Well, if it is February it must mean that it is time for the annual javelina hunt down in Arizona.
After checking the weather we knew that we were going to be in for a hot one. Temperatures were suppose to be in the upper 70's but as we all know weathermen lie, we saw temperatures into the mid 80º's.
We started out the hunt in our usual manner, driving a couple of washes looking for tracks. I took one and my buddy took another one. I hadn't gone very far when I saw some single tracks crossing the wash but chasing just a single javelina is like a dog chasing his tail. A little further I saw another single but kept on riding. I met up with Roy at the power line and he had just seen some single tracks. He decided to take a hike to the north and I headed back across the wash and up onto a hill to do some glassing. I didn't see anything so it was time to hike down into the bottoms to check them out. This went on until noon when we met back up for lunch. That afternoon was getting hot and javelina like to hunker down in the heat of the day, they would be right in the bottom of the draws in the shade staying out of the sun, the rest of the day was uneventful.
Next morning found us doing pretty much the same thing with the same results, but now we knew that we were going to have to do a lot more hiking. I headed into a large canyon hitting every little draw in it, all I managed to do was to chase a coyote out of it. He was on a dead run and no chance to get the sights on him. I did manage to find a bees nest, I had no idea if they were Africanized bees or not but being a couple miles away from my 4 wheeler and quite a ways away from any medical help I just snapped a few pictures and left them alone.
Sunday I decided to take a hike into a canyon that we call "snake den" for the appropriate reason, I had found a rattlesnake den in it way back in 2005. I skirted the bottom up one draw and down another, then up to the den site where I found a couple snakes outside enjoying the nice weather.
So far we had spent 3 day of looking without any finding. We were seeing a number of other animals but not any javelina.
Monday found us over at a area that we call Rock Springs for the water running out of the rocks, but this year there was no water. Roy took his usual hike into a area and I headed down the wash to explore a couple different areas. Once again we were not seeing any tracks. I went about 3 miles before I came to a spot where a ATV could no longer be ridden down the wash, we have ridden past this spot but it takes at least two people to work the ATV's over the rocks and coming back you may need to do some winching. For some reason my camera didn't want to work so no pictures. On my way back I stopped and checked out OnX as to what it showed in the area since I had seen a road taking off to the west. It said that I was right where the road left the wash but I couldn't see anything so I headed up the was and sure enough the pin followed my movements. I turned around and then saw the road. It was quite overgrown with a steep rocky bank to get out of the wash. I locked my ATV into 4x4 with the front diff locked and started to head up, only to realize that the start was steeper than I had thought, so I picked another line and up the hill I went. This road hadn't been used in at least 20 or so years and a short time later I came to where I had to cross the small wash but the road was washed out. I took a hike for about two miles and found that the road ended at a old mine where they had dug out a area of high grade copper ore until the vein disappeared and they abandoned the workings. So much for Monday.
Tuesday was about the same as all the other days. I did however see a coyote run across the wash in front of me and while watching for it I saw that it was with another one, a mating pair. But like coyotes do they move when you don't and they stop while you are moving.
Wednesday found two discouraged hunters pulling out all the stops and tricks that we knew of where we could go to find our quarry. We stuck together and decided to try a large canyon off of a new power line road that had been constructed a few years ago. This road took us into a very good area but it was on top of the hill and we needed to be down in the bottom. Once we reached where we wanted to be at we started out hike, me on one side of the draw and Roy on the other. We had gone about half a mile when Roy spotted a couple of javelina down in the bottom of the draw under a mesquite tree, he waved at me to get my attention and pointed. After a bit I finally saw not two but around 8 or 9 of them in the general area. We both knew that after a shot we would be off to the races trying to get them to stop for a second shot. I let Roy stalk a little bit closer and when he was getting ready to take his shot I got into a position where I thought that I would get a chance at one. At his shot the whole hillside exploded, there were javelina running every which way. I tried to track one through the scope on my pistol but that was like trying to find a fly in a big game rifles scope. I started up the hill and then I saw on that had stopped for some reason. He was way too far for a shot so I headed towards him. I was still about 150 yards away when he headed back up the hill, I paralleled him up the hill and when I came to a large rock for a rest I stopped and leaned across it using it as a rock steady rest. The range was still around 150 yards but I knew that I wasn't going to get another chance. I settled the cross hairs right on the top of his back and a little bit towards his head as he was headed up the hill. I pulled the trigger and he spun around and was headed back down the hill. I quickly got another round into my Contender and waited for him to stop, which he did when he pilled up a short ways away.
I had no idea if Roy had gotten his, he tends to get a little excited. I headed over to mine and found Roy a short ways away looking at his javelina, we had doubled out of the same herd within about 2 or 3 minutes.
Then came the hard thing to do, leave Arizona and take a 15 hour truck drive home.
After checking the weather we knew that we were going to be in for a hot one. Temperatures were suppose to be in the upper 70's but as we all know weathermen lie, we saw temperatures into the mid 80º's.
We started out the hunt in our usual manner, driving a couple of washes looking for tracks. I took one and my buddy took another one. I hadn't gone very far when I saw some single tracks crossing the wash but chasing just a single javelina is like a dog chasing his tail. A little further I saw another single but kept on riding. I met up with Roy at the power line and he had just seen some single tracks. He decided to take a hike to the north and I headed back across the wash and up onto a hill to do some glassing. I didn't see anything so it was time to hike down into the bottoms to check them out. This went on until noon when we met back up for lunch. That afternoon was getting hot and javelina like to hunker down in the heat of the day, they would be right in the bottom of the draws in the shade staying out of the sun, the rest of the day was uneventful.
Next morning found us doing pretty much the same thing with the same results, but now we knew that we were going to have to do a lot more hiking. I headed into a large canyon hitting every little draw in it, all I managed to do was to chase a coyote out of it. He was on a dead run and no chance to get the sights on him. I did manage to find a bees nest, I had no idea if they were Africanized bees or not but being a couple miles away from my 4 wheeler and quite a ways away from any medical help I just snapped a few pictures and left them alone.
Sunday I decided to take a hike into a canyon that we call "snake den" for the appropriate reason, I had found a rattlesnake den in it way back in 2005. I skirted the bottom up one draw and down another, then up to the den site where I found a couple snakes outside enjoying the nice weather.
So far we had spent 3 day of looking without any finding. We were seeing a number of other animals but not any javelina.
Monday found us over at a area that we call Rock Springs for the water running out of the rocks, but this year there was no water. Roy took his usual hike into a area and I headed down the wash to explore a couple different areas. Once again we were not seeing any tracks. I went about 3 miles before I came to a spot where a ATV could no longer be ridden down the wash, we have ridden past this spot but it takes at least two people to work the ATV's over the rocks and coming back you may need to do some winching. For some reason my camera didn't want to work so no pictures. On my way back I stopped and checked out OnX as to what it showed in the area since I had seen a road taking off to the west. It said that I was right where the road left the wash but I couldn't see anything so I headed up the was and sure enough the pin followed my movements. I turned around and then saw the road. It was quite overgrown with a steep rocky bank to get out of the wash. I locked my ATV into 4x4 with the front diff locked and started to head up, only to realize that the start was steeper than I had thought, so I picked another line and up the hill I went. This road hadn't been used in at least 20 or so years and a short time later I came to where I had to cross the small wash but the road was washed out. I took a hike for about two miles and found that the road ended at a old mine where they had dug out a area of high grade copper ore until the vein disappeared and they abandoned the workings. So much for Monday.
Tuesday was about the same as all the other days. I did however see a coyote run across the wash in front of me and while watching for it I saw that it was with another one, a mating pair. But like coyotes do they move when you don't and they stop while you are moving.
Wednesday found two discouraged hunters pulling out all the stops and tricks that we knew of where we could go to find our quarry. We stuck together and decided to try a large canyon off of a new power line road that had been constructed a few years ago. This road took us into a very good area but it was on top of the hill and we needed to be down in the bottom. Once we reached where we wanted to be at we started out hike, me on one side of the draw and Roy on the other. We had gone about half a mile when Roy spotted a couple of javelina down in the bottom of the draw under a mesquite tree, he waved at me to get my attention and pointed. After a bit I finally saw not two but around 8 or 9 of them in the general area. We both knew that after a shot we would be off to the races trying to get them to stop for a second shot. I let Roy stalk a little bit closer and when he was getting ready to take his shot I got into a position where I thought that I would get a chance at one. At his shot the whole hillside exploded, there were javelina running every which way. I tried to track one through the scope on my pistol but that was like trying to find a fly in a big game rifles scope. I started up the hill and then I saw on that had stopped for some reason. He was way too far for a shot so I headed towards him. I was still about 150 yards away when he headed back up the hill, I paralleled him up the hill and when I came to a large rock for a rest I stopped and leaned across it using it as a rock steady rest. The range was still around 150 yards but I knew that I wasn't going to get another chance. I settled the cross hairs right on the top of his back and a little bit towards his head as he was headed up the hill. I pulled the trigger and he spun around and was headed back down the hill. I quickly got another round into my Contender and waited for him to stop, which he did when he pilled up a short ways away.
I had no idea if Roy had gotten his, he tends to get a little excited. I headed over to mine and found Roy a short ways away looking at his javelina, we had doubled out of the same herd within about 2 or 3 minutes.
Then came the hard thing to do, leave Arizona and take a 15 hour truck drive home.
