Where to hunt Chachalaca
The range of Chachalaca covers most of Latin America and extends into Southern Texas, where the bird is also known as “Mexican tree pheasant”. Indeed, Chachalaca is a long-tailed bird about the size of a pheasant. It has a brown color, bare skin on the neck, and tail with feathers that fan out when the bird is in flight to help with gliding and maneuvering. Chachalaca hunting is legal in Texas, and is offered by outfitters in Mexico, most notably in the Yucatan.
Price distribution
Chachalaca hunting may involve a real hunting expedition into the wilds of the ancient Maya country. The hunt will last at least 7 days and will cost just under $5,000. This price doesn’t include shooting fees for the birds and beasts you will be fortunate to harvest. Chachalaca shooting fees may be as high as $250.
When to hunt Chachalaca?
Hunting in the Yucatan is conducted during the dry season, as in the wet season the mud roads present a big problem, while the animals are scattered around the jungle rather than concentrated over water sources. Bird hunters prefer the spring season, which runs from March till May, and big-game hunters the fall season, September to November.
Hunting methods
Chachalaca tends to feed on the ground, but spends quite a lot of their time in treetops. They are rather cautious, and on the ground prefer legs to wings as a means of escape. The birds are social and very vocal, and in fact get their name from the imitation of the sound of their call. Thus, still-hunting is perhaps the most efficient method of Chachalaca hunting. The hunter walks quietly through the places where the birds are likely to be, and tries to hear them. Then, it stalks the birds by ear. Another possible way how to hunt Chachalaca is by walking them up, with or without dogs.
Why hunt Chachalaca?
More and more international hunters discover Mexico, including but not limited to the ancient land of the Maya, the Yucatan. The main attraction of the Yucatan is not any particular species that you can hunt there. It’s the whole of the experience. It is the immersion into an unusual habitat, and the hunting traditions that date back to pre-Columbian times. It is the sounds and smells of the jungle. It’s traveling the dirt roads and swinging on hammocks. It is one of the rare opportunities in the modern world to walk in the shoes of the brave explorers of old, and bring back a few trophies as material reminders of the adventure.
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