I recently bought a Marlin rifle in .357 and was thinking to myself, what can I hunt with it. Self I answered, this is the perfect javelina gun. I will give it a try next year.
I did a little javelina hunting south east of Tuscon. I saw two within 15 minutes of getting out of the truck. You should have no trouble seeing a few. I heard one down in a wash. I walked down in the wash and located the pig in a patch of thick brush. I could see it if it came out either side. I waited. He came out and presented me with a Texas heart shot. I decided to wait until he turned broadside. Range = maybe 25 yards probably less. He turned, I shot, and missed cleanly. I was carrying an in-line muzzleloader and knew he wouldn't stand there while I reloaded so I just stood there and watched him for about 20 seconds before he took off. Five minutes later I remembered that I had a Super Blackhawk on my freakin hip that I had forgot about. The great hunter eats humble pie all the way home. I get a lot of laughs at the stupid stuff I do.
Warning; As you are walking through the desert hunting, there will be hundreds, if not thousands of our brown brothers from the south running the border. Every time you look up, you will see a group of them. I personally wouldn't camp there and would watch myself. I am not kidding in the least, if you hunt south of Tucson for one day, you will see hundreds of them.
Warning#2: That is a mean, nasty desert down there. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING has thorns. I drove down there and arrived right at day break. I was wearing tennis shoes and didn't want to waste any time changing, so I went in tennis shoes. I kicked some kind of plant and litterally collapsed from pain. I don't mean that I sat down, I mean I kicked it and was on the ground. I had a thorn that was clear under my toenail. With shaking hands I got out my leatherman tool and pulled the thorn out with the pliers. I then laid down (checking behind me first for thorns) and whimpered for about five mintues, limped back to my car and left. My dog was hunting with me. He walked about 10 feet from the truck and laid down. He wouldn't come when I called him. I went back and he had thorns all over his muzzle and all over his pads. I pulled them all out and he laid down right there and wouldn't walk another inch away from the truck.
, Art