Hunting outlook: javelina
By Brian Wakeling, big game supervisor, Arizona Game and Fish Department

If you were lucky enough to draw a spring javelina tag, you may be planning the best approach to your hunt as you read this. Javelina hunting is one of those activities that can be difficult if you are unfamiliar with your hunting area and the fates don’t smile on you. Javelina live in a relatively small area that meets their yearlong lifestyle needs, but they can be difficult to spot and change their habits in response to the often unpredictable weather and habitat changes that can occur during the January and February hunting seasons.

This winter has been unusually dry in Arizona’s javelina range. Our javelina herds are fairly stable, with some improved recruitment as a result of last year’s wet winter. Javelina will forage among prickly pear, especially during dry periods when there are few other groceries to be had. When wet weather occurs during hunts (not the case so far this year), hunt success often diminishes because hunters can’t cross flowing washes and javelina spend more time huddled up out of the rain. If we get some wet weather, hillsides will green up, and javelina will take advantage of fresh, new growth to augment their diet. In that event, they may be harder to see.

Spring javelina hunts occur during a beautiful time of year to experience the desert habitats of Arizona. Take the time to enjoy your hunt!