What is your favorite hunting trip of all time is a question I am often asked. While I can’t say I have one favorite that stands out above all others, because so many have been special for different reasons, my ocellated turkey hunting trip on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico is certainly near the top, especially considering the weather we are having in the Midwest right now.
Bill Cooper is one of the most accomplished outdoor writers I know. A member of the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame and the recipient of countless other honors, Cooper has seen and done more in the outdoors than most could dream of accomplishing in multiple lifetimes.
So when he invited me to join him on a trip to the Yucatán Peninsula to chase ocellated turkeys, there was no hesitation in my enthusiastic acceptance.
The first stop on the multileg tour of the Yucatán was Mérida. We flew into Cancún late in the afternoon and immediately hopped in a passenger van headed to the beautiful colonial-looking city. From this point forward, my ignorance of Mexico rapidly deteriorated.
Many Americans, myself formerly included, have established preconceived, negative notions about Mexico based on media coverage that leads us to believe Mexico, outside of the Las Vegas-style resort areas, is a very dangerous place. To the contrary, Mexico is a wonderful, beautiful and diverse land. There are areas of dirt-poor poverty, and areas of exquisite extravagance. As we traveled the Yucatán Peninsula, passing through small villages and walking city streets at night, I never once felt unsure of my safety.
Mérida is the largest city in the Yucatán Peninsula. It is the capital of the state of Yucatán. We stayed in an old, elegant, colonial hotel with a beautiful open courtyard from which you could stare at two towers of the Mérida Cathedral, which was built entirely in the 16th century.
In Mérida, we met up with Maya Amazing Adventures. Rueben Encalada, their public relations director, sure knows how to plan a trip to expose outdoor enthusiasts to the natural and manmade treasures of the Yucatán. Our tour guides were Pancho, a recreation and tourism instructor at a local college, and Lisa, an intern from Austria. Lisa was promptly nicknamed “Lefty,” so our tour guides were Pancho and Lefty.
We spent the next two days touring Mayan archeological sites, swimming in cenotes, exploring coastal wildlife refuges, eating incredible food and enjoying outstanding company. Mayapan was my favorite site. It has more than 4,000 structures around the Temple of Kukulcan. Cenotes are water-filled sinkholes. You’re basically swimming in a cave full of crystal-clear water.
We took a boat from the fishing village of Dzilam de Bravo to Parque Natural San Felipe. Pink flamingos were everywhere, providing incredible bird-watching and photography opportunities. Fresh, line-caught fried grouper, fresh vegetables and a chilled octopus cocktail served seaside was just one of the meals I will never forget.
From Mérida, we traveled to Campeche where we spent time touring Fort San Miguel and the local street markets. Roberto Sansores of Snook Inn Hunting and Fishing picked us up for the hour-long ride to turkey camp. Roberto’s father, Jorge Sansores, who sadly has passed away, was a legend of ocellated turkey hunting. He was outfitting on the Yucatán Peninsula for more than 50 years and prided himself on helping hunters achieve the World Slam, which is accomplished by shooting all six subspecies of wild turkey in North America.
Jorge’s camp was located in the small village of Carlos Cano Cruz. It’s about an hour outside of Campeche. The accommodations were rough, but adequate for an authentic Mexican hunting adventure. The food was the best I’ve ever experienced in a hunting or fishing camp. One night, we had all the stone crab claws we could eat paired with fresh grilled Spanish mackerel. For dessert, we enjoyed pineapple drizzled with honey and rum.
The turkey hunting took place in agricultural fields surrounded by dense jungle. Jaguars roam these fields. Ocellated turkeys often come through in flocks. The first morning five gobblers came in front of me, and I ended my hunt before sunrise with a single shot. The beauty of the ocellated turkey is in its colors. A shimmering aqua and bronze body is highlighted by a tail fan with each feather hosting an eye of blue. I spent the second morning behind the lens of my camera. More than 100 turkeys in a single flock flew down in front of my blind. The next hour was mesmerizing.
Mexico was a land of mystery to me until I finally explored the Yucatan on this trip. I have since been back to the country a few times and enjoy visiting the country more and more each time. I found Mexico is not a scary place. Like anywhere, you could find trouble if you went looking for it, but with some sense and good local guides, everything should be fine.
If you have dreamed of pursuing an ocellated turkey, I highly recommend you do.
See you down the trail. …
III
Brandon Butler is an outdoors columnist for the News Tribune. Contact him at [email protected].