, I know the javelina like to travel the washes into the bouldered areas, and then find cover under overhanging boulders to bed. I knew where a heavily used bedding area was, and it was on the way to my first glassing point. I had a glassing point where I could glass the bedding area well, and then move forward.
There was no javelina, and no sign, within this first bedding area. However, I did find the prints of animals that I didn’t want to see – cattle. In my experience, many big game species don’t like to associate with cattle, and will adjust their activity to stay away. This is probably due to the fact that they don’t want to compete for resources, such as food and space.
There was a barbed wire fence that I had to cross, which hopefully was the divide between the cattle and javelina. I crossed the fence and, suddenly, I was in a javelina mecca. There were tracks everywhere, massive rooting areas, scat, shredded prickly pear, and more. Once again, they had to be close; I just had to find them.
I rose upon my first glassing point (glassing point A) and started glassing. Glassing conditions were less than favorable, with the sky being completely overcast and a decent breeze to accompany. I glassed here for about 1.5 hours, focusing on possible bedding areas. I also focused my attention directly south of my position, as the mountain directly to the south would be my next glassing point.
At this point, I moved forward to glassing point B. This was one of the largest mountains in the area, and it allowed me to glass to the west; something the previous glassing spot didn’t offer. The wind wasn’t as favorable at this spot, but I knew that rising temperatures would hopefully change it to be so.
I glassed at this spot for almost 3 hours, hoping to catch some movement as the day continued to get warmer, but such did not happen. I glassed and glassed and glassed, all with no luck.
It was now about 1200, and I was admittedly running out of patience. If I had more than a single day to hunt, than I would have stayed at one of these glassing spots for the entire day, but I didn’t have that luxury. I was running out of daylight.
From here, I made the decision to try to track their current position. Perhaps a bold move, but I was desperate nonetheless. I was only hoping that I could bump them, and then get a shot off that way. I had complete confidence that I could successfully take a rushed shot safely.
So I started following heavily used javelina trails, and followed them for many miles. The going was slow, as many times the trail disappeared into heavy cover that I couldn’t get to, and had to find my way around. At one point I found myself in the bottom of a running wash, which was actually pretty neat, but it didn’t help me find a javelina.
I followed trails for hours. I found many heavily used bedding areas, along with tracks that were less than 24 hours old, but I just couldn’t find a single animal. It was now around 1600, and I was exhausted, but I knew I had to stay out for the prime evening glassing. I was making my way back to glassing point A, when suddenly, tragedy.
The shoes I was using (more on this in another article) had excellent traction, and I could walk down extremely steep rock faces, as long as I was careful. I was doing just that when my left shoe lost traction.
I attribute this to not being used to this sort of hunting. I can climb mountains all day long, but this sort of hiking in extremely rocky areas was something I wasn’t used to. My central nervous system was destroyed because of the increased muscle usage for stability, and I was now shaky because of it. I started walking down this steep rock face, and I just didn’t have the stability to keep proper tread on the rock for optimal traction.
I began falling down this 3.5-4’ boulder, as I immediately rose my rifle above my head. I should mention that this is my dad’s rifle, and I could never bring it back scratched up, or even with a snapped stock.
I hit the bottom and something forced me to fall left. I switched the rifle to my right hand as I continued to hold it overhead, all while wrapping my left arm around myself as I braced for impact.
My knee slammed into a rock as I hit the ground, my head less than a foot away from another boulder. My knee was in a lot of pain and bleeding, along with several cuts and scratches, but I was alright. It was at this moment that I decided to call it a day.
And that was the end of my 2019 javelina hunt. By the end of the day, I put in between 6-8 tough miles, and hunted hard overall. I don’t think I could have done any better with the conditions and circumstances I was given, but there will no failure next year.