peccary!

[Kali]

AKA javelina



they have been coming around the house a lot this year. in the spring one of the dogs got her throat slit open by them, now they don't even care. not sure what they are after, possibly mesquite beans or even just the fallen leaves (protein) - maybe some kind of bugs, but they are under the trees every evening, and sometimes in the middle of the day if it is cloudy.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I understand they are edible...

although probably not as tasty as domestic pork.

It could be an interseting experiment to see how the bacon turns out.

[Kali]

2. there is a season for them here

and lots of people like them, they are small and can be pretty gamey tasting, but they make good burrito filling. not much fat so doubt anybody bothers with trying to do bacon. at least I have never heard of it, or any smoked product for that matter.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. Big boars will taste funky

But sows and the young ones are fine.

[Kali]

9. are you talking about feral pigs or javelina?

I think female javelinas are stinky too.

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. They're stinky because of scent glands in their skin

If you skin the carcass carefully, they're fine.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. We're overrun with deer but I can't begin to explain why you can't...

get venison anywhere. One reason was a local farmer opening his farm to the hunt one year and someone blew a hole in the large diesel tank. Cost a bundle in lost fuel, and then he had to clean up the mess.

Same thing with Canada geese-- they've discovered that they don't have to fly any further south and can winter here. There's even a movement to set up a sub-species as non-migratory.

Wild pigs we don't have, though. Probably just as well.

[Ptah]

3. Is that Gregory Peccary?

[pinboy3niner]

6. :)

[Ptah]

11. Or Olivia de Javelina?

[Kali]

8. almost used that for the subject line

[Paladin]

5. Very cool animals. (nt)

[hifiguy]

12. A friend of mine lives in the high desert

outside of Prescott AZ.

These piggies come right up to the windows and mooch carrots off of him. I fed one by hand the last time I was there, albeit through a window.

Some peccaries are more ambitions, though.

[Kali]

17. I don't recommend that...

they have really nasty tusks and can get aggressive, especially if they have young ones around or feel they have been cornered.

I can sure see the appeal of doing it though. Had a distant relative that raised a young one (don't tell Game and Fish) and it was like a dog in the house - did not like strangers, knew its people.

[hifiguy]

18. It was a narrow transom window.

Carrot could get out but snout could not come in. Wouldn't have done it otherwise.

[Enthusiast]

19. That is a classic!

[eppur_se_muova]

13. I thought acorns were what pigs craved ...

most animals won't eat them because of the bitter taste, but pigs love them, and farmers (at least in some parts) used to let their pigs run free in the woods for a few days or weeks in the fall to fatten them up. Unfortunately, the taste gets into their meat, so they have to be penned up for a few days after that to get the flavor out.

Maybe there's some other nuts in your area, but oaks of one variety or another should be around.

[Kali]

15. oh yeah, but acorn season is way over

and some years there aren't many

[annabanana]

14. stinky beasts.. like stale urine . . . . .n/t

[Kali]

16. cat piss

oh yeah. when I was younger and smelled that somewhere I always thought it was a lion or bobcat. finally figured out it was javelina.

[Solly Mack]

20. You live in the most interesting place.

I'm serious. I enjoy when you post about the wildlife in your area.

Sorry about the dog.

[Kali]

21. she is fine, or at least that wound healed up

currently she has a broken hind foot - she got under a horse that was "attached" to a calf and got a bit tumbled and stomped. she can jump out of the truck but needs a hand to get in. life of a ranch dog can be a bit rough. (or a kid, or a husband LOL)

[panader0]

22. Lots of 'em here too Kali.

One time I came home to find my friend's 125 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback dog lying motionless
under a mesquite. Upon inspection I saw that he was quite cut up. I loaded him into the back of my pickup
and hauled him to the vet. Well over 100 stitches. They can move a lot faster than you think.

[Kali]

23. they have obviously recovered from whatever mystery disease

they had a few years ago. we are thick with them.

it's cool being able to watch them up close, but they do make me a little nervous. big SHARP tusks and yes, they can move fast!