Word of caution (first hand) about hunting Mexico now

[BGGMKLR]

In preface... I am not looking for a beef, or issues, or debates, with Mexican Outfitters or hunters. I am merely making this post as a heads-up cautionary tale for those considering Mexico as a hunting/fishing destination...from a guy who's been there and done that.

In full disclosure, I have hunted and fished widely throughout Mexico and Baja since about 1975.
All the usual spots...and then some. Gauymas, Culiacan, Guanauato, Loreto, La Paz, Rancho Leonaro, Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and on and on.
For 35 plus years I never had a single experience that left me feeling threatened or endangered...not...one.
Things are (sadly...and factually) a whole lot different now.
A five day '22 Duck hunt with 5 amigos in San Fernando had me seriously wondering if I would survive the adventure.
For 5 days, the 1 1/2 hr drive to and from our "hunting lodge"...ie. heavily fortified compound (see Scarface)... to the hunting ponds our driver never drove (not once) less than 100 mph, on 2 lane roads, passing anything in the way.
My best bud, after telling the driver to slow down 3 or 4 times finally came undone and screamed at the driver to
"SLOW THIS M***** F***** DOWN OR I'M GOING TO JERK THE F***** KEYS OUT AND THROW THEM OUT THE WINDOW".
To which the driver responded:
"We drive this fast because the boss told us to. It makes it harder for the Cartels to pull us over, kidnap you, get a ransom, and then burn you in a ditch"
Moral of the story:
There is not a fish to be caught... or an animal to be hunted...that can't be pursued elsewhere with 0 risk to your life and personal safety. Do NOT believe the Outfitters when they pooh pooh the actual dangers...they've still gotta try to make a living.
Best
Spike

PS... After swearing on 1000 bibles I'd never go back, I'm headed to Sonora in 3 weeks for a Couse Deer hunt...BUT..I've done my due diligence. My guy is connected... and I have a name to drop if intercepted enroute to the ranch from the airport.
Safety first.
Hunting repost to follow...God willing.

 

[dchum]

The last thing cartels want to do is hold Americans ransom…

 

[dogcat1]

And you know this "how"?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

From time to time we hear about tourists being murdered in the Carribean but it happens so frequently in Mexico it's hardly newsworthy anymore. Cuba, poor as it is, apparently is a very safe place to go lay in the sun, if that's your thing. The dictatorship doesn't mess around with drug offenders. Crime has been a way of life in Mexico from time immemorial. Goes back to the conquistadors who were nothing but murderous greedy law enforcement wearing rosary beads.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

From time to time we hear about tourists being murdered in the Carribean but it happens so frequently in Mexico it's hardly newsworthy anymore. Cuba, poor as it is, apparently is a very safe place to go lay in the sun, if that's your thing. The dictatorship doesn't mess around with drug offenders. Crime has been a way of life in Mexico from time immemorial. Goes back to the conquistadors who were nothing but murderous greedy law enforcement wearing rosary beads.

You’re right, all the indians lived in absolute harmony. Human sacrifice and slavery aside. All the evil colonizer’s fault.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The human sacrifice practices of the indians prior to conquest had absolutely no influence… All the evil colonizer’s fault.

Human sacrifice was part of their religion. Their religion, as far as we know, did not include any commandment to "love thy neighbor." The native governments pre-columbian were very effective. The standard of living was quite high judging by the layout of cities and agriculture. We can assume if the standard of living was generally relatively high, then crime rate likely was very low. Slavery did exist of course. But it didn't cease after conquest. Just new slaveowners wearing crosses. Unlike the native aristocracy, the conquistadors were not interested in living in Mexico with the natives. Get rich and go home as quickly as possible. Take the wealth with them. Violence made them rich and that was acceptable. Even to the Church. Because it made them rich too. That is the Conquistador culture that persists to this day.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Human sacrifice was part of their religion. Their religion, as far as we know, did not include any commandment to "love thy neighbor." The native governments pre-columbian were very effective. The standard of living was quite high judging by the layout of cities and agriculture. We can assume if the standard of living was generally relatively high, then crime rate likely was very low. Slavery did exist of course. But it didn't cease after conquest. Just new slaveowners wearing crosses. Unlike the native aristocracy, the conquistadors were not interested in living in Mexico with the natives. Get rich and go home as quickly as possible. Take the wealth with them. Violence made them rich and that was acceptable. Even to the Church. Because it made them rich too. That is the Conquistador culture that persists to this day.

I figured you would say something like that. You’re hilarious.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I figured you would say something like that. You’re hilarious.

The risk of being highly educated.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

The risk of being highly educated.

I think everyone on this site has unfortunately been exposed to your “education”. You posit that the indians were better off before conquest. Some probably were, most weren’t (namely the people being sacrificed, the slaves and serfs who built those buildings/roads/pyramids and did the farming etc…). Lefties have a tendency to romanticize certain cultures and put on rose colored glasses when looking at historical reality.

They obviously had cultural issues before the conquistadors came so laying all of Mexico’s woes at the feet of the Spaniards to satiate your leftist ideology isn’t quite fair. I should think given your political leanings you would be quite concerned with “fairness”.

 

[deewayne2003]

Well back to the topic of the OP.....

Born and raised in Texas and for the life of me I cannot understand why people continue to recreate in Mexico - Yes, there are beautiful places and people in Mexico but it only takes one illiterate cartel henchman or corrupt cop to turn your trip into a nightmare.

"Well you can find trouble anywhere if you go looking for it!"... I have heard this worn out statement from countless Americans who are spoiled by the personal safety they enjoy in first world countries.

Resorts - Many people think they are safe at resorts, this is marginally true .... because those resorts were built with drug money and everything is safe, until it isn't.

Gunmen attack Mexico resort, killing 6 adults and a child

The owner told authorities the gunmen destroyed a shop and took security cameras before fleeing the scene.

www.nbcnews.com

There are also less advertised safety issues, like Mexican resorts and communities dumping untreated sewage into both ground water as well as the ocean directly off of the swimming beaches.

https://earthjournalism.net/stories/sewage-from-mexicos-tourism-industry-threatens-caribbean-coast-reef

Drugging - This happens for both robbery and sexual assault; if you go to Mexico and take female relatives you better advise them of the dangers; as some of the male waitstaff at these resorts seem to make a game of drugging women, especially American teenage females who are not used to the lax drinking laws in Mexico.

Oklahoma college students possibly drugged at Mexican resort, hospitalized in Dallas

Zara Hull and Jake Snider traveled to Cancun last Thursday. The vacation became a nightmare after Hull and her friend Kaylie visited the pool bar.

www.cbsnews.com

There is also the robbery aspect - I have a friend that is very wealthy and would fly his wife and two daughters to Cabo on his private jet, I would caution him against this and suggest he go to Costa Rica instead......

"Dude, you don't understand the quality of the resort we stay at, it's SUPER EXCLUSIVE!"

On their last trip he and his wife were finishing up dinner and the waiter brought around a "Special after dinner cocktail" which he refused because he stopped drinking alcohol; then the waiter came by with a special fruity desert drink with no alcohol, which he and his wife both drank.

Shortly after they both became mildly ill/groggy and the hotel staff helped them back to their room, next thing he knows he's waking in his bed fully clothed while some stranger in non hotel uniform is trying to take his Breitling watch off his wrist while another man is digging through his wife's suitcase.

The two thieves ran out of the room and they immediately called the front desk, which REFUSED to call police and the manager onsite was in full damage control mode trying to keep the situation as quiet as possible.... They left Mexico that evening and vowed to never return.

 

[BGGMKLR]

Well back to the topic of the OP.....

Born and raised in Texas and for the life of me I cannot understand why people continue to recreate in Mexico - Yes, there are beautiful places and people in Mexico but it only takes one illiterate cartel henchman or corrupt cop to turn your trip into a nightmare.

"Well you can find trouble anywhere if you go looking for it!"... I have heard this worn out statement from countless Americans who are spoiled by the personal safety they enjoy in first world countries.

Resorts - Many people think they are safe at resorts, this is marginally true .... because those resorts were built with drug money and everything is safe, until it isn't.

Gunmen attack Mexico resort, killing 6 adults and a child

The owner told authorities the gunmen destroyed a shop and took security cameras before fleeing the scene.

www.nbcnews.com

There are also less advertised safety issues, like Mexican resorts and communities dumping untreated sewage into both ground water as well as the ocean directly off of the swimming beaches.

https://earthjournalism.net/stories/sewage-from-mexicos-tourism-industry-threatens-caribbean-coast-reef

Drugging - This happens for both robbery and sexual assault; if you go to Mexico and take female relatives you better advise them of the dangers; as some of the male waitstaff at these resorts seem to make a game of drugging women, especially American teenage females who are not used to the lax drinking laws in Mexico.

Oklahoma college students possibly drugged at Mexican resort, hospitalized in Dallas

Zara Hull and Jake Snider traveled to Cancun last Thursday. The vacation became a nightmare after Hull and her friend Kaylie visited the pool bar.

www.cbsnews.com

There is also the robbery aspect - I have a friend that is very wealthy and would fly his wife and two daughters to Cabo on his private jet, I would caution him against this and suggest he go to Costa Rica instead......

"Dude, you don't understand the quality of the resort we stay at, it's SUPER EXCLUSIVE!"

On their last trip he and his wife were finishing up dinner and the waiter brought around a "Special after dinner cocktail" which he refused because he stopped drinking alcohol; then the waiter came by with a special fruity desert drink with no alcohol, which he and his wife both drank.

Shortly after they both became mildly ill/groggy and the hotel staff helped them back to their room, next thing he knows he's waking in his bed fully clothed while some stranger in non hotel uniform is trying to take his Breitling watch off his wrist while another man is digging through his wife's suitcase.

The two thieves ran out of the room and they immediately called the front desk, which REFUSED to call police and the manager onsite was in full damage control mode trying to keep the situation as quiet as possible.... They left Mexico that evening and vowed to never return.

Spot on.
As I said, I am truly not trying to instigate an argument or debate as to whether travel to Mexico is dangerous as I know for a fact that it is. Those here who disagree may wish to contact the State Dept. for professional unbiased advice.
That said, ANYONE who wishes to go and does not feel concerned about their safety...please do so.
Personally, I've found a cure for Mexico...it's called Argentina...just keep headed south.
Best
Spike

 

[WyoBull]

I had an experience in Cabo many years ago that was pretty scary and I vowed to never go back. And I never will.
We basically got taken by corrupt cops out into the desert and got shaken down for a bunch of money. There were two of us couples and a month old baby. Suffice it to say it could have gotten a lot worse than it did.
I know a number of RV’ers that go down and explore the Baja in their RV’s during winter months. Not only no, but hell no!