Eli, the answer H gave you has alot of good info on the javelinas. If your wanting to hunt boars; there are alot of areas near Austin where you will find Feral Hog hunts. The male feral hog has are known as boars and can be very large. Hunting them can be done a variety of ways; stand hunting with a rifle, stalking with a pistol, running them with dogs and using a knife, and something I just got to try this past spring was a dog and spear hunt. Feral hogs are increasing in numbers all over the state. We have even found them on the Rio Grand between Del Rio and Big Bend now. In south east Texas and in parts of Louisiana there are some of the original Russian boars that were brought here during the settling of the republic.
If this is a first trip for you, go online and look for the guides and hunts in the Kerrville area. You can get affordable hunts and there available year round. There is no limit on feral hogs in the state. For Javelina your allowed two per license year. Good luck and good hunting. Basics and Tips on Javalina (Wild Boar) Hunting in Texas?
Hi Eli. Javalina (Peccary) are not true boars although the male Javalina is often called a boar. It is generally considered the smallest of the North American big game.
Javalina, also known as Collared Peccary in Texas travel in packs. A huge one will get up to sixty pounds on the hoof with 30 to 40 lbs. being average. They are nearly black in color except for a white 'collar' down the sides of their neck. They lack a pig's tail which is the quickest way for the uninitiated to tell them from a true wild boar (also known as feral hog). Javalina and ferel hog do not cross-breed (as they are two distinct species of animal) but are sometimes seen together. Where I hunt there is no closed season on javalina (or wild boar) but there is a bag limit of two per year on javalina. You do need a standard Texas Hunting license to hunt javalina.
When I was a kid we hunted javalina with .22s or .22 Magnums. I'd use a centerfire rifle now because they are tougher than you would think and they can be dangerous, charging when wounded. Like the true wild boar javalina have impressive tusks that can inflict a nasty wound. Don't approach a dropped javalina unless you know it is dead. A couple of last things...
The female or very young make better table fare as javalina have a musk gland at the base of their back that can make the meat taste nasty if not killed outright. Some hunters even remove this gland right after shooting them. You can remove the gamey flavor by de-boning and soaking the flesh in milk, vinegar-n-water or even beer in the fridge overnight. Finally, 99.9% of the time javalina are going to be infested with fleas and ticks. It is best to hunt them in the winter during cold days. The fleas seem to drop away quicker. Hunters sometimes don't even approach a dead javalina for ten or twenty minutes to give the fleas time to drop away. Neck and head shots are best on javalina.
Happy hunting.
H
No comments:
Post a Comment