Javelina — properly the collared peccary, not a true pig — are one of the most underrated bowhunts in North America. They're small, tough, fast, and travel in herds of 6–20 animals that scatter the instant something goes wrong. A shot that would be perfectly fine on a whitetail can sail clean over a javelina's vitals, because everything about this animal sits lower and further forward than hunters expect.
A Small Target That Sits Low
A mature javelina weighs 35–60 lbs and stands barely 20 inches at the shoulder. The heart and lungs sit lower in the chest cavity relative to body height than on a deer, and are positioned slightly more forward — closer to the front leg than the center of the body. Hunters used to deer-height vitals consistently shoot high on javelina, especially at close range where the angle down onto the animal is steep.
Broadside Aim Point
On a broadside javelina, hold your pin low and tight against the back of the front leg, roughly one-third up from the brisket line — not the mid-body height that works on deer. The vital zone is compact, around 5–6 inches, so precision matters more than raw kinetic energy. A well-tuned setup at almost any legal hunting draw weight is plenty of bow for javelina; shot placement is the deciding factor, not penetration power.
Common mistake: Because javelina are small and often shot at close range in a group, many hunters rush the shot as the herd starts to move. Pick one animal, confirm the angle, and commit to that single target before drawing.
Quartering Shots
Javelina herds rarely stand still broadside for long — expect quartering-away and quartering-toward angles more often than a clean broadside look. On a quartering-away shot, aim to angle the arrow toward the offside shoulder, entering behind the near-side ribs and driving forward into the vitals. Avoid quartering-toward shots entirely if possible; the front-of-body vital placement combined with a steep angle in gives very little margin, and the shoulder blade on a javelina is more likely to deflect an arrow than most hunters assume for an animal this size.
Aim Points by Angle
| Angle | Aim Point | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Broadside | Low, tight behind front leg, ~1/3 up from brisket | Most forgiving angle available |
| Quartering-away | Behind near ribs, angling toward offside shoulder | Excellent penetration angle if patient |
| Quartering-toward | Avoid unless very close and confident | Shoulder blade risk is high on this small a target |
| Steep downhill (blind/elevated stand) | Aim slightly lower than broadside height suggests | Down-angle shots tend to hit high on small game |
Herd Dynamics Change the Shot
Because javelina travel in tight groups, a hit animal often triggers the entire herd to bolt in the same direction — sometimes straight at the hunter. Have a follow-up arrow ready, but don't rush the first shot to try to beat the herd's reaction. A well-placed first arrow on a stationary animal beats a rushed shot at a moving target every time, even if it means letting a better angle pass.
Herds also mean multiple sets of eyes and noses working against you simultaneously — treat a javelina stalk with the same wind and movement discipline you'd use on pronghorn. For more on reading angles and confirming your aim point before the shot, check our Shot Solver tool.
The Bottom Line
Aim lower than instinct tells you. Javelina vitals sit closer to the brisket than deer vitals do.
Wait for broadside or quartering-away. The small target and thick shoulder don't forgive a quartering-toward shot.
Pick one animal and commit. Herd movement punishes hunters who hesitate or switch targets mid-draw.
Whatever draw weight and arrow setup you're running for javelina, make sure your sight tape reflects your actual arrow speed at close range — the yardages that matter most on this hunt are all inside 30 yards. Build or check your tape free at SightTapeGen.