01x10 - Episode 10

[bunniefuu]

(dramatic music)

- The Yucatan is full

of exotic plants,

big, brightly colored birds,

and small secretive animals.

There are a plethora

of creatures

that are unique to this area.

The area is also considered the

cradle of Maya civilization.

Using hunting as a land use

keeps this delicate

ecosystem intact.

(suspenseful music)

(police siren)

Hunting has become a

controversial practice

in modern times.

My name is Dan Cabela,

and I'm traveling the globe

to explore the true impact

that hunting is having

on our remaining

wild landscapes.

This practice goes as far back

as human history can remember,

but does it have a place

in modern conservation?

(lions growling)

The Yucatan Peninsula is

a northeastern projection

of Central America,

lying between the Gulf of Mexico

and the Caribbean Sea.

(intriguing music continues)

The area sustains probably

the greatest biodiversity,

and supports the last remnant

of a tropical

rainforest in Mexico.

(intriguing music continues)

I have come to pursue the

brown or gray brocket,

as well as the red brocket deer.

(intriguing music continues)

(car door opening)

(intriguing music continues)

(car door slamming)

- [Javier] Hey Dan.

- Good to see you.

- [Javier] How are you?

Good to see you.

- Glad we finally made it.

- Absolutely. Welcome

to brocket camp.

- I'm happy to be here.

The brocket camp hunting

area is about 25,000 acres,

and their operation

has done a lot

for conservation in the area.

- Yeah, but I think

it's a good time

'cause we got some brockets

around so hopefully,

hopefully we'll be lucky.

- I'm looking forward to --

why don't you show us around?

- Absolutely. Come and see.

- What was the hunting

like when you started

compared to now?

- Well, we started

basically from scratch.

We found out there was

a really good population

of red brockets in this area.

So we did like, some

scouting trips first,

and then we saw it was

a lot of potential.

So we started trying

to develop the hunting

and employing people

from the town,

the local hunters, 'cause

there are no poachers here,

but they hunt a lot for meat.

So there's a big meat market,

cultural, 'cause they grew

up eating deer, right?

So they start employing

them, talking to them,

and well now we have

most of the best hunters

employed as guides,

and that also reduce a lot

of the hunting for meat.

So, we're trying to

make a team there.

Our guys are the best

doing what they do.

And now also the meat market,

it's going down, so almost 50%,

there are less brockets

being hunted for meat now

because they get employed,

they get good tips,

and they take care

of the resource.

- The brocket deer belongs

to a different deer family

called Mazama,

and is among the least

studied of any American deer.

They prefer the deep cover

offered by tropical

semi-deciduous

and flooding forests.

The males carry short,

unbranched antlers,

and their preferred food

is a fruit called amapola.

(birds tweet)

By having controlled

legal hunting in the area,

a limited offtake quota

is set and managed,

and anti-poaching is done to

prevent ill*gal activities.

(leaves crunching underfoot)

- Well, this is the

famous amapola tree,

the one that the reds

really, really like.

Also, some of the grays,

but usually you find

them in a higher altitude

where there's more

red brocket and gray.

And this actually the flower,

that's amapola flower.

It's got some

like, nectar inside

and some water as well.

It holds it.

So that's what they crave for.

This is a big secret.

It took us some years of

scouting and researching them

to find out what

they really like.

So after we started

hunting this flowers,

that's where our success

rate increased a lot

in the brockets.

- They're a very secretive

and small deer species,

and are quite elusive to even

the most accomplished hunters.

Using trail cameras

allows the team to see

if any deer are

present in an area,

particularly the males.

- There's one male

coming in at night.

Oh it's a good one.

You can see the antlers there.

So this way, like here,

we know there's a big,

big one coming in,

coming at night.

So we'll have keep on looking

until he shows up in daylight

and then we'll

probably come and sit.

- In the Yucatan peninsula,

hunting is only

allowed if it is done

within the management units

for conservation of wildlife,

called UMAS.

The UMAS have permits,

and their owners decide

what to do on their sites

and with their species.

How many do you

take off in a year?

- Brockets?

- [Dan] Mm hm.

- Well we got a 25 quota,

and we sh**t anywhere

from five to eight,

not more than that.

So we always keep

it low, the harvest,

and every year we get

a little bit like,

maybe one more every year,

'cause we're just like,

having more brockets around.

So that's where we're seeing

the conservation efforts working

and also the trail

cameras helps a lot,

'cause you can actually

target the males

so you don't lose time sitting,

and then you have a

bunch of females show up

and you just waste

a day of hunting.

(camera case clicking)

(intriguing music)

- One of the most

alluring attractions

to hunting the Yucatan

is the entire experience.

(intriguing music continues)

(leaves crunching)

(birds chirping)

(intriguing music continues)

(leaves rustle)

This includes an immersion

into the unique habitat

and sounds and

smells of the jungle,

as well as the climbing

into a tree platform

called the mashan and

swinging on hammocks.

- Dan, this is one of

our local main mashans

as we call it here.

So it's basically a tree stand.

That's what we use

for the brocket.

That way you're high up,

it gives you an advantage,

both with the sight and scent.

So you can see the on

amapola tree is right under.

Hopefully we'll get one coming

into that area and feed.

And you won't even hear them.

It's amazing how they

can move so silently

through the forest,

and sometimes you just look

down and there they are.

- After a hard few

days of hunting,

we had glimpses

of stealthy deer,

but no luck so far.

(suspenseful music continues)

(birds chirping)

After almost two weeks,

we have our first

real opportunity.

(gripping music)

(birds chirping)

(heart beating)

(music swelling)

(g*nsh*t)

(gripping music continues)

After many long

days of searching,

it is deeply rewarding to

finally succeed in our pursuit.

(gripping music continues)

(birds chirping)

The funds generated

through hunting

also have a direct and

positive economic impact

on the local communities,

incentivizing the

protection of wildlife.

(inspirational music)

- You'll see it, Dan,

how we're gonna transition

here from forest to farmland

and you'll see it's a quite

a big change in scenery

and all this forest, you know,

it's a brocket habitat,

but as long as

turkeys and curassows,

and all the forest species

and hunting actually is

keeping them from turning

all the forests into farming,

so that's what we're

working hard at.

(inspirational music fades)

(lighthearted music)

- [Dan] After a challenging

but rewarding two weeks

in the Yucatan,

we are off to explore

another part of Mexico.

The reserve we are

hunting is called

Bellreguart De Sochiapa,

which translates to "beautiful

resort of the flower river."

It is located in the

center of a triangle

formed by the city of Huatusco,

the city of Xalapa,

and the port of Veracruz,

and is in the central region

of the state of Veracruz.

(lighthearted music continues)

- How are you Dan?

- I have come to hunt the

elusive Gulf Coast whitetail,

as well as take a look

at conservation status

and practices in the

southern part of Mexico.

Let's get out there

and chase some deer.

Get these bags in

the truck, let's go.

(lighthearted music continues)

(rooster crows)

Rafael, how long have

you had your ranch?

- August of 1994,

almost 29 years.

- The ranch occupies

approximately 1200 acres

made up of six plateaus

separated from each other

by ravines and deep cliffs

that provide isolation and

extraordinary diversity.

Prior to the acquisition

of the ranch by Rafael

and his brother Carlos,

the land was

completely abandoned,

and locals took

advantage of the timber

and poached out

most of the animals.

(lighthearted music continues)

And what was this

area like then?

I mean this village here,

was it --?

- Less people.

Lot of these houses

were mud houses.

This town, besides

being coffee growers,

used to be famous for all

the pottery, mud pottery.

- [Dan] And in between

this town and your ranch,

what was the habitat

like 30 years ago?

- Yeah, pretty much the same,

as far as coffee plantations.

Not so much as for

what's been happening now

with the lime plantations,

lime has taken the place

of coffee and natural trees

and natural vegetation.

(lighthearted music fades)

- The main

conservation challenges

and threats within the

region are agriculture,

poaching,

and deforestation.

(chainsaw buzzing)

Population growth is another

threat to Mexico's wildlife.

(provoking music)

(birds chirping)

Species that are unique

to the area include

white-lipped peccary

and Gulf Coast whitetail.

And you can also observe

other resident species

and migratory birds.

Reptiles are also

well represented.

(inspirational music)

After purchasing the property,

the brothers have invested

a 30 year conservation

restoration commitment

to bring native animals,

trees, and plants

back to the preserve.

It is because of this effort

that the ranch is now a

thriving oasis for wildlife.

(inspirational music continues)

- It's about 300 meters

from here to the river,

and that's the part

where we planted most

of the tropical trees.

In all, we brought about

130,000 tropical trees.

Of those, most of them were

planted down in the canyon,

some of them up here

in the savannah.

(inspirational music)

- Rafael is taking me

down into the canyon

(leaves crunching)

(music swelling)

- [Rafael] Now

these are the leaves

from the mahogany trees that

we planted some 27 years ago.

How beautiful they are.

- Hunting plays an important

conservation role here,

to help fund their commitment

and the ranch is currently

used for hunting,

outdoor experiences,

and tourism.

I have come to hunt the

elusive Gulf Coast whitetail,

as well as take a look

at conservation status

and practices in the

southern part of Mexico.

(lighthearted music)

(car door closes)

- This is Senor Dan.

Venicio, (speaks in Spanish).

(speaking in Spanish)

Venicio is gonna

be your main guy.

In fact, he's our expert guy.

- The Gulf Coast whitetail is

a little known deer residing

in Veracruz, Tabasco,

Campeche, and Yucatan states.

This whitetail has

very small horns,

and is not pursued as

often as the more typical

and known North American

whitetail subspecies

with the larger racks.

(lighthearted music continues)

Hunting is mostly done from

traditional tree stands

or blinds,

sitting over known

deer travel routes

while observing and glassing.

Most of the time, very

little game is seen,

as the cover is thick

and the deer wary.

(lighthearted music continues)

Countless hours are spent,

and the temperature

is hot and humid

and not at all comfortable,

but an elusive

whitetail such as this

is worth the time invested.

- I've got a mature

buck in front me.

It's supposed to

rain quite a bit

the next couple of days,

and at this point,

I think I'm gonna take him.

(gripping music)

(heart beating)

(g*nsh*t)

(tinfoil crinkling)

The cooks prepared a

traditional meal that was quite

possibly the most tender

venison meat I have ever eaten.

(tinfoil crinkling)

It was slow cooked and

seasoned with local spices

and could easily be

cut with just a fork.

(inspiring music)

I believe that one of the

most meaningful aspects

of hunting is sharing

a meal with others

as a result of an animal

that I have harvested.

(tinfoil crinkling)

It is an ultimate connection

to where your food

is coming from.

The act of sharing

food through hunting

has been around longer

than civilization,

and is a tradition

filled with compassion,

truth, and generosity.

(inspiring music swells)

(cutlery clinking)

(speaking indistinctly)

(cutlery clinking)

(speaking in Spanish)

(cups clinking)

- Thank you for being here.

- Thank you.

- Take your time and we

hope you come back again.

(speaking in Spanish)

(gate creaking)

(provoking music)

- Hunting regulations are of

little concern to poachers,

and if caught,

prosecution or

meaningful penalties

for this ill*gal

activity are rare.

Because there is extreme poverty

in the southern part of Mexico,

poaching is rampant.

Bellreguart De Sochiapa has

unique barriers to defense

against poaching and

human encroachment.

On one end of the property,

there's a very deep

and steep canyon

that makes access to

the ranch very difficult

from that direction.

(provoking music continues)

On the other side

of the property,

there's a high fence.

Both of these barriers

serve to keep poaching out

of the preserve.

I spoke with my

guide Venicio Xico,

who was a well-known poacher

in the area many years ago.

He is now employed by the ranch,

and has been for

the last 20 years.

His perspectives regarding

wildlife and poaching

have changed dramatically.

He is currently in charge of

anti-poaching on the ranch,

and has gone from a

problem for wildlife

to becoming a solution

for wildlife protection.

Does he have any idea, roughly,

how many animals

he may have taken

back in his younger years?

(speaking in Spanish)

- He says that maybe

he thinks he may,

he might have hunted about

30 animals in all between,

which include

armadillos, coatis,

everything that came inside.

He was a hunter.

(fire crackling)

- So ask him if he feels

that it's important

to protect the the indigenous

animals of this area.

(speaking in Spanish)

- He says he's all against it,

and if people come into

the ranch by force,

they will be kicked

out by force too.

If people who don't have

anything to do on the ranch,

we'll do it, like poachers.

- What does it mean for Venicio

to now be a protector

of the wildlife

and the ecosystem here?

(speaking in Spanish)

- This is for him, it is

important that we have

all this vegetation

and the protection that we

have given to this place,

for us and for the

people in the town.

He's proud of what we're doing,

what he's doing with the

vegetation and the animals.

This is a forest and wildlife.

(inspiring music)

- Hunting as a land use has

the exact opposite impact

of what a lime farm

has on the environment.

Unlike agricultural use,

legal and regulated hunting

does not have any

negative impact.

It is a natural land

use that has been

part of the human existence

since the earliest of records,

keeps large tracks

of land intact,

and in their natural state.

And it is a highly

effective conservation tool

for all the species

that inhabit the space

where this practice is used.

(inspiring music continues)

(inspiring music fades)