Michael
This is my second Javelina hunt and my first time at archery.
The first pig hunt required many, many, many bullets before I
was successful. This pig hunt on January 1, I had only 7 arrows.
I was hunting with my Dad and brother. We were hunting unit 42M
in New River.
Dad, my brother Jonathan and I woke up early and drove to New
River. We were driving through a little town when we saw 2 pigs
run across the road. We wanted to shoot them but we couldn’t
because of the houses. My brother wanted desperately to get out
of the car and chase the pigs away from the houses. Dad had to
pull him back into the truck and we left those pigs behind. We
found a road to the mountains and followed it. We saw another
pig on the other side of the road and he was running way to fast.
We stopped on a little hill so that we could walk around. I was
walking down the hill when I saw a pig. The pig didn’t see me so
I tried to get closer to it, but it kept on walking. I followed
the pig around a hill.
I saw dad at the top of the hill and Dad saw me. He talked to me
on the walkie-talkie to tell me where he was at. I told him that
there are pigs in the area. Dad then saw the pigs in a wash and
ran to cut them off. He sent them down to me were I was at, in
the bottom of the wash. I was waiting with my bow ready to kill
one.
I heard the pigs coming noisily down the wash. I saw the pigs
coming and when the first one stopped I shot at it but I missed.
The second one came out and I shot at it and hit it in the foot.
Dad, Jon and I were following the blood trail. As we were following
the trail, it separated from other tracks. I followed the blood
trail up the hill and Dad and Jon followed the tracks in the wash.
I was still following the blood trail when it came to a mine shaft.
I waited for Dad and Jon to come. Jon and Dad were walking down
the river bed when they heard jaws snapping at them. Dad and Jon
looked at each other. Dad looked around and saw a pig in a little
tunnel. Jon shot it and killed it. The pig Jon shot at was the
first pig that I tried to shoot at. I must have scared it and it
went in the tunnel.
Later as Dad, Jon and I were walking in the mine shaft it was dark
and smelly. The cave was 600 to 700 feet long. Dad asked me if this
pig was really worth it. I said yes. Half way in there, I said to
Dad I was so scared that I was about to pee my pants. The scary part
about going into a cave is that there might be mountain lions or snakes
or more pigs. We got to the back of the cave when we saw my pig. Dad
had the bow because he is a better shot than I am. Jon and I had knifes
in our hands to protect ourselves if that pig ran at us.
Dad shot the pig and it died on the spot. Dad tagged the pig, but since
I was the first one to hit it and made it “hole up,” we consider the pig
as mine. Jon and I were very happy with our pigs.
Jonathan
Michael, Dad, and I went pig hunting January 1. We woke up at five
o’clock, hoping to get a Javelina that day. We went through some houses
and we saw two pigs. We could not shoot at them because they went into
someone’s back yard.
Later we saw another pig. Michael and Dad got out of the car and went
up the wash. The pig was running in the wash very fast. I went down
the wash. That was a mistake because the pig was going up the wash.
That pig got away.
We drove up the road and we decided to walk around. I saw nothing. I
walked down the wash and all I saw was a rabbit. Michael saw the pigs
and shot at one. He blew off its foot. His pig ran away and we started
tracking it. We got to a place where the trail split. One track went
up the hill and the other track went down the wash. Michael followed
the blood trail up the hill and Dad and I followed the other tracks.
Dad and I lost the tracks. We were looking for them when we heard a
strange noise. Dad and I looked at each other and we did not know what
it was. We heard it a second time and we knew what it was, it was the
pig. We looked over at a hole and we saw his teeth. Dad had to break
branches so I could shoot. I missed the first time and hit him the
second time. I got my first pig!!!
Later, Michael found his pig in a mine shaft. We all went in, and about
half way in Michael goes, “Dad, I am so scared I could pee my pants.”
Dad just laughed. Dad was in front and saw the pig first. He shot at
him and missed. Sparks flew every were and Dad shot again and missed.
On the fourth shot he finally got it.
A Note From Dad
As for me, I didn’t care if I shot one or not. I was proud that my
two boys got one. This hunt was very memorable. A point of wisdom to
future hunters, “Stay the hell out of caves or mines, the animal is not
worth the surprises awaiting you in the cave.”