South of the Border: The Untold Challenge

South of the Border
The Untold Challenge Hunt Mexico bow and arrow style.

By Arnold Sandoval

Life is a continual learning process. Personally, I continue to grow daily and am intrigued by the many changes affecting our sport and way of life. By digging into the past, you can observe and apply changes that may affect our future as well. As technology advances at lightning speed, it appears Murphy’s Law not only applies to computers, but hunting as well.

Gear -wise , everything from clothing, optics, vehicles, GPS units and weapons constantly changes and improves. I can remember not too long ago when wearing cotton or plain wool clothing was the norm in the field. Today, we have a vast array of choices that include synthetics and wool assortments. There are articles of clothing that retain heat, allow heat to escape, breathe, wick moisture and are waterproof. Some time back, most of us hunted on foot or horseback when the road ended. Today, there are super-rugged, four-wheel ATV’s that can climb just about anything imaginable in record time. We have rangefinders, which take away the guessing and are accurate to one yard at 1000 yards. GPS technology is also revolutionary. You don’t need to know your bearings anymore, you just plug in coordinates and you can get there and back. Our weapons have also evolved. I can remember when a .30-06 was the standard caliber when pursuing most of North America’s big game. Today, super-flat and hard hitting long distance calibers from Short Mags to the .30-378 Weatherby are commonplace. Even archers have seen great advances in the compound bow and composite arrow materials. Bows are extremely precise and have greater punch than ever before.

This leads me to the topic of archery hunting in Mexico. At one of the major hunting conventions every January, I have been bombarded with an ever-increasing interest in bowhunting in Mexico. As of yet, I’ve not had the opportunity to provide this service to hunters yet. There are some considerations.

The terrain in Mexico varies greatly from area to area. The deserts and mountains of Sonora will be different from those in Chihuahua; in turn, they will be distinct from the dense jungles and mountains of Central and Southern Mexico. From experience, I would say that closing the distance in Sonora on a big mule deer or coues deer buck can be a challenge. Not impossible, but difficult. It’s true that most rifle shots in the desert country of Sonora are within 100 yards, but the biggest bucks will usually push the upper end of that distance. How do you close that distance and get within bow range? Surprisingly and equally inspiring, a decent number of my hunters have killed big bucks within 40 yards or less. Last season, one of my hunters hip-shot a 31-incher right out of his bed. Sure, you could say it was luck. Realistically, I believe it was hunter and guide persistence and skill that prevailed that day.

The endless miles of Palo Verde plateaus in the desert country can work to your advantage. These plateaus offer great cover for the deer, but also super concealment for the hunter. Obviously, the key is spotting the buck before he spots you. This will mean slow and quiet moving through the soft desert floor. Scouring directly into cover with quality optics in those denser areas will be productive in spotting movement or body parts. In the mountains, the tactics will be slightly different. Stalking within range can be a very attainable goal or difficult challenge, depending on how you view it. It can be done, but patience is required due to limited concealment.

The hunting history of the Native Americans is distinct. The Apache, Papago, Tarahumara and Yaqui tribes, to name a few, hunted Northern Mexico’s wilderness before there was a border designation - before the first white man ever set foot on this continent. Those people depended on hunting for their existence and survival. They weren’t farmers, but superior hunters of game. Their hunting weapons and bows were carved from materials in their environment and would probably be considered primitive by today’s standards. They didn’t have the luxury of cam technology compound bows and synthetic arrows. You could argue that game was more plentiful and easier to kill in those days, but there is no guarantee of that. The Native Americans relied on their own inherent skills to feed themselves and their families.

By necessity, the Native Americans were adept at covering long distances. Their physical fitness level was way above par and incomparable to anything today. They didn’t belong to a local gym. Their gym consisted of the wild expanses of nature herself. A place they visited on a daily basis. Often, those hunters traveled many days on little food and water. The Tarahumara Indians, who inhabit the rugged canyons and caves of Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon) in Chihuahua, are legendary runners. They were known to physically run down their prey in the steep and desolate expanses of the canyon, an area larger than the Grand Canyon of Arizona. Success today for the modern bowhunter in Mexico depends on their ability to hunt hard and long in top physical form.

For the Native hunters, getting within arrow range was monumental. Consequently, they evolved into masterful trackers. Unfortunately, today, tracking is rapidly becoming an extinct art form. For a successful hunt south of the border, tracking should be incorporated in some form. You will rapidly learn that the desert expanses yield low deer densities. There is lots of country, but you will need to focus mainly on large bucks scattered in the vastness throughout. Effective tracking can last days. As you begin to close in on your animal, you will benefit greatly from the skills and experience of a tracker. A great tracker will be able to seemingly anticipate the buck’s next step. If used effectively, you may be able to predict his route and ambush him as he approaches, usually unaware of your presence. You might ask whether it would be more effective to sit near a water hole and wait. That may work here in the West, but it is not equally feasible in Mexico. Most big game, such as deer, will not openly water during daylight hours. If pressured, the desert mule deer will completely avoid water holes for long periods of time.

Bowhunting in Mexico is an untapped area in a sense. You will belong to an elite few who’ve attempted such a thing. Very few modern hunters can say they’ve done it, fewer yet can say they were successful. I know firsthand of a handful of dedicated Mexican hunters who have hunted northern Mexico for years. They’ve been successful with both compounds and recurves, which should offer hope to those desiring such a challenge. I can assure you that, if successful, your success will be welldeserved and meaningful beyond recognition. The Native Americans were routinely successful throughout history. They didn’t possess bows that could fling an arrow accurately at 75 yards or greater. Today’s hunter has a definite advantage over hunters of the past. Additionally, bringing a bow into Mexico will not require the intensive gun permit paperwork needed for rifles. A license and tag are still required, but getting across the border will be a breeze.

If you still have doubts that a successful archery hunt can be had in Mexico, I would invite you to look at the evidence. The deserts and mountains of Mexico are littered with remnants of those people from long ago. Chiseled arrowheads of many sizes and materials, from native granites to beautiful quartz varieties are commonly found today by the unsuspecting hunter and wanderer. There is evidence that those people once existed, as the true hunters of the land.

Tags: arnold sandoval, HI31

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