AZ javelina meets Gold Dot (picts)

donw · 02-12-2008, 04:08 PM

Got this critter opening morning at 9:30. Wish I had a picture before I gutted her, because she was real fat.
Rifle: CVA Optima Pro/2-7x Nikon scope
powder: 105 gr (84 weight) 777
bullet: 300 grain Gold Dot
sabot: crush rib

donw · 02-12-2008, 04:10 PM

Here's the bullet hole going in (I nicked the ear just a bit). Aimed high because I thought it would go lower. Oh by the way, it was at 83 yards.

donw · 02-12-2008, 04:13 PM

Here's the exit wound. Not too clear, but it was a good 1.75" diameter - Gold Dot did good for such a small game. You could see right through her.

Semisane · 02-12-2008, 04:20 PM

Nice shooting donw. Gotta love them Gold Dots! Are those big-headed hairy critters real good eating?

donw · 02-12-2008, 04:24 PM

They can be a little gamey, so most people cook them with lots of spices. I like a recipe called Nebraska curry venison (with pig substituted.)

cayugad · 02-12-2008, 06:11 PM

great pics... congratulations on the pig. All else fails make it into sausage...

falcon · 02-12-2008, 06:15 PM

Congrats on the nice javelina.

txfireman · 02-13-2008, 06:16 PM

Nice javy....Ranch rats are fun to shoot.

cayugad · 02-13-2008, 06:37 PM

I watched a hunting show where they were hunting javelina. They were having a hard time scoring on one of them little critters. It seems they are pretty smart, careful and once they know you are after them, they can really move and disappear. Not to mention they are not huge, like a hog. Also, running they would be a hard target. From what I read on them, they are not actually a member of the pig family, but a member of the peccary family. Also with the teeth on them they look like if wounded or cornered they could be a real handful. The reason that program stuck out in my mind was, after they shot one, the person that cleaned it for the mount insisted that one should wear gloves when handling it. I forget the reason why.

donw · 02-14-2008, 02:30 PM

Cayugad, your info on javelinas is pretty accurate. This is my third - the others were handgun shots. I have found myself (while deer hunting) in the middle of a heard, between a mama and her piglets. Piglets were squeeling, and the mother came running. I quickly ran up the mountain. Once in a while we see news reports of attacks on owners walking their dog - dogs usually torn up. The one I shot (shown here) was with two other ones that ran over the hill. I started calling with my wounded piglet call, hoping my hunting partner would get a shot. We couldn't see them but heard from another hunter watching through a spotting scope that they kept coming but stopped every time I stopped. Of course, I ran out of breath soon. If you go to javelinahunter.com, you can see several stories of hunters calling them back, having them almost run over by javelina. Javelina are stinky critters - inside and out - but I've not heard of any other reason to wear gloves while cleaning them.