Javelina Hunting History in Arizona
Javelina were not legally designated as big game animal in Arizona until 1929,
when a season from November 1 through January 31 was authorized and a bag limit
of one javelina a year was imposed.
Hunter interest gradually increased, particularly among non-residents, and
the javelina became an important game animal in Arizona after World War II. By
1950, hunters were purchasing nearly 10,000 javelina tags and taking more than
1,000 animals a year.
In 1959, an archery javelina season was initiated, and by 1971 more than
30,000 hunters were harvesting more than 6,000 javelina a year. This pressure
was deemed excessive in some game management units, and permit-only firearm
hunting was instituted in 1972. To further curtail hunt pressure and better
distribute hunters, permit-only HAM (handgun, archery, and muzzleloader) hunts
were initiated in 1974, and archery hunting was limited to permit-only hunting
in 1992. In 1999, 12,580 firearm permits, 7,760 HAM permits, and 9,220 archery
permits were authorized, resulting in a harvest of 6,363 javelina.
Source - Arizona Game & Fish Department