Who ever said the desert in Arizona is warm is a moron. We froze our nipples off. Actually the first day it was warm, then it got really cold. The last two days the highs never got out of the 30's and the lows were high teens in the morning. Froze our water bottles solid.
That was just part of what ended up being a tough hunt. Where there were javelina all over the place last year, they were scarce this year. We only saw 3 seperate herds in 5 days. Last year we saw twice that many in the first 3 days. We did see 2 nice coues bucks in the 90's and a couple small coues bucks. Then we saw a couple muley spikes and a really nice 26" 4pt that my buddy glassed up. None ever presented us with a good stalking opportunity.
All in all it was still a great trip and we did end up killing two javelina.
True to form, I made another lousy shot and had another arduous tracking job. I just can't seem to get a good arrow into these critters.
My brother and I had just hiked down off our glassing point to go check out another area when my friend Brent got our attention to let us know that there were pigs directly up the other side of the canyon from us. We snuck up and with a very unpredictable wind, took our boots off to not make too much noise on the rocky spot we had to cross. We had a pig in a bush at 35 yards with more that we knew were hidden nearby. Since my brother is a relatively new archer, he wanted me to take the first shot, then lay on the call to see if we could get one in nice and close for him to shoot.
Finally mine came out from the bush broadside to me, but pointing downhill. I drew, put my 30 pin high where his collar crosses his shoulder and released. The little bugger jumped at the release as he bolted downhill. I heard my arrow hit but thought it was too far back. The pig hauled out of there.
I wailed on the call and pigs came busting out from everywhere on the hill above us. They came charging in pretty good but put on the brakes at about 45 yards. I'm not sure if they saw me or winded us as the wind was really shifty. But that was as close as they came in. My bro took two shots but missed as they were long pokes for him.
He ends up over by my arrow. I ask him if it looks like a good hit and he just shakes his head no. Oh crap. Not again I'm thinking. After all the pigs run to New Mexico, I go check out my arrow. Green slime all over it and chunks of green poo matter all over the ground. The time was about 9:00 am.
We give it a litte while (in retrospect, yes we should have waited longer) and start slowly following. At first we are following the green poo trail. Then a couple drops of blood. Then it turns into a pretty good blood trail. I'm thinking maybe I got lucky and cut an artery. Our optimism was short lived as the blood trail quickly slowed to no more than a trickle. A spot here and there. Maybe a little smeared on some grass or a stick. At times we were on our hands and knees tunnelling through the Catclaw, Prickly Pear and Mesquite. Numerous times we lost the trail only to find it again with a pinhole speck of blood. Sometimes we could follow tracks but more often than not he was on rocky soil which made that all but impossible.
At one point about 12 noon, 3 hours later and a mile from the initial shot, I was ready to call it off. We had lost the blood completely and I had spent the last 30-40 minutes doing circles trying to find more to no avail. We were out of water, emotionally and physically beat. I left my bro at the last spot of the blood and walked back to the truck to get more water. I come back and take a different route than when I left. As I am walking through a small ravine, I look down and see fresh tracks and a spot of blood. YES!
I call my bro and we are back on. A small spot here and there, a smear here and there. The trail goes down into a tight ravine with overhanging brush. We are on our hands and knees with my bro in the lead making our way down the cut. We come to a blind turn in the ravine where another creek ditch flows in from another direction. As we come around the turn ALL *#@& BREAKS LOOSE.
My brother jumps up, and starts screaming in the most high pitched little girl voice you have ever heard. OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, THERE HE IS, OH MY GOD, SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT! A very angry javelina goes running off woofing and grunting. As we came around the corner crawling on hands and knees in the ravine, the javelina was bedded down and Taylor almost put his hand on the pig. He looked up and was face to face with it at mere inches. Hence the screaming. He is really lucky that thing didn't rearrange his grill.
Anyhow, I thought the pig was long gone as he took off at a good clip. I ran up on the side of the hill to get elevation for a better view. I told my rattled brother to try and stay on the tracks but to let me get ahead a bit.
50-60 yards later and there he is in the thick brush and he's %$#@!. He's tired of running. He is puffed up and snapping his jaws. He's behind a bush with his neck sticking out. Taylor sends an arrow into his neck at 15 yards. That pisses the pig off as he trys to snap at the arrow burried into him. I run around and send one through his lungs. He fights to stay on his feet for a few seconds then falls over. We high five. The time is 1:15 pm.
What a RUSH! To go from emotional low to high in just a few minutes was unreal. The good thing was, the pig was gracious enough to run back towards the truck. I initially shot him over a mile from the truck, and he finally died 100 yards from the truck.
My buddy ended up shooting one perfect and low through the shoulders the night before. It was an easy stalk, and easy 15 yard shot, and an easy 30 yard tracking job. But I figured I'd make it a bit more challenging. Why shoot one right through the shoulders ? That's too easy! I got 10+ animals worth of blood trailing experience in this tracking job.
Aside from that my only other kill was a 4.5' rattlesnake. My brother almost stepped on it as we were setting up to glass from a rockpile, and my bro is deathly afraid of snakes. He almost fainted. Since we wanted that rockpile to glass from, the snake took a blunt to the neck. So yes, my poor bro got the bejesus scared out of him twice in two days. His nerves were frazzled. It was pretty funny watching him jump out of his skin from even little rabbits after these two incidents.
All in all a good trip. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to see my brother get his first bow kill. He deserved it. Good times.
If this site allowed you to post a pic bigger than a postage stamp, I'd put up a pic. I'll have to resize tonight.
That was just part of what ended up being a tough hunt. Where there were javelina all over the place last year, they were scarce this year. We only saw 3 seperate herds in 5 days. Last year we saw twice that many in the first 3 days. We did see 2 nice coues bucks in the 90's and a couple small coues bucks. Then we saw a couple muley spikes and a really nice 26" 4pt that my buddy glassed up. None ever presented us with a good stalking opportunity.
All in all it was still a great trip and we did end up killing two javelina.
True to form, I made another lousy shot and had another arduous tracking job. I just can't seem to get a good arrow into these critters.
My brother and I had just hiked down off our glassing point to go check out another area when my friend Brent got our attention to let us know that there were pigs directly up the other side of the canyon from us. We snuck up and with a very unpredictable wind, took our boots off to not make too much noise on the rocky spot we had to cross. We had a pig in a bush at 35 yards with more that we knew were hidden nearby. Since my brother is a relatively new archer, he wanted me to take the first shot, then lay on the call to see if we could get one in nice and close for him to shoot.
Finally mine came out from the bush broadside to me, but pointing downhill. I drew, put my 30 pin high where his collar crosses his shoulder and released. The little bugger jumped at the release as he bolted downhill. I heard my arrow hit but thought it was too far back. The pig hauled out of there.
I wailed on the call and pigs came busting out from everywhere on the hill above us. They came charging in pretty good but put on the brakes at about 45 yards. I'm not sure if they saw me or winded us as the wind was really shifty. But that was as close as they came in. My bro took two shots but missed as they were long pokes for him.
He ends up over by my arrow. I ask him if it looks like a good hit and he just shakes his head no. Oh crap. Not again I'm thinking. After all the pigs run to New Mexico, I go check out my arrow. Green slime all over it and chunks of green poo matter all over the ground. The time was about 9:00 am.
We give it a litte while (in retrospect, yes we should have waited longer) and start slowly following. At first we are following the green poo trail. Then a couple drops of blood. Then it turns into a pretty good blood trail. I'm thinking maybe I got lucky and cut an artery. Our optimism was short lived as the blood trail quickly slowed to no more than a trickle. A spot here and there. Maybe a little smeared on some grass or a stick. At times we were on our hands and knees tunnelling through the Catclaw, Prickly Pear and Mesquite. Numerous times we lost the trail only to find it again with a pinhole speck of blood. Sometimes we could follow tracks but more often than not he was on rocky soil which made that all but impossible.
At one point about 12 noon, 3 hours later and a mile from the initial shot, I was ready to call it off. We had lost the blood completely and I had spent the last 30-40 minutes doing circles trying to find more to no avail. We were out of water, emotionally and physically beat. I left my bro at the last spot of the blood and walked back to the truck to get more water. I come back and take a different route than when I left. As I am walking through a small ravine, I look down and see fresh tracks and a spot of blood. YES!
I call my bro and we are back on. A small spot here and there, a smear here and there. The trail goes down into a tight ravine with overhanging brush. We are on our hands and knees with my bro in the lead making our way down the cut. We come to a blind turn in the ravine where another creek ditch flows in from another direction. As we come around the turn ALL *#@& BREAKS LOOSE.
My brother jumps up, and starts screaming in the most high pitched little girl voice you have ever heard. OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, THERE HE IS, OH MY GOD, SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT! A very angry javelina goes running off woofing and grunting. As we came around the corner crawling on hands and knees in the ravine, the javelina was bedded down and Taylor almost put his hand on the pig. He looked up and was face to face with it at mere inches. Hence the screaming. He is really lucky that thing didn't rearrange his grill.
Anyhow, I thought the pig was long gone as he took off at a good clip. I ran up on the side of the hill to get elevation for a better view. I told my rattled brother to try and stay on the tracks but to let me get ahead a bit.
50-60 yards later and there he is in the thick brush and he's %$#@!. He's tired of running. He is puffed up and snapping his jaws. He's behind a bush with his neck sticking out. Taylor sends an arrow into his neck at 15 yards. That pisses the pig off as he trys to snap at the arrow burried into him. I run around and send one through his lungs. He fights to stay on his feet for a few seconds then falls over. We high five. The time is 1:15 pm.
What a RUSH! To go from emotional low to high in just a few minutes was unreal. The good thing was, the pig was gracious enough to run back towards the truck. I initially shot him over a mile from the truck, and he finally died 100 yards from the truck.
My buddy ended up shooting one perfect and low through the shoulders the night before. It was an easy stalk, and easy 15 yard shot, and an easy 30 yard tracking job. But I figured I'd make it a bit more challenging. Why shoot one right through the shoulders ? That's too easy! I got 10+ animals worth of blood trailing experience in this tracking job.
Aside from that my only other kill was a 4.5' rattlesnake. My brother almost stepped on it as we were setting up to glass from a rockpile, and my bro is deathly afraid of snakes. He almost fainted. Since we wanted that rockpile to glass from, the snake took a blunt to the neck. So yes, my poor bro got the bejesus scared out of him twice in two days. His nerves were frazzled. It was pretty funny watching him jump out of his skin from even little rabbits after these two incidents.
All in all a good trip. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to see my brother get his first bow kill. He deserved it. Good times.
If this site allowed you to post a pic bigger than a postage stamp, I'd put up a pic. I'll have to resize tonight.
