Posted on 01/07/2025 7:16:04 AM PST by SunkenCiv
Though some people may call them "cute", Javelinas are arguably rather ugly animals and possess a rather unpleasant odor which is why some people refer to them as "musk hogs". They aren't wild pigs but are actually members of the "peccary" family that originated in South America. They have become accustomed to being in close proximity to humans and will generally ignore people. If you try and approach them. they will simply leave the area, but if provoked and threatened they've been known to defend themselves with their long, sharp tusks.
The colorization of the Javelina is peppered black, gray and brown hair with a faint white collar around the shoulders. When full grown they weigh between 35 to 60 pounds with males being slightly larger than females. Javelina become sexually mature at about 10 months of age and are capable of breeding at anytime of the year and can have two litters with a year. Newborn Javelina weigh about one pound and attain colorization at three months...
Their average live span in the wild is about 7.5 years although they've been known to live as long as 25 years in captivity. Javelina roam in herds of to 20 to protect themselves from predators that include mountain lions, bobcats and coyotes.
Javelina are most active at night and exist on a diet of flowers, berries, prickly pear cactus and plant life. Thet have a keen sense of smell but have very poor eyesight. Their odor comes from a scent gland on their backs and other members of the herd will rub each others scent gland to identify Javelina from different herds.
(Excerpt) Read more at arizona-leisure.com ...
Back years ago, I had a string of Plott Hounds and we hunted hogs and bear in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Canada...
We decided to go to Texas and run Javelina...We turned dogs loose in what they called an arroyo and they hit on a couple of Javelina...
The Javelina started running and squealing...Then a whole bunch of Javelina came running to them and starting fighting my dogs...There were so many that we had to start shooting to save our Plotts...
They can be some bad azz hogs.....
When I was visiting Sedona they were wondering around the Hilton grounds.
Wondering what? About wildlife?
I live in Arizona, west of Tucson and south of Marana. There are quite a few javelina around, but the only trouble we’ve had is when they get under the fence and eat my wife’s flowers.
When out hunting, I’ve been within yards of javelina several times. I’d just stand still and they’d wander off. Might work out differently if I had a dog with me, though. I have a couple of javelina skulls that I found. Nasty tusks.
I know several people who hunt javelina, but I never have. Tried some javelina sausage once and didn’t think much of it.
Wondering about how they might startle a tourist.
I was visiting in Sedona a few years back.
We were stopped at a traffic light waiting for it to turn green. Just as it turned green, we had to remain stopped, because a clan of Javelina had begun to cross the road right in front of us. The three of us were so suprised be the sight, none of us used our cell phones to take a picture.
I was surprised my husband saw them at all. I’ve been in Phoenix since 1969 and have never seen one and I’ve been on many a trip to the desert and way out in it. I’ve been to Echo Canyon, which is the north side or back of Camelback mountain, and really a hiking trail area. It’s beautiful, it’s wild and I’ve into it several times, never saw any javalinas. They’re pretty shy of people. https://www.visitphoenix.com/sonoran-desert/parks/camelback-mountain/
Also in all the time I’ve been here I’ve only seen one tarantual, long long ago way out in the desert where it was extremely devoid of any humans but for me and my brother. We stopped the car about 60 feet away and watched it slowly cross a dirt road we were on.
I’ve seen one owl, a little pygmy owl and a baby, he was the cutest thing. We were in a pool at a luxury hotel close to Camelback mountain. Flew over to the fence around the pool and stared at me. I’ve only seen on scorpion and that did freak me out.
Pretty much the extent of my wild animal spottings here. Oh, an occasional coyote, way out by the Superstition mountains, trotting down the road. We do have them here in my area but I have never seen one.
Really even though I live within sight of Camelback mountain there is nothing horrible like that coming around in my yard.
See scorpions and javelinas all the time here in South Texas. Scorpions are annoying but nothing to be scared of. Javelina, OTOH, can be a royal pain in the ...
I have been living in Prescott Valley for eight years and have never seen a live javelina, only dead ones that got run over.
Never saw a rattlesnake? You aren’t looking...they are all around you!
Hope you don’t run over one. It’s like a boulder about the same size, and it’ll roll back under your car and tear up everything. I nearly hit two one night on AZ 97 when I was going about 65 in a Toyota MR2.
A bar in west Tx was famous for serving them at bianual bar parties. As long as you bought beer, the treats (bbq javina) were on the house. I scarfed a lot when working near there. Pretty good.
Yes, with a few caveats. I've hunted javelina for over 25 years. Field dressing them is by far the worst field dressing experience of any animal I've ever hunted (including deer, turkey, elk, coyote, feral hog, squirrel, rabbit, and upland birds). Very messy and very "dirty" out the back end. Plus there's a scent gland you really really don't want to puncture but you absolutely do want to remove.
That said, every javelina I've eaten has been fantastic. I smoked my last few to get the internal temp up to 205ºF and they were the best yet, but they make great fajitas as well. Steaks are also pretty good.
We own two Arizona properties. Our main house is in far north phoenix in Anthem. The back yard is on State land with an unobstructed view of Daisy Mountain. We have seen javelina directly on the other side of the fence.
Our other property is in a community north of Payson called Beaver Valley. The house also borders on State land. But with no fences in the back. This house is on Javelina Road. We were standing outside the back corner of the house with the realtor when we were purchasing it. Two javelina came around the other side of the house and wandered out into the forest. I immediately turned to the realtor to inform him that if the house had been on Grizzly Road, the deal would be off! 😁
I remember these critters in Arizona. We were warned not to get too close.
The best view I had of them was in the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, which is more of a zoo than a museum.
If you visit Tucson, it is a must-see!
Did she learn?
Not all who wonder are lost...
Not at all. She was never off the leash after that and a $1000 vet bill.
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