Has anyone hunted javelina in AZ? Any decent public areas, National Forest or BLM land?

Yes, I have hunted Javelina in AZ. Lots of public land, both federal and state.
The AZGFD website lists hunt units and gives good starting points for each.

Stink pigs everywhere, tags plentiful....

Yeah the bastards got into our horse supplements night before last. Spent yesterday building a gate so they can't get in anymore. Might have to get a bow and stick one since we are in city limits and I can't shoot them here.

Are the tags draw or otc?

They dig my crap up nightly...

I could come down there and shoot them....I love seeing piggies hit the dirt.

They rate right up there with feral pigs!

On non-tribal lands they are draw only. On Indian reservations they are FCFS. I have killed them from one end of the state to the other. I rarely apply for a tag anymore.

Dennis

Archery is OTC

Since when??

Years I think. I don’t hunt them much. Most hunts are still draw but there’s a big handful open August thru January OTC. We plugged a good one last year




I suppose better wording on my part would have been: there are OTC archery tags available for some areas

For many years the January archery tags were OTC, they have been on a draw for 20+ years now. Only OTC tags are leftovers.

Leftover and the 17 units that are open OTC August thru January. Don’t take my word for it, check the regs. Pig in pic above was on this OTC non-permit tag. Areas of 41 are also OTC.





For you out-of-staters, “nonpermit-tag” means it’s OTC

Those with hunt numbers are NOT OTC, the others are for junior hunters only. There are NO OTC javelina tags in AZ for adults with any weapon type. You can sometimes find leftovers in chitty units but that's not the same thing. You can BUY tags on both the San Carlos and Ft. Apache. The Ft. Apache are OTC. San Carlos changes with the wind so you will have to check with them to see if they are draw or OTC>

Dennis, the San Carlos pretty good pig huntin?

Jud, anywhere near me is good pig hunting...

Dude, yes there are and I included pictures of the regs. Look at the regs right now if you don’t believe those pictures. Archery-Only Non-Permit tag Required is its own category, it isn’t youth, and it's OTC. That’s what non-permit tag means. Notice the two (non-permit tag) hunts pictured don’t have hunt numbers (tag valid per calendar year just like deer, lion, bear, etc, you can use it for all non-permit OTC hunts For that species)

I have purchased this tag (OTC) and killed a pig as pictured above, not that that matters, because there it is in the regs

I’m not saying that’s the best hunt in the state, there are much better draw tags. But adding a pig tag to a deer hunt is easy to do

There's lots of them if that's what you mean.

Copy that. Mother&Father in law live in Pheonix, just pondering my options. Thanks

Both Apache reservations require hunter education certificate regardless your age. FYI.

Copy that, took it almost 40 years ago, got the card.

Kinda greedy, need to go down Greg’s kill one then head up in-laws and smack another. Cool critters.grin

Jud if the draw doesn’t work out and you are here August 21-Jan 31, I can put you on stink pigs on the archery OTC tag if you want to come north. Greg will put you on better stuff Than me but it’s an option if you don’t draw. You can kill two pigs a year in separate units

Appreciate the offer, just exploring my options.

additionally - they are fairly easy to stalk once you glass them up. archery hunters have high hunt success.

Deffinately on my bucket list.

What happened to the OP, Old Ornery? Did we answer his question yet?

I didn't put in for my HAM hunt this year, or go after a leftover tag as I hunted elk down there last fall. Long drive and a lot of money for a small critter. Seeing as how I didn't draw anything here in Cali, and didn't put in for anything down there this year because of The Corona, I may just put in for that HAM hunt next spring. I had hoped to actually put in for sheep or bison this year as I have bunches of points, but finances and The Corona kept me from it. Next year maybe.

I may have to look into those OTC archery tags too, in case I go visit one of my bros that live in AZ.

Good luck to you folks on your fall hunts.

I have a cousin who is an avid traditional archery hunter. Long bow and cedar shafts. He spent a morning somewhere in the southwest chasing javelina's. Had to stop when he lost the last of more than a dozen arrows. Did not hit a single piggy.

I've hunted them in AZ with archery gear several times but it's been over 25 years since I have. I did take one with a recurve and wood shaft...

I called them with a very coarse sounding varmint call, shot them with a 357 mag or 45 acp. I gave them to a Mexican family, and they had one heck of a family get together with the food!