Javelina hunting
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Where to hunt Javelina
Weighing between 40-60 pounds, the white-collared peccary a.k.a. javelina is the smallest animal considered big game in the USA. Although they look like pigs, javelina belong to a different family and are unique to the Americas. Interestingly, although the ancestors of the peccary have been thriving in North and South America for many million years, there's no evidence that the javelina existed on the territory of modern US before 1700 a.d. Today Javelina hunting is popular in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, as well as in Mexico, and in fact every country that has them.
Price distribution
Non-guided or semi-guided Javelina hunt prices start at just under $1,000. Expect to pay around $2,000, give or take a few hundred, for a fully guided one-on-one hunt with food and lodging, as well as the use of ATV and other equipment,included. A Javelina hunt is often combined with a predator hunt at the same price.
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When to hunt Javelina?
The opening dates for Javelina hunting seasons vary greatly from state to state and sometimes even from one area within the state to another. Typically, there is a fall season that lasts a few weeks from August to November, and a spring season that may go on until May. Some parts of the season may be archery only. Contact your outfitter for details.
Hunting methods All hunting methods (7)
By far the most popular way of Javelina hunting is stalking. These creatures don't see very well beyond about 100 yards, but that doesn’t make them precisely easy to approach. Javelinas are usually found in groups, where the ears and sense of smell of dozens of animals make up for any shortsightedness. A special challenge is to hunt Javelina with a bow. Many different hunting techniques can be successfully used, including hunting from a blind and calling. A javelina hunter should be concerned about fleas. Apparently, few animals collect more fleas than a peccary.
Why hunt Javelina?
As already mentioned, Javelina is a species that is unique to America. The peccary family, while closely related to pigs, differ from them in many important aspects. Those include to teeth, gestation period, complex stomach, a scent gland on the back, and absence of a tail. The taste of the meat is different too; some people don’t hold it in high esteem, but cooked the right way, javelinas are delicious.The secret seems to be in slow-cooking. A traditional Mexican campstyle way, practiced all over the West, is to bury a field-dressed javelina under a heap of burning coals and leave overnight. While the Javelina may appear humble on the background on other American species, it offers a unique and inimitable hunting experience in its own right.
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