Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Javelina chewed on my GWP while mearns quail hunting

We were in Gardner Canyon on Wednesday Jan 20. Took both dogs. We rounded a curve on a small hill and a javi ran past me. The dogs were a bit below me. Suddenly I realized there were another dozen or more! Abbey, the female, ended up loping into the sounder first. They scattered and she got out of there. Thor loped through next and all of a sudden one bumped him from behind. He yipped and turned around. That is when he got this chomp on his face. It all happened very quickly. There was no way I could have covered the distance of 35 yds and helped. He was trying to get away about the same time I unloaded several rounds into the air to scare them. Thor managed to escape. When I inspected him, he appeared to have a small puncture on his upper lip close to the nose. It did not go through the lip to the inside. I let it bleed for a while then washed it off with bottled water. We continued to hunt.

Over the next few days I monitored the injury for swelling and pus and all was well until today, Sat Jan 23. There was swelling that wasn't there the day before. I decide to take him to the vet's. The vet trimmed off the hair and we discoved two holes! Turns out he was bitten all the way through with two of those canines of the javi. The holes connect. The vet flushed fluid in one hole and it came out the other. He is on antibiotics and gets a few days off. He gets a few hot compresses to help with the draining. Funny he sure isn't in any discomfort that I can see. Live and learn. Wonder how he will react to the smell or sight of javis in the future.

I sent the above to a few friends. The update: Swelling is gone. Took him hunting yesterday, Jan 26. He is fine and back to normal except for a small lump and a bald lip.

A couple of pics:

glad to see your dog doing are better never fun when something like that happens

Glad to hear it turned out OK. Javelina are always a threat in AZ. That was a large herd (pack, group or whatever it is called?)! My dog was chased by a lone Javelina a couple of years ago near Fish canyon. It just came out of the grass charging him. I changed it's mind. Now if he smells them he barks a threating bark but doesn't chase them.
I've only seen one while hunting Gambel quail this season. It was running away from him about 20 yards in front. It was down wind & could smell him.
I made up mind years ago what I would do if one came after him. I realize what the law is & the fine. BUT.........

Tronskie,


A herd of javelina is called a sounder. I have no idea where the name came from. Seeing a dozen javelina together is not uncommon. I can remember back in the early 80s when we saw a sounder of over 60 animals.

I have hunted with bird dogs for over 20 yrs. This is the first time a dog was attacked. I believe the reason was the surprise factor. The dogs rounded the curve of the hill and were into them with no warning. There were a few young and I figure the attacker was defending them.

Generally a javelina is not very agressive and would rather run than fight. Poor Thor was second into the area and was the one given the message to back off.

If the attack continued I would have tried to stop it anyway I could. The problem is using a shotgun with #8 shot. I'd hit the dog so it would have to be a point blank shot with burned hair.

Stuff happpens, glad it worked out for my hunting buddy.

If you keep puttin "Corona" on it 3 or 4 times a day, there will be no scaring and it will heal up faster and help keep infection down too. I always hit my dog with a shot of anti-biotic when something like that happens also.

AZ Fish and Game recommends that you bell your dogs; that way the Javelina will be alerted before there is a run in.

The reason Javelina attack dogs, are/is because the coyote is their mortal enemy. The coyote likes tasty little Javelina.

Dogs and javelina don't mix. There have been numerous cases where a housewife gets chewed while out walking Fluffy because Fluffy sets off a sounder.

Bacitracin works quite well on dirty flesh wounds.