AZ: Unprovoked Javelina Attack; use of Improvised Weapon Saves Woman

Gun Watch ^ | 8 May, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

While growing up, I read a constant litany explaining that Javelina's were not dangerous. I read, over and over, that all the old stories of them attacking humans were old wives tales, not documented, never happened.

So, I was a bit surprised to come across a news article from the 7th of May, 2016, that had hard evidence of an unprovoked real world attack by a herd of javelinas.  It was life threatening for an adult human with two leashed dogs. From fox10phoenix.com:

The victim told authorities that a herd of javelina came out of a nearby wash, crossed the road, and attacked her and her two leashed dogs unprovoked.

Arizona Game & Fish spokesperson Amy Burnett says the woman lost her footing and fell to the ground as two of the javelina began biting her. The victim's husband and a neighbor helped to free the woman from the animals on the attack, and they brought her to safety using a two-by-four plank while the javelina continued to chase her down and attack her dogs.

The woman suffered several bites on her upper body and neck area. She had to undergo surgery, and is receiving rabies treatment as a precaution.

It should have been a defensive gun use (DGU).  In Arizona, no permit is needed to put a pistol in your pocket when you go for a walk.

A large javelina will run 40 pounds.  Any firearm can put them down. A good friend in Panama shot one with a .22 short out of a single shot rifle.  It went down decisively.  I was very impressed with the power of a 29 grain bullet at 1,000 feet per second.  It went through the skull, through the neck, through the vitals and ended up in the rear thigh, shot front to rear.

The rifle was equipped with a homemade silencer that took 30 minutes to build.  The loudest sound was the sound of the bullet impacting the target.  .22 shorts out of a rifle are fairly quiet to begin with.

The words that the Game and Fish and the reporter use to blame humans for the attack are strained.  The woman "lost her footing" instead of being knocked down.  Game and Fish have information that a "contributing factor" was human feeding of javelina's, because people reported that people were illegally feeding javelinas in the area as recently as two months ago!  From the article:

Game and Fish says two people in the nearby area were reportedly feeding javelina and coyotes as recently as a couple of months ago.

Another article says attacks on humans by javelinas are "rare".  Hmmm.  I thought they never happened!  A game camera at my ranch showed a javelina a couple of months ago.  The potential of animal attacks has always been a good reason to go about armed.  Lots of animals are dangerous in some circumstances. Now we can add another one to the list. 

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Reminds me of an old Ace Reid COW POKES cartoon from fifty five or so years ago.
Two cowboys from the Draggin S Ranch on horseback. Jake ropes a Javalina and all H-e-hockysticks breaks out. Pig is mad, horses are bucking, rope is entangled in pig, horse and cowboy.
The other cowboy says...”OK Jake, You’ve roped yourself a pig. Now what you gonna do?”

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I remember the hog scene but I think it was a rabid wolf or coyote that later bit Old Yeller.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I feel the same way every time I visit my brother=in-law.

I know how the Philistines felt when hit with the jawbone of an ass.

[Let's Roll]

I think it was a wolf.

But seem to remember kid or kids being treed by the nasty little hogs.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” experienced aggression from Javelinas. “

I did once. I unwittingly came between a mother and her 2 ugly children : )

[PLMerite]

#JavelinaLivesMatter

[discostu]

I’ve had a heard of javelina wander right by me in front of my home. They really aren’t aggressive, but they can spook easily. I was smart enough to stay mostly still (once I got inside to get the camera) and keep movements slow. ANY animal will attack if they feel threatened, problem with javelina is they have crappy eyesight, aren’t that bright, and when spooked generally pick some random direction (including right at you, or right at a plate glass window... different encounter) and run at top speed. And of course this time of year they have the pups, animals get much more wary defending the young. You definitely have to have done something dumb to get javelina biting you.

[az_gila]

” experienced aggression from Javelinas. “

I did once. I unwittingly came between a mother and her 2 ugly children : )

---

You would have to be a Javelina mother to think the babies are cute...:^)

Old picture from outside our bedroom -

And when they get bigger, outside our front door -

[stephenjohnbanker]

Good photos. Thanks.

[MeganC]

What’s the point of a rifle that uses .22 short?

[Hot Tabasco]

I think it was a wolf.

Yup, you're right.....I think I was traumatized for life when Yeller died......

[sockmonkey]

Years ago, a hunter who leased our place in the country was treed by 3 javelinas. He, dropped his gun as he was scrambling to escape. They were trying to knock the tree down. He yelled for almost half an hour, and some other hunters came to the rescue.

[marktwain]

“What’s the point of a rifle that uses .22 short?”

To shoot things with?

Lots of .22 caliber rifles will shoot .22 short.

[MeganC]

I just think of .22s as a pistol round is what I mean.

[marktwain]

It started as a pistol round, but has become perhaps the most popular rifle round in history.

[gettinolder]

Nice picture.

Good job!

[SisterK]

A huge bore?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Bingo.

[SisterK]

I think the javelina are actually in the rodent family. We know how nasty that is...I was not treed for long and was too much in shock to scream like a girl. A forest ranger was in the area.

[SparkyBass]

lots around here. see their hoof-prints in our yard nearly every morning. so far no confrontations, but a single-six .22 (using powderless shorts) is what I have on hand... just in case.