February 7-11, 2008 This was my first trip to Texas, and my first ever Javelina hunt. Our destination was the Callaghan Ranch in Laredo, TX. Bowhunting for Javelina 20 miles north of Mexico...this has to be good!
The trip came as a surprise to me and I got involved on very short notice. A group of guys from the Guilford Bowhunters Association had planned the trip and there was an article in the NCBA Magazine in regards.
Well, I had never really been to Texas, nor had I really ever thought about hunting Javelina, but the price was reasonable, and it got me interested in the experience as a whole.
After all the preparation was complete, we met up in Greensboro and started our long drive to just north of Laredo, Texas. Our final destination was the Callaghan Ranch.
After about 2 days of driving, we arrived at the ranch with hundreds of other hunters for the big annual event. We waited outside the gate in a line of trucks and trailers as far as you could see. This ranch is really unbelievable for a North Carolina resident. We were told that the ranch encompassed over 100,000 acres, and approximately 92,000 acres were set aside for hunting. The amount of open space in Texas is unreal.
Once we got signed in, we setup our campsite for the week. We then spent the rest of the afternoon scouting out likely productive areas for Javelina, putting out corn and flagging our zones.
The first night was a very anxious night for me. I had all sorts of expectations and high hopes for the next few days of hunting.
Morning came and we set out full of anticipation of the days events. As soon as we got there, I constructed a natural blind out of some extremely prickly plant life on the side of a sendero. As the sun came up, I was forced to start shedding clothes. I watched Cottontail rabbits enjoying the freshly laid corn in the center of the sendero, as I realized I may not catch sight of a Javelina on this first morning of hunting. The excitement of hunting in a new location and the abundant interesting plants and other wildlife kept me entertained all morning. We returned to the camp and shared stories of what we all did or didn’t see over a quick lunch.
That afternoons hunt was basically more of the same until just before dusk. I began to here some movement coming through the brush. Shortly after, a small pack of Javelina made their way out of the brush and started crunching loudly on the corn that was strewn down the sendero. I immediately grabbed my bow and quiver and began my silent stalk down the edge of the sendero in attempt to catch the pack unaware. Being new to this game, I moved very slowly trying to close the gap of 75 yards down to a distance where I could get a safe shot. The closer I got, the more Javelina started to appear out in the open. There were approximately 12-15 eating corn at this point. Almost as quickly as they appeared, they started to disappear one by one into the thicket on the other side. By the time I reached the 50-yard mark, the majority of the Javelina had moved back into the brush. I had missed my opportunity to seal the deal. Although I was frustrated that I missed my window for a shot, it was very exciting to see them and earned a learning experience. I learned that when you see them, you need to move very quickly and that you can sneak to within 50 yards much more quickly than what I had attempted. The end of the days hunt had arrived and we headed back to camp.
Well, I had never really been to Texas, nor had I really ever thought about hunting Javelina, but the price was reasonable, and it got me interested in the experience as a whole.
After all the preparation was complete, we met up in Greensboro and started our long drive to just north of Laredo, Texas. Our final destination was the Callaghan Ranch.
After about 2 days of driving, we arrived at the ranch with hundreds of other hunters for the big annual event. We waited outside the gate in a line of trucks and trailers as far as you could see. This ranch is really unbelievable for a North Carolina resident. We were told that the ranch encompassed over 100,000 acres, and approximately 92,000 acres were set aside for hunting. The amount of open space in Texas is unreal.
Once we got signed in, we setup our campsite for the week. We then spent the rest of the afternoon scouting out likely productive areas for Javelina, putting out corn and flagging our zones.
The first night was a very anxious night for me. I had all sorts of expectations and high hopes for the next few days of hunting.
Morning came and we set out full of anticipation of the days events. As soon as we got there, I constructed a natural blind out of some extremely prickly plant life on the side of a sendero. As the sun came up, I was forced to start shedding clothes. I watched Cottontail rabbits enjoying the freshly laid corn in the center of the sendero, as I realized I may not catch sight of a Javelina on this first morning of hunting. The excitement of hunting in a new location and the abundant interesting plants and other wildlife kept me entertained all morning. We returned to the camp and shared stories of what we all did or didn’t see over a quick lunch.
That afternoons hunt was basically more of the same until just before dusk. I began to here some movement coming through the brush. Shortly after, a small pack of Javelina made their way out of the brush and started crunching loudly on the corn that was strewn down the sendero. I immediately grabbed my bow and quiver and began my silent stalk down the edge of the sendero in attempt to catch the pack unaware. Being new to this game, I moved very slowly trying to close the gap of 75 yards down to a distance where I could get a safe shot. The closer I got, the more Javelina started to appear out in the open. There were approximately 12-15 eating corn at this point. Almost as quickly as they appeared, they started to disappear one by one into the thicket on the other side. By the time I reached the 50-yard mark, the majority of the Javelina had moved back into the brush. I had missed my opportunity to seal the deal. Although I was frustrated that I missed my window for a shot, it was very exciting to see them and earned a learning experience. I learned that when you see them, you need to move very quickly and that you can sneak to within 50 yards much more quickly than what I had attempted. The end of the days hunt had arrived and we headed back to camp.
The most interesting thing about this trip was the abundant wildlife that I was able to view.
The first night at the check station, I saw a Badger, several Javelinas, and a 5 foot Diamondback Rattlesnake. The guy who brought in the rattler wanted the rattle, another guy wanted the meat, and a member of my hunting party wanted the skin. He makes his own bows and uses snake skins laminated to the limbs to add character.
It was apparent by the next morning that this location was definitely an afternoon location. The morning was filled with sights of Cottontails and other life, but no Javelina. I awaited the evening hours anxiously in hopes that the same pack would return for an afternoon meal. My hopes were fulfilled when I heard the return of the pack just before dusk. I had built a new blind closer to where they had emerged the day before and it paid off. This time I moved much more quickly and got to within 40 yards before they started to disappear. As some of the larger Javelina started to head out, I decided that my only shot would be from 40 yards. This is a longer shot than I am accustomed to, but decided to attempt the shot. I picked the largest one that was in the clear, put my pin on him and let the arrow fly. I saw the arrow hit the mark as the Javelina squealed. My heart was beating like a moths wings at this point. I ran down to where the Javelina charged through the brush and I started wailing on my Javelina call. I could hear the deep grunts of numerous Javelina just inside the brush line, but never got a clear look. The pack finally dispersed and I started trying to track my quarry. I was immediately discouraged by the lack of sign of a good shot even though I saw the arrow hit its mark. I searched with the help of one of my hunting partners to no avail. We found nothing, and very discouraged we were forced to give up as the day faded into dark. It is always very hard to give up the trail on an animal that you have shot, but sometimes you have no choice. The next morning it was obvious that the Javelina had been downed by the cries of multiple coyotes in the immediate area of my hunt the day before. My Javelina was found within 30 yards of where we were looking.
Although this bothered me deeply, I decided to hunt another spot where Javelina had been spotted on both the preceding morning hunts. This day had a different feel. When the sun came up, there was a thick fog consuming the sendero where I was hunting. Around 8 am, two mature Javelina popped out of the brush within 25 yards of me. To my delight, one started down the sendero in my direction, converting my expected stalk into a waiting game. It did not take long for the animal to approach my blind directly facing me at about 10 yards. Lucky for me I had already drawn my arrow and was ready to let it loose. I waited for the animal to turn slightly to the side and loosed my arrow. The arrow struck the medium sized sow in the front of the chest and exited low behind the ribs. My arrow laid glowing red in the sand of the sendero while the animal furiously ran off to about 20 yards before falling. I had taken my first Javelina. After a brief photo session, we took my prize back to the check station to register my harvest. She weighed 43 pounds, and I could not have been more excited. I had hoped to bag one of these animals, but you never really know what will happen on a hunt like this.
Although the rest of the hunt was exciting, I did not get another chance to bag my second Javelina, but was completely satisfied with the successes of my hunt. This beautiful and interesting little animal will find a place on my wall and stimulate memories for me for the rest of my life.
It was apparent by the next morning that this location was definitely an afternoon location. The morning was filled with sights of Cottontails and other life, but no Javelina. I awaited the evening hours anxiously in hopes that the same pack would return for an afternoon meal. My hopes were fulfilled when I heard the return of the pack just before dusk. I had built a new blind closer to where they had emerged the day before and it paid off. This time I moved much more quickly and got to within 40 yards before they started to disappear. As some of the larger Javelina started to head out, I decided that my only shot would be from 40 yards. This is a longer shot than I am accustomed to, but decided to attempt the shot. I picked the largest one that was in the clear, put my pin on him and let the arrow fly. I saw the arrow hit the mark as the Javelina squealed. My heart was beating like a moths wings at this point. I ran down to where the Javelina charged through the brush and I started wailing on my Javelina call. I could hear the deep grunts of numerous Javelina just inside the brush line, but never got a clear look. The pack finally dispersed and I started trying to track my quarry. I was immediately discouraged by the lack of sign of a good shot even though I saw the arrow hit its mark. I searched with the help of one of my hunting partners to no avail. We found nothing, and very discouraged we were forced to give up as the day faded into dark. It is always very hard to give up the trail on an animal that you have shot, but sometimes you have no choice. The next morning it was obvious that the Javelina had been downed by the cries of multiple coyotes in the immediate area of my hunt the day before. My Javelina was found within 30 yards of where we were looking.
Although this bothered me deeply, I decided to hunt another spot where Javelina had been spotted on both the preceding morning hunts. This day had a different feel. When the sun came up, there was a thick fog consuming the sendero where I was hunting. Around 8 am, two mature Javelina popped out of the brush within 25 yards of me. To my delight, one started down the sendero in my direction, converting my expected stalk into a waiting game. It did not take long for the animal to approach my blind directly facing me at about 10 yards. Lucky for me I had already drawn my arrow and was ready to let it loose. I waited for the animal to turn slightly to the side and loosed my arrow. The arrow struck the medium sized sow in the front of the chest and exited low behind the ribs. My arrow laid glowing red in the sand of the sendero while the animal furiously ran off to about 20 yards before falling. I had taken my first Javelina. After a brief photo session, we took my prize back to the check station to register my harvest. She weighed 43 pounds, and I could not have been more excited. I had hoped to bag one of these animals, but you never really know what will happen on a hunt like this.
Although the rest of the hunt was exciting, I did not get another chance to bag my second Javelina, but was completely satisfied with the successes of my hunt. This beautiful and interesting little animal will find a place on my wall and stimulate memories for me for the rest of my life.
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