Thought I'd share a hunting story and a tip.
On our latest trip down to South Texas to chase javis, hogs, (and for me rabbits)... I ended up having fewer stalks on javis than some trips in years past. This wasn't the most scarce of trips, but with the number of stalks being limited, I was less inclined to just go find another group if I couldn't manage to get a shot off (inside 15 yards.)
One tip that I had learned long ago was when the javis go back into the brush, don't just quit... they will usually come back out... often times 20-40 yards up wind. That is your chance to move up the sandero and try and get into a better spot for when they come out. But this is a guestimate. Sometimes they head downwind, sometimes they just come back out where they were.
Here's the new tip that I learned out of desperation this past weekend. On the last stalk of the weekend, with nothing to show for the trip... I found myself playing chess with a group of javis on a tightly covered road. There wasn't a good way to stalk down the side... you HAD to walk into the brush and move around the maze 10-15 yards off the road and hope to be able to get along side them and have an opening. This road had almost no shootable openings. After bumping them up and down this road, at one point they got spooked and came into the brush line with me. I almost had a shot, but they bump further in. I waited and they came back, but out in the road, 60 yards up.
Finally after 30 minutes of chasing them around with no way to get a shot off in the road, I decided to get up next to them, 10 yards inside the brush line. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them. I was positioned along a slight opening in the maze of game trails inside the brush. I picked up a fat stick and hurled it over the mesquite trees onto the road.
It worked... they scattered right towards me. The first one bolted past... the followers were a little more cautious but calm as they entered the brush. A female stopped 7-8 yards in front of me and while it wasn't a perfect shot, it was low enough that although it was a bit back, I was able to track and recover it about 60 yards later.
I've used a similar tactic before, but usually when I am on the road and need them to scatter so I can get in a bit closer while they are in the brush line. This was the first time I used it to get them to come to me and it worked like I hoped it might.
So - if you find yourself stalking javis in S Texas, keep in mind that every situation, sandero, etc is different and don't be afraid to try different tactics depending on the cover that is available.
On our latest trip down to South Texas to chase javis, hogs, (and for me rabbits)... I ended up having fewer stalks on javis than some trips in years past. This wasn't the most scarce of trips, but with the number of stalks being limited, I was less inclined to just go find another group if I couldn't manage to get a shot off (inside 15 yards.)
One tip that I had learned long ago was when the javis go back into the brush, don't just quit... they will usually come back out... often times 20-40 yards up wind. That is your chance to move up the sandero and try and get into a better spot for when they come out. But this is a guestimate. Sometimes they head downwind, sometimes they just come back out where they were.
Here's the new tip that I learned out of desperation this past weekend. On the last stalk of the weekend, with nothing to show for the trip... I found myself playing chess with a group of javis on a tightly covered road. There wasn't a good way to stalk down the side... you HAD to walk into the brush and move around the maze 10-15 yards off the road and hope to be able to get along side them and have an opening. This road had almost no shootable openings. After bumping them up and down this road, at one point they got spooked and came into the brush line with me. I almost had a shot, but they bump further in. I waited and they came back, but out in the road, 60 yards up.
Finally after 30 minutes of chasing them around with no way to get a shot off in the road, I decided to get up next to them, 10 yards inside the brush line. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them. I was positioned along a slight opening in the maze of game trails inside the brush. I picked up a fat stick and hurled it over the mesquite trees onto the road.
It worked... they scattered right towards me. The first one bolted past... the followers were a little more cautious but calm as they entered the brush. A female stopped 7-8 yards in front of me and while it wasn't a perfect shot, it was low enough that although it was a bit back, I was able to track and recover it about 60 yards later.
I've used a similar tactic before, but usually when I am on the road and need them to scatter so I can get in a bit closer while they are in the brush line. This was the first time I used it to get them to come to me and it worked like I hoped it might.
So - if you find yourself stalking javis in S Texas, keep in mind that every situation, sandero, etc is different and don't be afraid to try different tactics depending on the cover that is available.
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