H e wakes up in sparsely populated Yecora, Sonora.

He stands, puts on the

same clothes he wore yesterday, and the day before, and who knows how many
days before that. His face is cracked like dried Georgia mud, and it carries the
weight of life lived raw — 60 years under the sun, against the wind, in the rain.
He’s been hungry. He’s been down. He’s been tired, and now he is weary, a
weariness that sleep can’t shake.
He owns a ranch in the Sierra Madre, a mountain range that extends from
the U.S. border southeast through Mexico and alternates between snow-covered
peaks and hot, tropical valleys. The ranch is no good, however, because owning
a ranch in Mexico isn’t worth much. This country is land-rich, and yet its supply
goes well beyond its demand.
He can afford to run about 20 cows on his place, and in a good year, he may
sell 10. His annual income is about $3,000. Along with the cows, there are wild

A Hunt
turkeys. Three years ago, he was asked to bait them. So he did, carrying a five-gal-
lon bucket of corn, five miles, uphill, climbing, climbing — 1,000 feet in elevation
— every morning for a month until the Americans came.

What It Is

for Dinero
By Amy Forrest
Leathery is no good. It’s English, and English doesn’t do
Spanish justice in a place as tough as Mexico. They say
correoso. And for this Mexican hombre, it's carne correosa, or
leathery meat, or brown skin baked like overdone brisket.
The Americans, two wildlife biologists from the NWTF, met this Mexican
man after they had trapped and transferred more than 20 wild turkeys he had
baited. The birds were used to help restore the Gould’s turkey population in
Arizona, where the subspecies had all but disappeared.
This collaboration marked the first viable project between the NWTF and
Mexico, the culmination of a 25-year partnership that had mostly trotted along
before shifting into a respectable canter in the last five years. Such milestones
never come lightly, and yet what stuck in the minds of the biologists — and
likely changed the way they perceived their work in Mexico — was the Mexican
rancher’s confusion about his payment. He thought the amount promised was
for the group of turkeys they trapped. The biologists, however, insisted that the
figure was per bird, and just like that, with tears of thankfulness gushing down
his leathered cheeks, this poor Mexican rancher made more money in one month
of toting corn than he’d made the entire year.
About half of Mexico’s people struggle to live on less than $5 a day, and 40
percent of the population is considered below the poverty line. So desperate for
opportunity and a chance to earn an income, an estimated 11 million Mexicans
have immigrated, legally and illegally, into the U.S. for work. The Associated

64 T u r k e y C a l l – J u ly / A u g u s t 2006 w w w. n w t f . o r g w w w. n w t f . o r g T u r k e y C a l l – J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 0 6 6 5

Press reported that many Mexican
families give their babies “American”
names, hoping it will help them fit in
when they inevitably cross the border.
“The first time I went to Mexico,
I was interested in wildlife, how
we could improve habitat and how
we could get the communities, the
people, interested in conservation,”
said Scott Vance, NWTF wildlife bi-
ologist and director of partnership
programs, including the new NWTF
Mexico. “At the time we met this
gentleman, I had no idea how impor-
tant the NWTF’s impact would be to
Mexico and its local communities in
terms of economics.”
Turkeynomics
Once NWTF Mexico releases birds
into historic habitats — there are 10 mil-
lion to 15 million acres that once had
thriving Gould’s populations as well
as many acres of Rio Grande habitat
offering restoration opportunities —
hunters are sure to follow. And turkey
hunting means more dollars.
Consider turkey hunting and
its impact in the U.S., the mother
lode of all economies. Almost $1.8
billion was spent on licenses, per-
mits, firearms, hunting gear and
travel-related expenses in spring
2003 by American turkey hunters.
This spending triggered additional
spending — retailers purchased
more inventory to meet hunter de-
mand, manufacturers bought more
raw materials to produce more prod-
uct, and more employees were hired
to do the work. This multiplier effect
stimulated an additional $4.4 billion
in U.S. economic activity.
“In the last 10 years in the states
of Chihuahua, Durango and Aguas-
calientes, the number of hunters has
been considerable, and this has con-
tributed to local economies by gener-
ating jobs and increasing the sale of
hunter-related equipment,” said Dr.
Fernando Clemente, former general
66 T u r k e y C a l l – J u ly / A u g u s t
director of wild- to hunt wild turkeys in Mexico is es- Rancho Antrialgo. “They’re all very Jaime Diaz, owner of Rancho guava orchards and a fruit market in
life for SEMAR- timated at $2,500. With little industry colorful, with great food, culture Antrialgo and a big supporter of the Calvillo. Jesus Maria is renowned for
NAT (Mexico’s and no real way to earn an income in and artwork, and they make abso- NWTF and its efforts in Mexico, has Provenzal-style furniture factories,
e q u i v a l e n t t o many of Mexico’s communities, the lutely wonderful side trips." made his ranch a benchmark for wild- while in Pabellon de Arteaga, there’s
the U.S. Fish and cost to harvest a bird can have a dra- A mountain range of mostly pine life management and conservation, a great architecture such as the Trojex,
Wildlife Service) matic economic impact on the coun- and oak forests, prairies, valleys and ra- fact not lost on Vorro. the Casa Grande and chapel ruins.
and the NWTF’s try’s small villages and rural areas. vines, the Sierra Fria has an abundance “Even though he has a large It’s the kind of place where men
point person for Mexico’s conserva- “At present, foreign hunters rep- of wild turkeys along with white-tailed population of Gould’s turkeys, Jai- ride horses, children herd goats and
tion efforts. “This positive impact has resent more than the 70 percent of deer, puma, wild boar, lynx, grey fox me is constantly improving the habi- women sit sewing in front of their
also allowed for conservation educa- those who hunt in the north frontier and royal eagles. tat and carefully limits the harvest homes. There is joy in fresh fruit, rain
tion among local communities.” states of Mexico,” said Clemente. “The Gould’s, despite average to mature birds,” said Vorro. “The and a productive, milk-producing cow.
The NWTF, along with Mexico’s “And considering that 90 percent of springtime weights at Rancho Antrial- typical Rancho Antrialgo Gould’s is Prosperity is many things, but it has an
wildlife agencies, will make education the country’s hunting takes place in go of 18 to 22 pounds for male toms and 4 years old.” isolating, independent element that can
readily available to local communities this northern region, this economy is 13 to 15 pounds for hens, fly extremely So far, Gould’s hunting in the Si- distract from what’s nice in life. Here,
by organizing conservation work- supported by the influence of foreign long distances in the mountains and erra Fria, and most of Central Mexico while sitting against a big oak, shotgun
shops in areas where turkey releases hunters, mainly the Americans. It’s an across huge valleys,” said Vorro. “It’s for that matter, has been a well-kept propped across your legs, you learn
are set to take place. The initiative will economy that has stability, thanks to not unusual for their flights to carry for secret to American hunters. Few who that having a little means a lot.
also train educators and wildlife pro- the management unit systems (similar a quarter mile or more, and at heights travel to Mexico get beyond the com- Dr. Joseph Vorro contributed to this
fessionals about important and timely to America’s wildlife management ar- of hundreds of feet.” mercialized bling-bling of the coun- story. See Page 21 for more Gould's info.
conservation issues, while making eas) and wildlife conservation carried As late as 1996, there were no try’s border states. But when they
wildlife educational materials avail- out by landowners.” Gould’s turkeys in the Sierra Fria. The do — and they surely will thanks to Rancho Antrialgo
able to students. birds had been absent since their de- wild turkeys — they’ll discover what Aguascalientes, Ags. Mexico
NWTF Mexico is also developing The Hidden Hunt mise in the 1920s and '30s. Under di- Vorro knows, that Mexico’s culture is For information and reservations, contact:
a fund-raising system. The country’s South of Sonora and Mexico’s rection of Mexico’s wildlife agencies, hidden here. Jaime Diaz Torre
first NWTF banquet was held in the northern border states, there is hunt- local communities and landowners It’s in the villages that surround Phone: 970-20-11, 971-14-70
state of Aguascalientes in March. ing, but most foreign hunters only go embraced wild turkey conservation, the Sierra Fria: San Jose Gracia, Calvil- Fax: 970-20-11, 971-14-45
Money raised will help fund Gould’s as far as easily accessible states like and birds were released there in 1996 lo, Rincon de Romos, Jesus Maria and E-mail: diaztorre@ags.acnet.net
and ocellated turkey research and Chihuahua and Durango. Dr. Joseph and '97, restoring turkey populations Pabellon de Arteaga. There’s the El www.ranchoantrialgo.com
trap and transfer projects for all wild Vorro, a Michigan native and turkey to historic habitats. Puente, a fork in the road that leads to
turkeys in Mexico. hunter, is an exception. He chose to
These goals would likely not be hunt Gould’s turkeys in Mexico’s
within reach if not for a 1997 initia- smallest state, Aguascalientes, a place
tive that made wildlife a commodity known for hot springs and bullfight-
to Mexico’s landowners. Secretary ing. Only about 6 percent of the state,
Julia Carabias presented it, and Cle- located in Central Mexico, is consid-
mente, considered one of the most re- ered urban.
spected wildlife biologists in Mexico, “In the Sierra Fria, where we
Get On Board
supported and helped pass it. Until hunted, there are colonial towns Traveling with a Firearm
then, wildlife could be hunted by any- that date back to the 1500s,” said Regulations regarding firearm use in
body at anytime. There was no such Vorro, who spent a week hunting at Mexico are pretty straightforward, but it
thing as trespass- requires planning and paperwork. We
ing, and this left recommend booking with an outfitter who
landowners with can supply a firearm.
little motivation
Memories
to invest time and
Reputable outfitters can ensure your trophy
money in conserv-
will get back to the U.S.
ing habitat to sup-
port wildlife. Success Rates
Now that Most Mexican outfitters experience
the motivation more than a 95 percent success rate for
Photo courtesy Dr. Joseph Vorro
is there, NWTF wild turkeys.
Mexico plans to
Getting There
teach landowners
Flights to Aguascalientes originate in
how to establish
Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles and Phoe-
and manage an
nix. Be prepared for a scenic yet bumpy
outfitting/hunt-
two- to three-hour ride to most hunt
i n g o p e r a t i o n . Dr. Joseph Vorro killed this Gould's wild turkey while
camps in the region.
The outfitter cost hunting with Rancho Antrialgo owner Jaime Diaz.
2006 w w w. n w t f . o r g w w w. n w t f . o r g T u r k e y C a l l – J u ly / A u g u s t 2006 67