Yucatan Jungle Hunt - Balam Hunting Expeditions

Outfitter: Balam Hunting Expeditions – Alfredo Lamadrid (www.balammexico.com)

Dates: April 26th - May 2nd, 2015

Hunt Area: Southern aspect of the state of Campeche

Game Taken: Ocellated turkey, Greater curassow, Agouti

Game Seen: Brocket deer (brown), Ocellated turkey, Coatimundi, Greater curassow, Crested guan, Chachalaca, Tinamu

Airlines: Delta/Aeromexico

Background: The ocellated turkey (meleagris ocellata) is the least known of the six turkey species in North America. Additionally, it is the most unique of the turkey species when compared to the Eastern, Rio Grande, Gould’s, Merriam’s, and Osceola which are all subspecies of meleagris gallopavo. In fact, the ocellated turkey is taxonomically distinct from the other five turkey species. This turkey is indigenous only to the Yucatan peninsula, Guatemala, and Belize.

A hen ocellated turkey poses on a drive back to camp.

Unlike his northern brethren, the ocellated turkey does not gobble and has no beard. Rather, the males “sing” which is a truly indescribable sound. To date, no call manufacturer has been able to replicate the call of the ocellated turkey. Not only is the species unique, but the environment in which it is hunted is very different from the remaining turkey species in North America. The ocellated turkey is hunted in the southern portions of the state of Campeche in Mexico and has a preference for jungle. I’ve always dreamed in hunting in true jungle habitat and the jungles of Campeche certainly fulfill that requirement.

The state of Campeche is a large state in the Yucatan peninsula. We found the people to be incredibly friendly and travel here was certainly safe. Unfortunately, English-speaking people are sparse in the city, although, they can be found. Regardless, this leads to a lot of gesturing and signaling often greeted with confused looks. Our frantic gesturing might have been interpreted as the signal to steal third base for all I know. Campeche is overall one of the poorest states in all of Mexico. However, the terrain is beautiful and the jungles of Campeche are nothing short of magical.

Travel: As with traveling to any remote destination, getting to the jungles of the Yucatan has its bumps in the road (both figurative and literal). We flew Delta and Aeromexico through Mexico City en route to Campeche, Mexico. There are no direct flights from the US to Campeche, so you must travel through Mexico City and clear customs and immigration there. Traveling through the Mexico City airport was a little cumbersome as my Spanish is minimal and my dad’s non-existant. However, a few attendants spoke English and were extremely helpful through the process.

The city of Campeche is located at the northern aspect of the state of Campeche, right on the Gulf coast. The city is over 400 years old and due to its location it was previously the site of numerous pirate attacks. The city therefore houses a large sea wall, which was constructed to prevent such attacks. Old cannons line the walkways along the shore-line in remembrance of days past.






We overnighted at Hotel Castelmar in Campeche which is just two blocks off the water. The next day we walked the streets of this interesting old city and enjoyed lunch at a small restaurant called Marganzo’s. Due to its proximity to the coast, Campeche specializes in seafood dishes. I started with a traditional spicy shrimp soup, Chilpachole, followed by an octopus dish in a garlic sauce. The food was exceptional at Marganzo’s and we stopped in for lunch prior to departing from Campeche once the hunt was over.

Hotel Castelmar was quite comfortable and the staff incredibly helpful.

The final leg of the journey is a 5-hour drive into the southern portion of the state of Campeche. About half of the trip was on highways while the second half was spent on “jungle roads” which predominantly was a logging road that runs through the concession. The concession consists of 55,000 hectares of native jungle. The camp is incredibly comfortable, especially given the remote setting. A generator sits behind the kitchen tent and provides electricity when needed. Four separate tents are present to house hunters, each of which sits upon a wooden platform. A small stream runs behind camp with the soothing ripples acting as a sleep aid each night. This small stream also provides a much needed reprieve from the unrelenting midday heat in the jungle.

Day 1 - "Ohhh Nooo"!

Anticipation runs high on the first morning of any hunt and this one is no exception. After a light breakfast we depart camp at 5:00 and head down a dark jungle road. Hunts are run with two guides and two hunters per jeep. Naturally, my dad and I are together until we hit a fork in the path and go our separate ways on foot. My dad’s guide is a jubilant young guide named Tito. My guide, Mancho, is a little more reserved and shorter in stature.

Slowly we stalk down a trail cut through the jungle and the first hour of light is rather uneventful. However, I did get to experience the howls of my first howler monkey. Honestly, if you didn’t know what was making the noise you would probably jump out of your skin. Ironically, the howler monkey is a small fellow, not much bigger than a large raccoon.



Shortly after 7:00 we hear the song of pavo and our pace slows and footsteps lighten. Ocellated turkey hunting is much different than the turkey hunting that occurs in the rest of North America. Since their call cannot be replicated, calling is not a reliable method. Additionally, once pavo leaves the roost he is much less likely to sing. Therefore, these turkey are hunted and typically shot from the roost. As we stalk the songs are clearly getting closer. There is a sudden break in the branches and cover above our heads when Mancho kneels and points, excitedly using one of the few English words he knows….”Shoot, shoot”! As I kneel the shotgun comes to shoulder and the outline of the bird comes into few amongst the branches in his roost. The bead settles near the junction of the neck and body and the shotgun barks. Much to my dismay the bird turns and flies off unscathed, followed by Mancho’s reaction, “Ohhh nooo”. I shake my head and mutter “Lo siento” and try to mentally process my blunder. Upon further inspection, the shot was a little farther than I had initially estimated, probably 35 yards to the base of the tree with the turkey another 30-40 feet above ground. My hold was probably too low, especially considering the 2 ¾ inch shells provided in camp. Regardless, it is a very makeable shot and a golden opportunity spoiled by rushed shooting.

As a silver lining, a few hundred yards down the road we catch an agouti feeding in the brush. The agouti is a skittish rodent, which can weigh up to 10-15 pounds. He is one of two huntable rodent species here, the other being the paca. While the agouti are plentiful we only saw a few all week. More typically, you would hear their high-pitched distress call as they retreated along the forest floor. In this circumstance my shot is true and have my first jungle trophy. He is a surprisingly handsome animal with curious feet sporting three bird-like toes. After some photos, we head back towards to vehicle.





Almost back at the vehicle, we run into a herd of white-lipped peccary near the creek. White-lipped peccary were taken off the hunting license a few years ago, which is a shame. If hunting ever re-opens for them, I would make a trip back just to hunt them.

Unfortunately, the afternoon hunt was again full of mishaps and poor shooting. We spent the afternoon sitting by a waterhole in hopes of catching game approaching the water. Over an hour before dark a beautiful greater curassow male strides towards the water through the thicket. I try to pick a gap in the brush and time the shot but there is no doubt that I have shot behind him. Quickly, I’ve learned that trying to time shots in this thick jungle is a poor approach, rather, shooting through the brush is the correct approach. A group of coatamundi entertain us for a while until pair of greater curassow approach the far edge of the water. Mancho encourages me to shoot at the male but the shot is just too far for this load. My shooting today has been abysmal and I really just need to get back to the basics…quickly.

Day 2 - A New Day

A new day brings new hope as I try to rectify my case of miss-itis from yesterday. Mancho and I are hunting relatively close to camp today and we stand along the logging road which runs through the concession until first light. The logging road allows access to this wonderful hunting ground but does seem to take some of the magic away from this jungle. A turkey sings quite early and we plan our next move. Weaving your way through the jungle in the pre-dawn light is cumbersome and difficult to do quietly. Ground is gained as the bird continues to sing until we run into an impenetrable wall of jungle. Despite multiple attempts to re-route, we are never able to reach this bird.


One of the many coatimundi seen during the week. I always stopped to take a few pictures or video of them because they are entertaining little critters.

We continue down another trail as the heat begins to really set in. Later we learn that the temperature reached 109 degrees in the sun today. A curassow “hums” nearby and again we plan a stalk. The “hum” of the curassow is most unusual and barely audible to my jungle-naïve ears. The “hum” is very low-pitched and you can almost feel it as much as hear it. The curassow busts our approach and again we re-focus. Later, a chance encounter with a feeding turkey is thwarted by his sharp eyes and the morning hunt ends. We learn that my dad missed a turkey this morning and fear that my miss-itis is contagious. Although, he did take a female curassow later in the morning.

For the evening we spend time listening and carving trails into the jungle where Mancho and I heard pavo this morning, hoping that our efforts will pay off in the morning.

Day 3 - Curassow Redemption

As discussed the night before, we returned to the same area as yesterday morning. As expected, pavo again sings before first light and we begin our approach. Unfortunately, the end result is not much different as soon our trail cutting efforts are superseded by dense jungle and the bird is heard no more.

We put on many miles this morning and by 11:30 we are beginning to lose steam. Unexpectedly, a female curassow catches Mancho’s attention to the right. Surprisingly, the bird charges towards us as I shoulder the Beretta. I pass on the shot as she is coming directly at us and as she turns to exit stage left. A little more sketchy shooting eventually results in the curassow on the ground. The females are strikingly beautiful and quite the contrast to the jet-black male counterpart.




The evening is spent sitting along a stretch of bottom surrounded by several gradually sloping hillsides. This area is the most open of any I’ve seen hear and the old rafters and boards scattered about likely indicate the site of a prior logging camp or loading site. Well before dark movement catches my eye and the form of turkey materialize. A blow down sits between us as they move from right to left. Three females are escorted by an immature male, so really there is no opportunity here. As they clear the blow down we are spotted and they move off. The remainder of the night is rather quiet.

Day 4 - A Change in Weather

Rainfall on the tent roof awakens me at about 3:00 AM and the rain becomes progressively heavier as light approaches. The rain is too hard to hunt at first light which costs us precious time considering that this hunt is quickly approaching its end. Although, the change in weather may also increase game activity. Once the rain clears by about 8:00 we head out and stalk down another jungle trail. A male curassow taunts me just 20 yards away but after taking the female yesterday I’ve decided to focus my efforts entirely on pavo.

I passed on coffee this particular morning…did I mention I do not care for spiders much?

We later encounter several series of well defined trails which extend in multiple directions. Immediately, I assume these are the trails of some game animal, perhaps the brocket deer. Mancho motions me closer to find that this well-kept trails are those of ants. The trails extends for several hundred yards and the ant traffic gets heavier until we arrive at grand central station. This ant hill must be 15 yards in diameter, truly some impressive work.

A series of well groomed ant trails lead to the large anthill in the background.

The afternoon hunt is also uneventful with no turkey sightings or songs. Alfredo Lamadrid, owner of Balam Hunting Expeditions, has arrived in camp today and we make plans to be up early and travel to a new section of jungle about 2 hours away.

Day 5 - Pavo!

The drive to the new area is a long one, just over 2 hours from camp. Mancho and I are dropped off just before first light and we make our way down a partially grown in trail. A roosted crested guan holds our attention for a moment, just long enough for some spider monkeys to express their discontent with our presence. However, there is no signing to be heard which is quite disheartening. The reality that I may be going home without a turkey is beginning to set in and it is a tough pill to swallow. Nonetheless, I had an opportunity which was spoiled by my own rushed shooting.

A shot in the distance breaks through the morning air and a smile crosses my face as I know that my dad has taken his turkey. Alas, a short while later the jeep returns and I look upon the disgusted look on my dad’s face as he reports a miss. My heart sinks. Unfortunately, there are no words that can adequately alleviate his frustration; so I offer the best support I can and we continue to press forward.

Hunting is a curious beast, which is why we love it so. It can drag you through the lowest of lows, only to present you with utter jubilation in mere seconds. As we round a bend in the trail Mancho excitedly points my attention to a magnificent gobbler in half strut 25 yards off the trail. The sunlight on his blue and green plumage is breathtaking, almost distracting. As he moves from left to right my shotgun bead follows and the recoil almost comes as a surprise. Finally, my shooting is not a disappointment and pavo is ours. Photos surely do not do this bird justice but we try to capture its majesty the best we can. His spurs are astounding, measuring over 4.5 cm! His brilliant blue head is adorned with numerous yellow, orange, and red wart-like growths. Certainly, this is the most beautiful bird I’ve hunted.






We had hunted hard for this bird and in the end rewarded with a lucky break. While he was not taken via the ocellated turkey hunting textbook at first light, he was still hard-earned. Honestly, I’d rather be lucky than good any day! It a most interesting turn of events a similar scenario yields a beautiful hen ocellated turkey for my dad several hours later. With a pavo and pava on the ground, our attention begins to shift towards the long journey home tomorrow.

My dad and I with his last day pava.


Final Thoughts

Outfitter: Balam Hunting Expeditions truly offers a superb hunt in perhaps the most unique hunting environment available in North America. The jungle is a magical place and one I hope to return to someday. The camp manager, guides, and camp staff are efficient and hard-working. The hospitality was absolutely first class. For anyone interested in a true jungle adventure, I give Balam Hunting Expeditions and Alfredo Lamadrid my highest recommendation.

Accommodations/Food: The jungle camp is simple but extremely comfortable. A generator provides electricity whenever needed and is a very nice touch. The small deck overlying the river behind camp was extremely relaxing and there is no better feeling than dipping in the cool river during the midday heat. The food was traditional Mexican cuisine and was truly phenomenal.



The creek behind camp is stunning and there is not much better than relaxing in the cool water during the midday jungle heat.

The Hunt: As I’ve mentioned, hunting the jungles of southern Mexico is a unique experience. There are not many places one can hunt where spider monkeys cross the branches overhead behind a background of jungle sounds. Hunting in the jungle presents its challenges with the near oppressive heat and thick foliage. However, we found jungle hunt to be most rewarding.

The game species here are incredibly unique and most of these species can only be hunted in the state of Campeche, nowhere else. For bird hunters, the ocellated turkey, greater curassow, and crested guan all represent beautiful large game birds. In addition to the agouti and paca, the two huntable rodent species, one can also pursue coatimundi. The area also sports a healthy population of brocket deer with the brown brocket being more common. Brocket deer hunting is challenging but their were some phenomenal deer taken in camp this week. Additionally, forest cougar are also available to hunt. Forest cougar hunting is similar to leopard hunting in many regards. Baits are set in hopes of one of the baits being hit. Once hit, a machan is erected and the hunt truly begins.

Finally, the most important part of this hunt was the company. In particular, I am referring to hunting with my dad. I am a very blessed young man who has had the opportunity to hunt with my dad all of my life and there is nothing more important than that. Although we came close to leaving with our prized pavo, it turns out that the turkey was always the consolation prize. The real prize was traveling and hunting with my dad, the man who taught me what hunting truly is about.

I have no idea why, but these hunts are very interesting to me.

Such a variety and such an amazingly different group of species. It is essentially a really weird mixed bag varmint, bird and small game hunt.

I'd love to go!

Wow, super cool hunt and great report.

Very interesting!

Thanks for posting that.

Fantastic report on an area and game we don't read much about. Thanks for taking the time to post your report. Did you book straight through Balaam or an agent in the States?

Thank you for the compliments. Truly this hunt is an adventure and unlike any hunt I've done before.

Bwana…The hunt was booked direct through Balam (Alfredo Lamadrid). We had emailed back and forth for a few years before we could squeeze in the time to do this hunt. Also, Alfredo attends several shows in the states each year and we met up with him at Dallas last year.

a very interesting expedition.

What a great adventure. Congrats and thanks for sharing!

Might you talk about the process of bringing the birds back into the states for taxidermy, please? I'm making an assumption here, but...

Great report, and pictures. Glad you had a great time with your dad. I would like to do this hunt,boy those birds are beautiful!

Kamo,

Yes, it is possible to bring your trophies back to the US. For the bird species, it requires that the bird be processed by a USDA approved facility (the USDA has a list of approved facilities). Basically, a taxidermist must apply to the USDA to become an approved location. The birds can be brought back two ways:

Shipped at a later date through a USFWD approved port (similar to shipping African trophies in). I am having the same customs broker I've used for my African trophies clear our birds (Wesco Shipping). The customs broker will then provide the proof that the birds are going directly to a USDA approved facility/taxidermist for processing. Usually, accomplished by a letter from the approved taxidermist. We picked this option as advice from Mr. Lamadrid.

The other option is bringing them back as an extra piece of checked baggage. Frankly, I do not know much about this approach because I decided early on we would avoid this route. However, I believe the birds are claimed on your customs form when you return, an extra form from the USFWD is required, and you must carry a letter from your taxidermist proving they are a USDA approved facility.

Our trophies will be ready in about 3 months and I'm hoping all goes smoothly.

quote:

Originally posted by PAGuardian:
Kamo,

Yes, it is possible to bring your trophies back to the US. For the bird species, it requires that the bird be processed by a USDA approved facility (the USDA has a list of approved facilities). Basically, a taxidermist must apply to the USDA to become an approved location. The birds can be brought back two ways:

Shipped at a later date through a USFWD approved port (similar to shipping African trophies in). I am having the same customs broker I've used for my African trophies clear our birds (Wesco Shipping). The customs broker will then provide the proof that the birds are going directly to a USDA approved facility/taxidermist for processing. Usually, accomplished by a letter from the approved taxidermist. We picked this option as advice from Mr. Lamadrid.

The other option is bringing them back as an extra piece of checked baggage. Frankly, I do not know much about this approach because I decided early on we would avoid this route. However, I believe the birds are claimed on your customs form when you return, an extra form from the USFWD is required, and you must carry a letter from your taxidermist proving they are a USDA approved facility.

Our trophies will be ready in about 3 months and I'm hoping all goes smoothly.

Kind thanks for the explanation, and thanks again for sharing from another bird crazy hunter. Really enjoyed your report and pics.

What a fantastically beautiful bird. Well done you and your Dad.

Cool saw a hunt in the Yucatan on boddingtons show thought it was cool. How far from cancun is this hunting area?

Gunslinger...I'm not sure how far the concession is from Cancun. It was recommended we fly into either Campeche or Merida, both of which are west of Cancun. It's a 5 hour drive from Campeche to the concession, so I presume it is longer from Cancun.

Also, I've seen Boddington's show in the Yucatan. He has hunted with Balam several times if I recall correctly.

Congratulations, and thanks for the interesting report!

Ok thanks. I can get to cancoun real easy and that's where boddington flew into I think. Looks like a cool hunt

quote:

Originally posted by PAGuardian:
Gunslinger...I'm not sure how far the concession is from Cancun. It was recommended we fly into either Campeche or Merida, both of which are west of Cancun. It's a 5 hour drive from Campeche to the concession, so I presume it is longer from Cancun.

Also, I've seen Boddington's show in the Yucatan. He has hunted with Balam several times if I recall correctly.

Was it possible to do this hunt 1x1?

I have been looking for an outfitter to offer it that way and the majority do not seem interested in doing that.

BWW...I would consider this hunt 1x1. You share a jeep with another hunter and guide to travel to a general region in the concession. However, once we reached a general hunting area we would go our separate ways on foot. My guide and I probably put in 30-40 miles over the course of the week traveling along numerous trails. We would leave cut branches at the entrance of the current trail we were hunting so the my dad and his guide knew where we were once they were done hunting.

I admire the people that have the moxie to undertake these truly off the beaten path adventures. They make the rest of us "adventurers" look pretty timid. Congrats!

Beautiful bird. A true adventure.

Thanks for sharing the report and photos.

Well done on a "cool" bird safari!

That turkey looks like it was designed by Dr Seuss, really wild colors!

Great report, thanks for giving us a glimpse of your adventure.

Excellent report. Thank you for sharing this really interesting hunt!
JCHB

WOW!!! Beautiful bird. Thanks for the report.

really unique hunt and great photos

thanks for sharing. it was interesting

WL

Nice!

Nice trip! Been giving this hunt some thought.

How about a pic of the spurs?

Norton, I'm sad to report that I got some pretty poor photos of the spurs. The spurs on a big ocellated are impressive. As I mentioned above, the spurs on my gobbler were over 4.5 cm. Although this photo doesn't do them justice, here is a look at his spurs.

Sweet hooks!

Interesting report, very cool!

Those are beautiful birds. Congratulations.

About howler monkeys--there are some howlers that are much larger than a raccoon:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XBsea6kDHM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XBsea6kDHM

Very interesting expedition and beautifull birds .

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SGraves155:
Those are beautiful birds. Congratulations.

About howler monkeys--there are some howlers that are much larger than a raccoon:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XBsea6kDHM

Fake tits and botox on a monkey video.