Hunting Javelina w/Handguns...

[Stephen A. Camp]

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.

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.

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.

The SIG P210's accounted for one or two as well.

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 damned 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.

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 damned 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.

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.

This one was popped with the P210....

Best.

 

[Art Eatman]

There's eatin'-size pigalina, and then there's the others.

It takes a bit of watching to get a feel for how grown up is a single pig. It's easier if you see a group. The yumy-tasties are the ones that are around a couple of inches less tall, shoulder height. A full grown old boar is not a thing of beauty and a joy for the tummy. You leave old sows alone so they can make more piggies.

My preferred target area is the eye. If you hit back by the stripe or behind it, you're in the bad smell zone if you're using a rifle. Pistol bullets don't create such a large sphere of devastation.

There is that scent gland on the back, in the skin. I cut that off first. Field dressing is easy if your knife is very sharp; their hides are tough.

There's not really enough meat on the shoulders to bother with. The hams are good, and the tiny backstraps are delicious.

I like to barbecue the hams. I start with a hot bed of coals, basting with sauce and turning every couple of minutes for some five or ten minutes while a crust forms. Then I spread the coals so the heat is about like a 300-degree oven. Turn and baste every ten minutes or so, maybe fifteen minutes. USE TONGS, NOT A FORK! It's been a while, but I guess somewhere around an hour or not much more will do.

My basting sauce starts with whatever's cheapest in the grocery. I add some butter and Lea&Perrins whigglewiggy and maybe sage and oregano or whatever seems reasonable. NO SALT!

Using tongs instead of a fork, and omitting salt, means the meat can be cooked toward medium well or full-done without it drying out. Game meat tends to be dry, remember.

I usually put the backstraps off to the side of the main heat. They make good snack yummies while the hams are cooking and the cook is staying lubricated with some favorite adult beverage.

If you cut off the front of the jaws with a handsaw and save the tusks, you can grind off the bone and get the tusks free. If you don't want them, find some artsy-craftsy type who'd make some sort of "Primitive" necklace and you'll have a friend for life. (Same with tines from deer antlers or the red berries from the Texas mountain laurel. )

Art

 

[hps1]

Everyone needs to take at least one javelina. I got the flea infested little porkers out of my system many years ago.

A friend swears that if you put the javelina in a garbage bag and hold open end of bag up to exhaust pipe of running vehicle it will do the fleas in.
If that works, that would clear the first hurdle. The fleas are content to remain on the javelina until the body cools and then they abandon ship for the nearest warm being and guess who that is!

As Art stated, removal of the musk gland is necessary and be careful not to transfer any of the musk via hands or knife blade to the meat.

One recipe for mature javelina is:

One large javelina ham
3 cups of your favorite red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup chiles del monte

Make small slits in the ham and insert the chiles. Mix 1/2 cup red wine with 1/2 cup olive oil and baste the ham with this mixture. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place the ham on a cedar shingle in oven. Cook until meat thremometer reads 170* (time depends upon size of ham).

Remove from oven, discard the ham and serve the shingle.

Oh, the remaining 2 1/2 cups of wine is for the chef and may be consumed as needed.

They are a ball to hunt and their poor eyesight make them an ideal handgun target as you can get close.

Stephen's recipe is probably the best, especially on the larger ones:

I thought to ask "Benjamin" if he had ever eaten javelina. He replied that he had and that he really liked it. I gave him all I had.

Regards,
hps

 

[HARLEYCOLT]

I can't agree with the other post more Get rid of the scent gland first and don't touch it anymore and you shouldn't have many or any other problems.

The cooking is the hardest part use a vinegar and water mixture to clean them up good and that should help take care of the taste. It's still wild game and will have a gamey taste but man is it good eatin

 

[Leadbutt]

Oh come on SAC, you know the only way to hunt them is with an old Colt 357, and a rabbit squeeler call, , and STAND BY!!!!

 

[sm]

As I said over in TFL

Mr. Camp ,as always thanks for such great info and pics.
I really gotta do this. No you don't understand - I mean I REALLY gotta do this.

Okay, Smoke, Art, Mr. Camp,...I need a college that offers scholarships for shooting and hunting and exam days never interfere with ...err...reasearch!
Scholarship package includes the "skoolin part" naturally...guns ammo , gear tossed in as well.
Would Work for me.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello, and thanks to all for the kind words as well as the tips on cooking. I am totally forbidden to bring anymore into the house anyway, but if (and when) I do, I'll darned sure try some of the ideas here.

Best.

PS: I know of no such schools or I'd be a professional student.

 

[sm]

Mr. Camp. I kinda figured a bunch of folks would become professional students if such a opportunity existed.

Agree with recipes, thanks for sharing everyone.

Two things I've done on real gamey critters:

1) Marinate in Italian dressing. I buy the cheapest mix I can, oil / vinegar in Cruet. Even the Mrs. Dash salad stuff mixes up for this well. [ Especially good for trash ducks ] Let set, remove and gaminess is lessened. then cook how ever want.

2)Lea&Perrins whigglewiggy [( tm) Art] ] mixed with Liquid smoke and water. [ wing it for exact measure] Wrap critter in double aluminum foil really well as to not leak. Let marinate , take to smoker where s-l-o-w moist smoking does the work. Keep and eye on water pan.
One variation...cut little slits insert cloves. Great for hams.
Worked great on BBQ Coon .

note: a Little liquid smoke goes a L-o-n-g way.

tip: Do not use lower bin of fridge and have 4 duck marinating. Especially if said Fridge belongs to new wifey and she does not know they are in there.
Especially if her parents are visiting...
Leaving ammo on kitchen counter okay, using up all the crisper NOT okay.

 

[JOE MACK]

Javelina

They are a blast to stalk and shoot with a handgun. I usually shoot them right behind the collar with a large hardcast flatnose bullet. I've never lost one yet. We hunt them either along the Az./Mex. border or on the San Carlos res. Got a picture of a couple piggies in front of the old Tombstone boothill ready for burial.

As far as the gland goes, it just peels off with the hide. Don't even need to touch it. For the most part, we make breakfast sausage out of ours. Real tasty with eggs and hashbrowns.