Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Menard,TX
Posts: 1158

Steve, Joe, Al Pena and I just returned from the Rain Forest of Southern Mexico where we were attempting to capture and collar jaguars for a joint research project between the USA and Mexico. It was my first time to hunt there and I must say that the trailing conditions were not at all what I thought that they might be. When I got there and saw the moisture and heavy canopy, I thought that the dog would be able to work a track that was 10 hours old or less. We were hunting with dogs that Joe had purchased from a dry ground lion hunter in Utah and all of these hounds were experienced on lions. After purchasing them, Joe sent to Zapata, TX (down the river from Laredo) to get them acclimated to the heat where they were hunted for over 6 months.
We worked the dogs off of several kills but none of the kills were fresh, I am estimating 8-10 hours old. While we trailed several cats, we were not able to get them jumped before the heat came up in the mornings.
After I got home, I called two Mexican hunters that are familiar with this area and they told me that the excessive heat along with excess moisture creates a "boiling" effect which disburses the scent much quicker than you would think.
This was truly an adventure and not commercialized like so much of Africa. I am not sure how many pounds I lost to sweat, lack of food and blood sucking insects but I know it was over 10.
I want to go back as it has been one of my lifelong dreams to see hounds under one of the most beautiful and rare felines in the world.
Adios,
Gary

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Registered: Mar 2010
Location: maine
Posts: 213

that is great that you get to experience a jaguar hunt gary .do the dogs have to swim alot to cold trail down there?

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Menard,TX
Posts: 1158

On this trip, they did not have to swim as the jungle was relatively dry. We wanted to go down and hunt in January or February but the jungle remained flooded from the record rainfall last fall.
Adios,
Gary

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Registered: Mar 2010
Location: maine
Posts: 213

deffinately sounds like a tough hunt for man and hounds. good luck .

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Registered: Jun 2014
Location: ny
Posts: 5

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Roberson
On this trip, they did not have to swim as the jungle was relatively dry. We wanted to go down and hunt in January or February but the jungle remained flooded from the record rainfall last fall.
Adios,
Gary

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Registered: Mar 2011
Location: Mexico
Posts: 9

Gary, here in Mexico with the heat, humidity and the type of jungle. Hunting for jagaur its always very demanding. I think the best months for hunting and the climate will be not as bad its from November thtrough March, the winter months.

It has being many years, more than 15 that at my fathers ranch near Soto La Marina Tamaulipas he hadnīt have any attack to his cattle from the jaguars. Last friday a jaguar kill him a calf about 300 pounds. Thats a good sign, at least there is one on the area and maybe coming back with the population. With all the cartels down here not many people are hunting and poaching the jaguar.

They are beautiful animals, hope in the near future we will have a healty population of them.

Saludos

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Menard,TX
Posts: 1158

Great to hear from you Hector. Yes, it is good to see the jaguars coming back. Where we were hunting closer to Chetumal, the populations were very good but there continues to be some poaching.
Adios,
Gary

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