Mexico Jungle hunt- Ocellated turkey.

 (The hunt conclusion)

Huge spider!

Traveling outside the US seems to bring out many questions. What will the weather be like, how bad will the bugs be and what kind of bugs, snakes and spiders will I come across? Also, I was thinking about hunting with a new outfitter, in a third world country, and the grim awareness that some are crooks pretending to be an outfitter.

As I found myself en-route to Detroit I couldn’t help but ponder the events ahead. Will success indeed be had on the hunt and will the food and lodging be as represented? Hunting can be a goal driven mission that revels in risk and danger. A Mexico jungle hunt was going to be just that.



Taxi/van Packed full!

Campeche Airport

Uniting with good friends at the Detroit International Airport we set out for Mexico City on a direct Delta flight and to join the rest of our crew of 8 for the final one hour flight to Campeche. Here we squeezed into a taxi/van with 11 large bags, a hilarious, yet expected sight in Mexico. We checked into a delightful and upscale historic hotel and soon were enjoying fine Mexican cuisine while listening to the guitar sounds of two Mexican strummers. Departure for the jungle was the next day around 11:00 am and the hunt was on!  We had 5 hours of driving complete with armed road blocks and one stop to transition into jeeps and extended midsize pickups before arriving at “El Campo”.

Sleeping tent. Pretty nice!

The Camp was surreal and the setting was on the edge of an emerald green river. The river proved both useful and entertaining during the middle of the day and great for bathing. The camp layout was good with tents that sat on wooden platforms.

Eating area.

Hunting began in the early morning darkness. As the light started to approach the horizon, an anomaly of insect and bird sounds arose along with the occasional monkey chiming in to give away the presence of one of the five camp cats that live and hunt here. Then like an opera star, the singing of the Ocellated turkey began! What an amazing sound!

Ocellated turkey!

This hunt was like no other and a true adventure is an understatement. The insects, especially the many biting ticks and spiders, and snakes added to the tense thrills. Communication with our guide was difficult to say the least and I frequently found myself acting out with hand gestures, sounds, and a plethora of creativity. Even with the antics, messages were not always understood.

Jungle.

Fallen tree on trail.

By the third day the rainy season began and keeping clean and having dry footwear and clothing required constant effort. This however was not as bad as the worsening condition of the jungle roads or what we started to smell like! Despite these physical discomforts, each member of our group succeeded and we were reveling in it.

I was able to harvest a great bird, a true gift from God. All aspects of the trip were full of excitement and adventure. Every second of every day left you wondering what was going to happen next. These are times in your life when you thank God for the opportunities and wait for him to open doors for more.