NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/rec/travel/18084

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From: [e-mail] (Jeffrey Shallit)
Subject: where to see javelina in AZ (summary of responses)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
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Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 15:25:26 GMT
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Last week I posted a query, seeking good places to see javelina (a wild
pig also called a peccary) in the wild in Arizona.

Here's a summary of the responses.  I have edited some of them for
brevity.  I attempted to get posting permission from all of the authors
and believe I have done so.

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Hi, I have hunted javelina here in AZ and have seen quite a few of
them. (Sorry if you don't like hunting.)  However more time is spent
scouting and looking for the animals than anything else.  Desert washes
north of Phoenix between 2000' and 4000' seem to be the best areas.
They seem to like dense growth to hide in and eat prickly pear cactus
as part of their diet.  Mutilated prickly pear cactus is a good sign to
look for.  A four wheel drive vehicle will get you much closer to where
they live as the dirt roads here can be quite rough.

Tonto and Prescott Nat'l forests are where I've seen the most.

I would get the Arizona "Tonto National Forest" map as a starting
point.  (I get these locally at Wide World of Maps @ 602-949-1012 if
you can't find them locally).  [ed. note.  for mail order, try the
Phoenix store of Wide World of Maps, [phone].]  It lists the
topos if you desire to get them.  They are issuing 1700 javelina
permits in unit 22 which is north of Carefree, E. of I-17, S. and W. of
the Verde River, that's close at least for the boundaries.  The area I
have experience with is off FR (forest road) 41, locally known as Table
Mesa Road.  This unit has the most hunt permits and I would assume the
greatest population of javelina.  There is an exit off of I-17 for
Table Mesa Road and it is labeled as such.  This is mostly a bumpy dirt
road that doesn't really need 4WD.  We hunted at Cholla Basin in some
of the little canyons up toward New River Mesa.  In the spring (Feb)
there was water in most of them.  The pigs might get closer to the
actual river (New River) when it gets drier in May.  We saw at least a
dozen pigs in two days hunting around there.  You kind of have to walk
in the creek beds to flush them out, so be careful of snakes.  FR41
continues to the east and meets up with FR24 which goes south back to
Carefree eventually.  You can follow this on the map better.  We have
also seen them on the West side of I-17 off Table Mesa exit back up in
the Bradshaw mountains, but most of this is just south of the Prescott
National Forest and is only on topo maps which are outdated.  We are
hunting this year between Prescott and Crown King on Big Bug Mesa.
Other members of the hunting party claim that is good territory also.
If I see a lot, I can update you after February hunting season.

Cholla Basin is about 3000' if I remember right so it can get pretty
hot in May during the day, but nice for camping at night.  One other
thing, their tracks look kinda like small deer tracks, but there are
also mule deer in the area so its kinda hard to tell.

Jim Chott     [e-mail] 602-897-3217 days

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can't advise you on "best", but I was once surrounded by a herd of them
one night when camping in the Four-peaks area east of Phoenix.

Dan Suthers  | LRDC, room 505A [e-mail]
| 3939 O'Hara Street [phone] office  | University of Pittsburgh (412)
624-9149 fax                                | Pittsburgh, PA 15260

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From: [e-mail] (Omar Stoltzfus)

I would be interested in a followup post.  The only javelina I've seen
in the wild was in the Bloody Basin area (1 hr north of Phoenix and
about 20 miles east of I17).  We did, however, see numerous tracks.
This area is high desert.  Do not try this trip in a car as its all
non-paved east of the freeway and you have to cross a stream to get
there.

Good Luck, Omar Stoltzfus

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From [e-mail] Tue Jan 12 15:37:08 1993

I have been living in AZ for 12 years and done a fair amount of
walking.  Anyway, I'm not sure where you will be during most of your
visit, but around Phoenix, I have most commonly encountered javelinas
in the McDowell Mtns, Goldfield Mtns and New River Mtns.

McDowells are the first major range beyond the cities to the NE.
Goldfields are ENE from Phoenix.  New Rivers are N from Phoenix.

More often than not I have seen them in fairly isolated areas in and
around washes and evening seems to be a good time.

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From: [e-mail] (Lynn Gazis)

You can see plenty of them at Chiricahua National Park.  Actually, they
are a bit too bold there; evidently tourists have been feeding them.

Lynn Gazis-Sax

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From: lhdsy1!foghorn.lahabra.chevron.com![e-mail] (Barney W.
Issen)

My experience has been that you never do see them - but you sometimes
can smell them (YEEECCCHH!!!)  I've heard that they're quite nasty, so
if you do manage to find some in the wild, please be careful.

One place you might want to contact for more info is the Arizona-Sonora
Desert Museum outside of Tucson.  You probably ought to visit there,
too, if you've never been there.  Wonderful place (and the only place
I've ever seen a live javelina, BTW)

Since you'll be there in May, be sure to catch the Saguaro and Organ
Pipe cactus when they bloom that month.  It's been a very rainy winter,
so the wildflowers should be the best in a decade or more.

Barney ([e-mail])

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From: [e-mail] (Vulcan)

You can go anywhere on the Reservations; my favorite is the San Carlos
Apache Indian Reservation, along the Black River...

Matt Meola

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From: Don Gillespie <[e-mail]>

We saw some while hiking in the outskirts of Sedona, AZ.  The area was
Natl Forest land, I believe.

                Don Gillespie U S WEST Advanced
                Technologies [e-mail]

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From: [e-mail] (Dr. S.L. Mathias)


I was born and raised in Tucson and have spent many hours in the
deserts and mountains of Southern AZ.  According to my experience, you
will be VERY unlikely to see javelina in truly remote areas.  The best
place to see them is on the outskirts of populated areas, i.e. where
city and desert meet.  Foothill areas are the best.  Also, many people
living on the outskirts actually feed the javelinas and this obviously
increases the likelyhood of sightings.  The best place I know of is
outside of Tucson at a place called the Flying V Guest Ranch.  It is
private property but it is just on the border of the National Forest so
if you are willing to do a little bushwacking, you can maneuver into
position to see the javelinas (I think the owner of the ranch probably
feeds them).  The ideal time (probably the only time) to see them is
late afternoon to dusk.  One word of warning: if you have a dog(s) keep
it on a leash!  If a dog goes after the pigs, it usually returns
shredded.

Regarding the Flying V Guest Ranch, it is just to the North of a very
large resort/hotel called Ventanna Canyon.  Pretty much anyone in
Tucson can point you in the right direction to get there.  From the
center of town go North on Swan Rd. until you reach Sunrise Rd.  Turn
right (East) on Sunrise and go until you get to Kolb Rd.  Turn left
(North) on Kolb and follow the signs to the hotel.  Once you reach the
main building you go around to the back parking lot from which a small
dirt road leads to the Flying V.  The last time I was there, the this
road was flanked by two bales of hay and was marked with a "Flying V"
sign.  If you ask for directions, make it clear that you are looking
for the Flying V Guest Ranch and not the Flying V Bar which is part of
the resort.  Many more people have heard of the bar than know about the
ranch (If you are starting out from the East side of Tucson, it will be
faster to reach Sunrise Rd. from Sabino Canyon Rd.  In this case, go
North on Sabino Canyon Rd. and turn left on Kolb and then go west until
you get to Kolb).  -Steve