A few helpful hints for hunting javelina
By Craig McMullen, field supervisor, Arizona Game and Fish Department

In javelina hunting, finding the javelina is more than half the battle. They are small, cryptically colored quarry that like to be out of the wind and sometimes hang out in thick brush.

Once you find them, you’ll discover that, relative to deer and elk, they are easy to stalk. They’ll see you if you are not careful, but you don’t have to be perfect. They’ll hear you if you are clumsy or careless, but again, you don’t have to be perfect. They don’t have very good memories, either. If they see or hear you and you stop whatever it is you are doing to attract attention, they’ll probably forget about you after 10 minutes or so . . . if they didn’t smell you. Your scent is the death knell to every stalk. If you are careless with the wind direction, your stalk will be over before it begins.

Scouting tips

Javelina herds tend to have relatively well-defined home ranges. They require free water to drink, so you know that javelina home ranges must include water. During your scouting trips, look for javelina sign around water holes, along roads and washes, and anywhere else a track might be captured. If you are seeing a lot of javelina sign, you know you are probably within the home range of at least one herd.

During your scouting, look for areas on north- and east-facing slopes and in the drainage bottoms where javelina have been bedding all year. They will frequently use the same bedding areas so often that the beds become excavated holes under good shade trees, such as junipers. If you find a heavily used bedding area, you know you are in a heavily used portion of their home range. This is a good place to start.

The next step is to gain some elevation and use binoculars. Binoculars significantly increase your chances of spotting a javelina.

Wind is a key factor

Javelina hair does not provide the same insulative protection as deer hair or elk hair, so on cold mornings, look for javelina on a sunny slope or bottom somewhere that will allow them to sun themselves without being exposed to the wind. Remember, a javelina’s best-developed sense for detecting danger is its nose. This means they will position themselves to take best advantage of their ability to smell. If you are trying to decide where to glass, and there is wind or even a slight breeze, start with the lee side of a hill or in a bottom where the javelina are not directly exposed to wind.

Once you find javelina and are planning your stalk, go slowly and pay attention to the wind. Whether hunting with archery equipment or a rifle, everyone has a maximum distance they can shoot. In a steady wind, a javelina can smell you further than you can shoot, so wind is the primary factor to consider when making a stalk.