Well just got back from my 1st AZ hunt and Javelina hunt. I hunted area 36. I found Arizona to be very cold at night this time of year. I was camping in a tent. But the hunt was really fun. I saw plenty of muleys and white tail. Thats proably because I didnt have a tag.
I spent the first day glassing a canyon/ mountain side, Talked to about 15 other hunters too. everyone was having a hard tome finding the javelina. I think everyone, as was I, was glassing the bottom of the mountain sides. The second day I hiked about 3-4 miles back into another mountain side i was sure wasnt getting any pressure. While glassing for about an hour, I spotted some javelina at about 1000 yards, and up about 400-500 feet on the mountain side. Just a quick note, dont forget your tripod like I did for your binos. I used a stick to stablize mine. After about 1 1/2 hours of stalking up the back side of the mountain, I got within 30 yards from above the javelina. They had no Idea I was there until I arrowed the tree in front of one. ( almost took his nose off!) I had forgotten to take into acount the wind, which was really blowing. Well the wind helped because his buddied had no idea why the 1st javelina ran. They just froze. A second javelina walked over tp look at the arrow, and I hit him through the neck. The wind blew my arrow about 10 inches off target. Thought I was done, but the javelina didnt push back to my partner, they just stood there. My partner couldnt get a shot, so he signaled me to take one for him. Just then a pretty big one walked up about 20 yards away. Nailed him in the lungs with a perfect shot. Both pigs ran down the same path, with the other 14 pigs we hadnt noticed in the bedding area we walked into. After tracking the pigs down the mountain and searching until night (About 3 hours) We lost the pigs in a large tangle of cactus. Im sure they were in the cactus, we just could not get to them. I was poked full of holes trying to get them. We ended up leaving without finding those pigs, I was pretty bummed. After thinking about it, I think I pushed them too soon. I think they would have layed down sooner had I not tried to follow them so soon. I saw so much blood, I was sure they would be dead just a little way down the mountain, but I was wrong. Ill have to wait until next year now, but I still had fun.
I spent the first day glassing a canyon/ mountain side, Talked to about 15 other hunters too. everyone was having a hard tome finding the javelina. I think everyone, as was I, was glassing the bottom of the mountain sides. The second day I hiked about 3-4 miles back into another mountain side i was sure wasnt getting any pressure. While glassing for about an hour, I spotted some javelina at about 1000 yards, and up about 400-500 feet on the mountain side. Just a quick note, dont forget your tripod like I did for your binos. I used a stick to stablize mine. After about 1 1/2 hours of stalking up the back side of the mountain, I got within 30 yards from above the javelina. They had no Idea I was there until I arrowed the tree in front of one. ( almost took his nose off!) I had forgotten to take into acount the wind, which was really blowing. Well the wind helped because his buddied had no idea why the 1st javelina ran. They just froze. A second javelina walked over tp look at the arrow, and I hit him through the neck. The wind blew my arrow about 10 inches off target. Thought I was done, but the javelina didnt push back to my partner, they just stood there. My partner couldnt get a shot, so he signaled me to take one for him. Just then a pretty big one walked up about 20 yards away. Nailed him in the lungs with a perfect shot. Both pigs ran down the same path, with the other 14 pigs we hadnt noticed in the bedding area we walked into. After tracking the pigs down the mountain and searching until night (About 3 hours) We lost the pigs in a large tangle of cactus. Im sure they were in the cactus, we just could not get to them. I was poked full of holes trying to get them. We ended up leaving without finding those pigs, I was pretty bummed. After thinking about it, I think I pushed them too soon. I think they would have layed down sooner had I not tried to follow them so soon. I saw so much blood, I was sure they would be dead just a little way down the mountain, but I was wrong. Ill have to wait until next year now, but I still had fun.
