Word of caution (first hand) about hunting Mexico now

[dchum]

My dad suffers from this same hazardous attitude: invulnerability, where he believes it will never happen to him. In a small way, he's right, it never happens until it does.

Looks like you traveled to and hunted in the country of South Africa. I see you are American.

Here is was the American government has to say about South Africa.

 

[pilar]

Looks like you traveled to and hunted in the country of South Africa. I see you are American.

Here is was the American government has to say about South Africa.

View attachment 657021

That’s why they meet you at the airport and rush you to a safe place, some with armed security and high voltage wires around the perimeter ;(
Imo there isn’t such thing as a safe country to visit ( maybe Norway, Swede, Finland, Denmark) ,
Northern Africa was one of my most scary places I have ever been with those Khat chewing, AK toting locals walking around and ready to set you on fire, yet I still see people going there and happily too

Happy hunting & fishing hermonos
“No place so sacred from such fops is barr'd ... Nay, fly to altars; there they'll talk you dead; For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”
And that’s something All the vendors at DSC & SCI will not speak about when selling you a safari

 

[deewayne2003]

All of these experiences are worth paying attention to. Fortunately, my experiences going to Mexico every year for 14 years in a row has been very pleasant and comfortable. We have always gone to the Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Cozumel area with many diving and fishing excursions outside of the resorts. Everyone has been very friendly and helpful. Perhaps that region is an outlier?

Years ago the Cancun police department was deemed to be so corrupt that the Mexican government sent a retired Army general, active colonel and his aid to take over control of the police force.

Within 24hrs of landing their bodies were found inside their burning car on a remote road.

Now dead Mexican journalists reported on how Cancun was built for the sole purpose of laundering drug money and was financed the same way. They further explained how cartels control everything from night clubs to beer distribution rights.

On-site consumption sales - no surprise narcotics are big money for the cartels; but the sale of drugs to tourists in Mexico is nearly pure profit and people from all over Europe and Australia engage in Narco tourism in Mexico because of the ease of acquiring drugs at steep discounts compared to their home market.

Acapulco likewise has severed heads placed on the front door step of the police station on a regular basis.

The homicide rate is one thing but the disappearance rate is mind boggling - you see if you have no body then there is no homicide; so look up the missing person rate.

 

[trperk1]

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

I worked for a global company with offices in Mexico for 25 years. Part of my responsibility was security training people traveling internationally. Up until 10 years ago, the cartels left Westerners alone. Not now. We had around 6 employees kidnapped for ransom until we put additional security in place.

 

[Tejas1965]

My opinion comes from having managed two hunting lodges in the San Fernando area between 2002 and 2004. The people were great to work with, however that one time something goes wrong, you cannot ask for a do over. During my first duck season in Mexico, we had a wealth Mexican client and his two young sons in camp. Luckly, he had his own bodyguards with him, because as we made our way back to the lodge after the first afternoon hunt on a very dark road, I notice a car driving alongside our van. I did a quick look at the vehicle and noticed it was a Matamoros City cop car. This was extremely alarming to me for two reasons, one being we were two hours south of Matamoros and I was the only Gringo in the van.

The client saw the car about the same time I noticed it and he started yelling for me to stop, which I did. The cop car then went ahead of us and blocked the road at about the same time his security guys passed us up and got between us and the cop. In the headlights I could see machine guns come out and a come to Jesus' meeting occurring in the middle of the road.

The cops retreated and left the area, the client and his kids were on his helicopter leaving our lodge within the hour. The thing is no one knew where we were going to be at except our staff and his security force. Either way, it was an eye opener for sure. I stayed on for another year and decided it was time to leave. The owners who I was working for built a new lodge closer to San Fernando but decided to pull out and their new lodge was burned down by the cartel later.

Again, I love hunting Mexico but it's just not worth it. Corruption is a way of life down there and you put your life in other people's hands, and you truly never know what a person is capable of doing. One other sign that it isn't safe is that I have load of Hispanic friends that were born and live in the Lower Rio Grande Area and they will not drive or go into Mexico anymore.

It's a shame for sure, but their government is to blame.

 

[dchum]

I worked for a global company with offices in Mexico for 25 years. Part of my responsibility was security training people traveling internationally. Up until 10 years ago, the cartels left Westerners alone. Not now. We had around 6 employees kidnapped for ransom until we put additional security in place.

Westerners? And where is Mexico located?

Good story

 

[Doug3006]

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

They have kidnapped Americans and killed more than a few. While I don’t want to exaggerate the risk, saying that the cartels don’t kidnap Americans is simply not true.

 

[Pilgrim]

Looks like you traveled to and hunted in the country of South Africa. I see you are American.

Here is was the American government has to say about South Africa.

View attachment 657021

Yep. I'll take my family to South Africa right now but not Mexico. The last couple trips to RSA we didn't leave JNB airport, except to fly out. We also stayed at our hunting lodge and didn't go other places. It didn't eliminate the risk but reduced it severely.

 

[Finprof]

The last time I was in Mexico was 1994. And that was the last time I was in Mexico.

 

[Ragman]

The timing of this thread is spooky for my family and me.
I have vacationed in the Playa del Carmen three times with my ex-wife, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Always felt safe and often left the resorts. Since then I have heard that it’s not as safe anymore.
Now my current wife has been wanting to go and we nearly pulled the trigger on a January trip to the same area. However she procrastinated getting her daughter’s passport application sent in and Canada Post went on strike for the month of December. I told her that I wasn’t going to book a trip if she didn’t have a passport so she wants to go next year.
Now if read this post and I am very reluctant to go. Don’t know what other Caribbean country to suggest but I’m going to show her this.

 

[BGGMKLR]

The timing of this thread is spooky for my family and me.
I have vacationed in the Playa del Carmen three times with my ex-wife, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Always felt safe and often left the resorts. Since then I have heard that it’s not as safe anymore.
Now my current wife has been wanting to go and we nearly pulled the trigger on a January trip to the same area. However she procrastinated getting her daughter’s passport application sent in and Canada Post went on strike for the month of December. I told her that I wasn’t going to book a trip if she didn’t have a passport so she wants to go next year.
Now if read this post and I am very reluctant to go. Don’t know what other Caribbean country to suggest but I’m going to show her this.

Sorry about that.
Try Costa Rica...Quepos for starters.
Great food, hotels, Manual Antonio Beach, world-class fishing, monkeys in the trees, Centenario rum.
What's not to love?

Best
Spike

 

[pilar]

I

The timing of this thread is spooky for my family and me.
I have vacationed in the Playa del Carmen three times with my ex-wife, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Always felt safe and often left the resorts. Since then I have heard that it’s not as safe anymore.
Now my current wife has been wanting to go and we nearly pulled the trigger on a January trip to the same area. However she procrastinated getting her daughter’s passport application sent in and Canada Post went on strike for the month of December. I told her that I wasn’t going to book a trip if she didn’t have a passport so she wants to go next year.
Now if read this post and I am very reluctant to go. Don’t know what other Caribbean country to suggest but I’m going to show her this.

I would say the Virgin Islands, but while visiting a rum factory we had some thugs try robbing us with cane chopping knives till I tried running them over with the rental car.
Dominican Republic has nice resorts same as the Bahamas

 

[Ragman]

Sorry about that.
Try Costa Rica...Quepos for starters.
Great food, hotels, Manual Antonio Beach, world-class fishing, monkeys in the trees, Centenario rum.
What's not to love?

Best
Spike

Definitely a bucket list trip.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

That’s why they meet you at the airport and rush you to a safe place, some with armed security and high voltage wires around the perimeter ;(
Imo there isn’t such thing as a safe country to visit ( maybe Norway, Swede, Finland, Denmark) ,
Northern Africa was one of my most scary places I have ever been with those Khat chewing, AK toting locals walking around and ready to set you on fire, yet I still see people going there and happily too

Happy hunting & fishing hermonos
“No place so sacred from such fops is barr'd ... Nay, fly to altars; there they'll talk you dead; For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”
And that’s something All the vendors at DSC & SCI will not speak about when selling you a safari

View attachment 657046

@pilar
I don't suppose ya for I walk thru the valley of the show of death and will fear no evil because I'm the meanest SOB in the valley and evil fears me wouldn't do me much good then
Bob

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

Sorry about that.
Try Costa Rica...Quepos for starters.
Great food, hotels, Manual Antonio Beach, world-class fishing, monkeys in the trees, Centenario rum.
What's not to love?

Best
Spike

I've done this one with my family in 2020.
Jungle beach hotel, cheapest around but very nice with outdoor restaurant. Short walk across the street and down to the beach.
I still have the number to a shuttle service from the airport and always ready to run you around any time you need.
Great fishing also

 

[BGGMKLR]

I've done this one with my family in 2020.
Jungle beach hotel, cheapest around but very nice with outdoor restaurant. Short walk across the street and down to the beach.
I still have the number to a shuttle service from the airport and always ready to run you around any time you need.
Great fishing also

You're preachin' to the choir amigo.
I've traveled/fished/ surfed a bit of the Pacific side...Flamingo, Tamarindo, Lamborghini, Buenos.
Tamarindo and Quepos are 2 of my favorite (so far) spots on our rock.
Best
Spike

 

[BGGMKLR]

You're preachin' to the choir amigo.
I've traveled/fished/ surfed a bit of the Pacific side...Flamingo, Tamarindo, Lamborghini, Buenos.
Tamarindo and Quepos are 2 of my favorite (so far) spots on our rock.
Best
Spike

I'd love to use the guy who invented spellchecker for target practice...

"...Flamingo, Tamarindo, Tambor, Quepos...

 

[Brod]

I was in Mexico in 2022 on a Sonoran Desert Mule Deer hunt and had a great time which was only a 4-5 hour drive south of the border via Phoenix. I really enjoyed the hunt, people, food, and the beautiful buck I brought home.

I kept in touch with my guide the following year as I was curious on others success and looking to return in 2024. Apparently, during the second week of the season, all hell broke loose between competing cartels and the hunting party needed an immediate backroad evacuation to the border. The outfitter cancelled the remaining weeks of hunters for the season.

Like others have said, Everything is fine, until it isn't.

 

[BGGMKLR]

I was in Mexico in 2022 on a Sonoran Desert Mule Deer hunt and had a great time which was only a 4-5 hour drive south of the border via Phoenix. I really enjoyed the hunt, people, food, and the beautiful buck I brought home.

I kept in touch with my guide the following year as I was curious on others success and looking to return in 2024. Apparently, during the second week of the season, all hell broke loose between competing cartels and the hunting party needed an immediate backroad evacuation to the border. The outfitter cancelled the remaining weeks of hunters for the season.

Like others have said, Everything is fine, until it isn't.

Yep....zactly.
Spike