Javelina Hunting in NM

[TaosGlock]

I hunt Units 25,26 and 27. I use the unit 25 deer hunt as an excuse to check for javelina sign.

Look for seeps, stock tanks/windmills. Water is life and even theses guys need a drink, as do all the range cattle on these BLM lease lands. Should see tracks and fur signs around the tanks if they are active in the area.

They mostly eat prickley pear and cactus/yucca root so look for fresh diggings or recent chunks of the pears torn off. You can then determine how long ago they were thru. If you get downwind of them you will often smell their strong musk. Their cammo is unbelievably good as it perfectly matches the dark basalt, and the shadows of the mesquite and other desert fauna:
Their little round heart shaped tracks are much smaller than deer tracks. Generally about 1 1/2" max.

My wife and I wandered into a herd of 20 boars, sows and piglets and the whole place exploded with pigs running everywhere. One piglet ran over my wife's foot. They are blind as bats but have good noses and fair hearing. They were not attacking, just running out of fear. They don't run far either-a few hundred yards or so.
We stalked them later and when I shot one the rest of the herd, once again, scattered everywhere (they are not like deer where everyone runs off together).
One boar came right at my wife and I shot him about 20 yards away. He was about 20 yards from her.
So we got our bag limit right then. Here are the skulls ready for bleaching:

If cornered or wounded, they will attack. This happened to me once and it was quite exciting.
Another time we were hunting deer and sat down for lunch on a flat rock about 50' away from a small cactus filled gully. All of a sudden three of them just popped up over the hill and did not see us. Again the wind was to us. They kept feeding their way right towards us. We quickly got up, left our rifles/packs, pulled our handguns to lo-ready and backed away. They came right up to our rifles and packs, sniffed them bristled their fur and then scooted off. We thought we might have to shoot one out of season in self defense. The rest of the herd was just 60 yards away unaware of anything so we just sat there and cautiously finished our lunch while they harmlessly fed on cactus pears.



BTW-I have also hunted these areas for Deer, Ibex, Bear and Turkey about 15 years and love the country and desert hunting.

Next time I will use a handgun as you can get close enough to these guys.

On the BLM maps for a good general area, draw a line sorta N-S from the Aden Crater to the Riley-Cox mountains and then draw another line following the N-S railroad tracks E of your first line, and then sorta make a box on the map, that is roughly the area I hunt and have been successful.
The Portrillo Mtns. near Granite Gap (between Lordsburg and Rodeo) is where I have also seen quite a few and harvested them as well. Remember this the same area where Jaguars have been spotted. Can't hunt them of course but just be aware.

The weather, while sunny and warm (50-60's) can drop to about 20 degrees at night and a cold wind makes for a bit of wind chill, especially during the day. While cool during the Feb. hunt snow is rare.

The BLM maps for the area show the stock tanks and most of the roads. I do not recall off hand which ones you need.

Better get in you app. before April 8. NM has an online Game and Fish site.

[TheFist]

[QUOTE=TaosGlock;1621]I hunt Units 25,26 and 27. I use the unit 25 deer hunt as an excuse to check for javelina sign.

Look for seeps, stock tanks/windmills. Water is life and even theses guys need a drink, as do all the range cattle on these BLM lease lands. Should see tracks and fur signs around the tanks if they are active in the area.

They mostly eat prickley pear and cactus/yucca root so look for fresh diggings or recent chunks of the pears torn off. You can then determine how long ago they were thru. If you get downwind of them you will often smell their strong musk. Their cammo is unbelievably good as it perfectly matches the dark basalt, and the shadows of the mesquite and other desert fauna:
Their little round heart shaped tracks are much smaller than deer tracks. Generally about 1 1/2" max.

My wife and I wandered into a herd of 20 boars, sows and piglets and the whole place exploded with pigs running everywhere. One piglet ran over my wife's foot. They are blind as bats but have good noses and fair hearing. They were not attacking, just running out of fear. They don't run far either-a few hundred yards or so.
We stalked them later and when I shot one the rest of the herd, once again, scattered everywhere (they are not like deer where everyone runs off together).
One boar came right at my wife and I shot him about 20 yards away. He was about 20 yards from her.
So we got our bag limit right then. Here are the skulls ready for bleaching:

If cornered or wounded, they will attack. This happened to me once and it was quite exciting.
Another time we were hunting deer and sat down for lunch on a flat rock about 50' away from a small cactus filled gully. All of a sudden three of them just popped up over the hill and did not see us. Again the wind was to us. They kept feeding their way right towards us. We quickly got up, left our rifles/packs, pulled our handguns to lo-ready and backed away. They came right up to our rifles and packs, sniffed them bristled their fur and then scooted off. We thought we might have to shoot one out of season in self defense. The rest of the herd was just 60 yards away unaware of anything so we just sat there and cautiously finished our lunch while they harmlessly fed on cactus pears.



BTW-I have also hunted these areas for Deer, Ibex, Bear and Turkey about 15 years and love the country and desert hunting.

Next time I will use a handgun as you can get close enough to these guys.

On the BLM maps for a good general area, draw a line sorta N-S from the Aden Crater to the Riley-Cox mountains and then draw another line following the N-S railroad tracks E of your first line, and then sorta make a box on the map, that is roughly the area I hunt and have been successful.
The Portrillo Mtns. near Granite Gap (between Lordsburg and Rodeo) is where I have also seen quite a few and harvested them as well. Remember this the same area where Jaguars have been spotted. Can't hunt them of course but just be aware.

The weather, while sunny and warm (50-60's) can drop to about 20 degrees at night and a cold wind makes for a bit of wind chill, especially during the day. While cool during the Feb. hunt snow is rare.

The BLM maps for the area show the stock tanks and most of the roads. I do not recall off hand which ones you need.

Better get in you app. before April 8. NM has an online Game and Fish site.[/QUO


I realize this is an old thread but I'm curious if you still hunt unit 25? Lots of javelina?

I am considering making 25 one of my choices for the archery hunt this year. Was wondering how the overall deer herd is as well? Am thinking of doing a hunt in this unit the last 2 weeks of January to cover both hunts. Thanks.