Hunt To Eat – It happens far too often. I’ll be talking with another hunter and the subject of javelina hunting comes up.
It doesn’t take too long before I find myself being educated on how these animals are not actually pigs, but rodents. You heard that right: rodents. The same family as mice, rats, and squirrels.
However, this “rodent” curiously has a pig-like snout and even-toed hooves. I’ve had others argue with me that they are more closely related to goats than pigs.
“I believe it’s safe to say that there are very few North American game animals as misunderstood as the javelina.”
The javelina is a peccary. While there are three species recognized in the Americas, only the collared peccary (Peccary tajacu) occurs in North America.
Peccaries are a new world pig; yes, a pig, but not exactly the same pig that most of us recognize from the farm …
Image: The Javelina Texas Bar & Grill in Myrtle Beach, SC
Far too many hunters will tell you that javelina meat is inedible.
Others will only do slightly better and suggest that they are only good for making chorizo or highly processed products like snack meat sticks.
“Saying that javelina are inedible lacks all reason. I’ve eaten many of them and none were made into chorizo or snack sticks. I would describe the flavor of the meat like a mild pork.”
I’ve grilled it, smoked it, fried it, and braised it. I’ve served it to neighbors, friends, and family.
It’s all been delicious and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed it.
A lot of hunting in javelina country, regardless of your quarry, is done behind binoculars.
One of my favorite things to do is settle into a hilltop perch on a cold winter morning and glass the surrounding countryside as the sun rises and warms the landscape …
Mouth watering javelina taco recipe
Quick, easy, tasty tacos
By Josh Kirchner, retrieved December 31, 2025
GOHUNT.COM – You’ve heard many people say throughout time that good table fare starts in the field.
This couldn’t be truer or emphasized with javelina. If not handled correctly, you can get a pretty foul taste in the meat, which is why I think so many have had a bad experience with it.
Javelina also has a few other names they are known by: “stink pig” and “skunk pig.” People call them this because, when threatened, javelina will emit an odor from a gland on its back. That odor smells exactly like a skunk and these rodents look very much like a pig, hence “skunk pig.”
So, just like the tarsal gland on a deer, if you hit your knife on that gland, the meat will likely taste as the javelina smells. Try to keep the hair off of the meat as much as possible, too.
Many folks I know will actually have two separate knives for processing: one knife for skinning and then another clean one for butchering. Try not to touch the hide and then touch the meat. You want to avoid cross-contamination. Be as clean as possible and you’ll be fine.
Here is a recent recipe my wife and I cooked up from my brother’s archery javelina this past January:
Ingredients
- 1 rear quarter of a javelina
- Crockpot
- 1 bottle of roasted garlic marinade (or your favorite marinade)
- 2 32 oz containers of beef stock
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Tacos and Toppings:
- Soft taco shells (white or corn; whatever you prefer)
- Diced red onion
- lime juice
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
