Hello. If you live in far south Texas or in a southwestern state where javalina can be found and you hunt, you truly owe it to yourself to try taking one or two with a handgun. It is a hoot.

I was fortunate enough to get to hunt on a ranch with a fellow who was a master shot and a tireless reloader, though he worked mainly with Thompson-Center Contenders and Ruger .44 Magnums. (His carry gun was a .45 1911.) It was just north of Edinburg and crawling with javelina (snakes, ticks, fleas, and thorns, too).

These little things get around 30 to 35-lbs I'd estimate, but are tougher than their size would indicate. A .22 magnum might be "enough," but I'd only go for brain shots if using one.

I used 9mm and .45 ACP and my buddies primarily used .45 ACP's. Ammunition used over the years in 9mm included Corbon 124-gr. XTP +P, Corbon 124-gr. GDHP +P, Triton 125-gr. Hi Vel JHP +P, a 124-gr. XTP handloaded to 1244 ft/sec, Corbon 115-gr. JHP +P, and Triton 135-gr. Quik Shoks. In .45 ACP, ammo was Federal 230-gr. HydraShok, 230-gr. Golden Saber, Corbon 165-gr. JHP +P, Corbon 185-gr. JHP +P, Federal "Personal Defense" 165-gr. HydraShok, and Winchester Ranger 230-gr. SXT.

The only load that was consistently lacking was the Federal 165-gr. PD load. For reasons I do not understand, the little "pigs" were never staggered, even with good hits. They'd run when hit and require a second shot. With any and all of the other rounds, a good hit resulted in their at least dropping to the ground for a few seconds before regaining their footing and running a few yards. They are worthy little adversaries.

I'd practice shooting at coffee saucer size targets at 25 to 35 yards. I could almost always ooch around and get that close, often considerably closer. They have a strip right at the shoulder. Put your bullets in the stripe or foreward of it. It looks like it's way too far forward, but trust me, it is not. The vitals are in this area.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid25/p836af275cc1d6cd12b92b6263c8ff049/fd8bb147.jpg
Each of these CZ-75's were used on the "devil pigs."

While we only used 9mm or .45 ACP on our hunts, I think expanding loads in .38 Super, .357 Magnum, and up would be fine. "Honest" hand-loaded .44 Specials and .45 Colt should work very well, too, I'd think.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid36/pe324d819ee6228355bdf950cd9fbce97/fd21c00a.jpg
I did not hunt javelina with this .45 Colt S&W Mountain Gun I've owned for several years, but I believe it would be a good choice.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid27/p71774eb53d3feb17d95950aabbc80a6e/fd78858c.jpg
The SIG P210's accounted for one or two as well.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid27/pa8ad6e111552777289fa87b35b716c98/fd722b5c.jpg
The .45 ACP was used with fine success with all ammo tried except the Federal 165-gr. mentioned previously.

I have never seen creatures so infested with fleas, jumping ****ed things that are more than happy to "come aboard" when you're cleaning the animal. That in itself has to be done to be appreciated and you'll never look at guacamole quite the same way again. Hahahahha!

For 3 years after three separate hunts, I cleaned my kills and honestly tried to eat it. The first time I tried cooking it inside (big mistake), the wife thought the sewer had backed up. I tried barbequing it; you cannot get enough BBQ sauce to mask the taste....or I couldn't, anyway! Tried doing a ham in the smoker. Neither of us could eat more than a few bites. My wife took one bite I recall and left the table. She has more manners than me; I finally just spit the last bite out. Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches do cleanse the pallet pretty well. The final year that I got to hunt them, I promised the wife I wouldn't bring near so many home. Hahahhahahaha! I kept my promise and only brought three. This year I had a secret weapon. A close friend knew a Hispanic lady who said she knew how to prepare them. She'd make us tamales out of the javelina for a reasonable price. She did and you could eat them; it was better not to eat anything at all for the whole day before trying, though. Anyway, I eventually happened to have some Hispanic men working on a sprinkler system and I thought to ask "Benjamin" if he had ever eatten javelina. He replied that he had and that he really liked it. I gave him all I had.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid13/pd3e6b35c44672ee0abd016ff94a5f856/fdd958bb.jpg
This average javelina was taken with a SIG P210 using a Hornady 124-gr. XTP handload. (The females have a musk gland on the rear of the back that's hidden by bristles. Do NOT mess with it. It has to be experienced to be "appreciated.")

Now you might like 'em, but just be advised that the rule about "eatting what you shoot" is not always necessary.

They are a peach to hunt and make neat little trophies. Despite their fierce appearance, they are not vicious, but they will ****ed sure defend themselves if you get them cornered or don't show proper respect when one's down, but not out. I certainly do not "blame" them for such.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid13/p0b4a8fd2ec654230cbced225fd119f78/fdd47a66.jpg
Used a Browning Hi Power on more than a few of the little critters.

If you get the chance, try hunting them with a handgun. I think you'll be hooked.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid50/p9f11a34afb64508551db032cb8517816/fcaa484e.jpg
This one was popped with the P210....

Best.

Javelinas are nasty little buggers!

Using everything between a Winchester Mod 9422M .22 Mag levergun to T/C Contenders (.22 Hornet, .256 Win Mag, .35 Rem) to Ruger .44 Mag carbine, I've taken a passle of the little rooters. Tried eating a couple of them, but as you say, it's strictly an acquired taste! :(

All of them have that scent gland a few inches above the root of the tail - keeps the herd together by scent recognition and territorial marking.

Tough little critters - have a great tenacity for life for their size. Next time you feel like chewing on one, get one of the smaller "reds" (young ones) - they cook up much better than the old boars.

Unlike Texas where they're classified as vermin, our state has a late winter/early spring season on them with one of any sex only per season. First season is for HAM (handgun, archery, muzzleloader) with the rifle season following. In the later years, I'd apply for a permit just to have an excuse to tramp around the countryside as an armed hiker! :D

Thanks for the info. Always wanted to give them a try. Maybe whenever I get to retire and move back to Texas. That's why I bought my Marlin 1894 in .41 for but never got a chance to use it against them.

Great writing Mr. Camp! I really appreciate all the info and enjoyed the pictures from the hunt and of the beautiful pistolas. I share the Northeastern corner of the great sea of mesquite and even made a part-time living guiding hunters from the North in search of these critters in LaSalle County. My greatest one day take of Javi's, one-on-one guiding while putting bowhunters in position for the kill, was twenty-five kills! Never seen a day like it or since. A February, fast moving front was coming through and waves of the critters were moving into a 100-acre food plot to eat. I literally saw thousands of these critter on the various senderos leading to the field. I kept radioing the camp to send me more hunters! That was a long day because I had to skin, cape, and quarter any critter out of my pasture but it was also the only time I've ever really made any money.

I've eaten many a backstrap and hams off the critter and find it quite tasty. I never touch the area near the scent glad which is very easy to see and skin the animal without disturbing it. Never wash or hose off an animal to remove the mud or bugs as this will cause the scent to cover the entire animal.

I've found that picky folk who won't eat a deer often eat javelina because the backstrap and hams are quite tender and cook out white or light-gray in color. I always pan fry the backstrap in butter but of course that would make a grasshopper taste good! I smoke or slow cook the hams in a number of ways as long as the method keeps the meat moist. Everyone that I know locally would not hestitate to eat one and now that we let the buck deer grow so old... might eat a javi before a buck!

When javi's are the target, I carry a supply of indoor carpet foggers and a small tarp. I lay the peccary on a portion of the tarp with enough remaining to completely cover them. I discharge the fogger and place it under the tarp. I spend a few minutes jaw jacking with the hunter and then get to work. The fleas are gone and the ticks are to sick to mess with you.

Again, good writing brother-man! Always great to read stuff from the homeland! I know people like pulling our chain but there is nothing wrong with country that gives you big-game hunting opportunities year round!

Michael

I'm with Ranch Dog. If you don't know how to clean one, you've got problems, but otherwise they are fine, in my experience. Usually the mexican ranch hands can take care of this, no problem. Skin it first - carefully.

Hadn't thought of the fogger idea, but then I generally 'outsource' that work.

If you do get one that's a bit ripe, put in the in the bottom of your cooler, pile ice on it, then empty an entire cannister of Morton Salt on top of the ice. Drain the water each day for a couple of days, keep the meat covered with ice. Makes a world of difference. Morton Tender Quick works well also; but harder to find.

Like any critter the little ones generally taste better than the big ones.

I've shot one through both shoulders with a .30-06 and it still was snapping at weeds with it's tusks in the last few seconds it was alive. Pretty darn tough!