Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game New Mexico Javelina

I am excited! My buddy and I got drawn for New Mexico Javelina hunt JAV-1-100 (western New Mexico). I have never hunted for Javelina before and need some advice. Are there any good books or videos on the subject? Also if some one could point us to an area in New Mexico with a good population. We live a few states away, so a scouting trip is unlikely. We plan to take a few weeks off to drive down and hunt. We also hope to get some varmint calling in.
I have heard Javelina are not too hard to hunt. We plan on taking the bows but may switch to rifle if we are not doing well. We both have good Bino's and a fair spotting scope so we plan to spot and stalk. Any advise on equipment or conditions we would be likely to encouter would be appreciated. Thanks!

Right On!

My buddy and I drew tags last season. Had a great time. We hunted the Silver City and Lordsburg areas, both sides of Hwy 90. We were lucky and had access to private land. We also hunted public land.

Saw a lot of sign to the north of Lordsburg area heading towards Red Rock (I think).

Check out this website for javelina info.

www.javelinahunter.com

Lot's of info there.

I'd attach some pictures but don't know how!

I had a great ime and hope to make it back next year. I was using my old SKS in 7.62 x 39. It may have been a bit much, but it put a pig on the ground. It wasn't a big one, I figure about 45 lb live weight.

It was my first and hopefully not my last. Living up here in NW Washington, it's a bit far to go on a regular basis.

The way I figure it, cover lots of country untill you hit fresh sign and get after them. Be sneaky, they're plenty spookable.

Look for prickly pear cactus that's been shredded. They eat a lot of that stuff. Also look under oaks and around bushes for signs of rooting.

Be sure to let us know how you're trip goes.

Oh yeah...if you get over to Silver City, stop by the Buffalo Bar.

Good Hunting!

Down where the New Mexico state line makes a littel block in to Mexico against the AZ border, there is an area called Skull Canyon. Lots of javelina. If you get into them , they smell just like skunks. So it's either skunks or javelina.

Do you plan on eating one?

If you find em you should be able to stalk within bow range as they are real easy to sneak up on. They make cool skull mounts, but we really don't pay any attention to them.

Man oh man! My little javellina was dang fine eating! The backstraps cooked up like fine pork. Mmmmmm good!

Shot some jackrabbit and ate it as well! Locals thought we were plum nuts! Cooked the bunny for hours in a pressure cooker and it turned out just fine. I'm thiking that jack rabbit burritos with green chili sauce would be fine eating! Maybe put the rabbit and javelina together!

MATT,

Javelina hunting is very fun. I live in Arizona and I guide for Javelina every year. Here are a couple pointers and things I have learned over my 13 years of hunting them.

Javelina's are easy to kill, finding them is the hardest part of the hunt. you can scout a ton, and when push comes to shove, they may not be where you had seen them.

A good set of tripod mounted optics (binoculars) is a very important part in my hunting style. For javelina's, a good backup tool is a varmint call, If you know what you are doing, you can call a herd in.
You do not need to be up at the crack of dawn like other game. Most of the time they do not move until the sun is out.
When glassing in the morning, focus on the sunny slopes that are preferably cactus (prickle pear and/or cholla) choked. they love eating cactus and they also love to root.
If it is windy, look in the wash/canyon bottoms they do not like wind too much.
If you find an old mine shaft or cave, check for tracks. if there is fresh tracks, get about 50 yards away from the entrance and use the varmint call and see if anything comes out.

I can go on for a long time. if you want some more pointers, send me a PM or give me a buzz and I will give you more info. I hope what I have given you so far will help in filling those tags. Good luck on the hunt and congrats again.

Enrique

Matt,

One more thing. They taste really good if you know how to cook them. I like making Chorizo out of them. They also taste really good if you pit BBQ them.
One of the easy ways I fixed them one time was by marinading them for 24 hours.
I used: 2 Budwiesers, 1 bottle of chile tepin hot sauce, some seasoning salt and pepper.
After the marinading period, I cooked some bacon half way. I then put the Javelina meat on the grill and put the bacon on top of the meat, I also added a little onions on top too. I did that until the steaks were done. They were really good and my clients were very please.

Enrique

Thanks guys, some great info here. I love the recipies, you must have a lot of faith in me of none in the Javelinas! I will definately check out a few of the places you have mentioned.
I just got some new danner boots today. i plan to break them in during deer season, so they will be ready for the desert. I also may have the wife talked into letting me get a new spotting scope. My old scope is a Bushnell Sentry I have had for 10+ years. I am looking at maybe a Leupold or Nikon. I would like a Swaravski or Lieca, but the cost may keep me from going that route. I have a pair of Leupold bino's I plan on using. I definately need to get a better tripod.
I checked out the New mexico DFG site. it had some good info on the Javelinas as in forage and range. Pretty basic stuff, but any information is helpful.
I will definately bring the predator calls along. If not for the Javelina, i also hope to call in a few coyoties and foxes. Well thanks all for the advice, and keep it coming. You are all definately giving me a place to start.

Only some one from a non desert state would think that jack rabbit and javelina are good eating.

Youngbuck, with all the beer, marinade, sauce, bacon, you could make a slab of mesquite taste good.

I judge how good game is by how it tastes with just salt and pepper.

Saddlesore,

When cooking a rodent, you have to be creative, unlike normal stuff like deer and elk, where salt and pepper does the job.


Matt,

Check the AZGFD and see what they have to say about Javelina and their habits. Different state, but I bet they may have something NM don't on their site that can be useful on your trip.
Focus on the units close to the state line. go to www.azgfd.com and go to where to hunt. Then choose the units by the NM state line. That may help also.

Enrique

Matt, give me a call, I was born and raised in NM, and still outfitt out there. I have been to Javelina hunting down in that area many times. Give me a call, and I will give you easy directions to some public land, that usually holds some good populations of javelinas. PM on the way

Toby Joe

Good luck on your javelina hunt. I have never "hunted" for javelina but I have killed a lot of them while hunting for other game. They are not hard to kill, I have taken several with a .22 rimfire pistol and head shots. I have had them come to a preditor call, you might consider giving that method a try.

They are very good eatting if you get the younger ones. The big old males which make an impresive mount will taste very "musky". They are nothing like pork, not even related, they have no marbled fat and the flesh in white and mild. I just quarter the young ones and cook over mesquite coals. I baste a little barbecus sauce on em' just before it gets done. They are good eats.

Take care when you skin them out for the musk glands. They look like little nipples and are located on their backs on either side of the spine just in front of the hind quarters. Avoid cutting those and don't get the musk on your hands.

Their sense of smell is better than their eyesight. If you stay down wind you should be able to stalk within bow range.