Hard Truths of Conservation (2022) s01e10 Episode Script

1
(dramatic music)
- The Yucatan is full
of exotic plants,
big, brightly colored birds,
and small secretive animals.
There are a plethora
of creatures
that are unique to this area.
The area is also considered the
cradle of Maya civilization.
Using hunting as a land use
keeps this delicate
ecosystem intact.
(suspenseful music)
(police siren)
Hunting has become a
controversial practice
in modern times.
My name is Dan Cabela,
and I'm traveling the globe
to explore the true impact
that hunting is having
on our remaining
wild landscapes.
This practice goes as far back
as human history can remember,
but does it have a place
in modern conservation?
(lions growling)
The Yucatan Peninsula is
a northeastern projection
of Central America,
lying between the Gulf of Mexico
and the Caribbean Sea.
(intriguing music continues)
The area sustains probably
the greatest biodiversity,
and supports the last remnant
of a tropical
rainforest in Mexico.
(intriguing music continues)
I have come to pursue the
brown or gray brocket,
as well as the red brocket deer.
(intriguing music continues)
(car door opening)
(intriguing music continues)
(car door slamming)
- [Javier] Hey Dan.
- Good to see you.
- [Javier] How are you?
Good to see you.
- Glad we finally made it.
- Absolutely. Welcome
to brocket camp.
- I'm happy to be here.
The brocket camp hunting
area is about 25,000 acres,
and their operation
has done a lot
for conservation in the area.
- Yeah, but I think
it's a good time
'cause we got some brockets
around so hopefully,
hopefully we'll be lucky.
- I'm looking forward to --
why don't you show us around?
- Absolutely. Come and see.
- What was the hunting
like when you started
compared to now?
- Well, we started
basically from scratch.
We found out there was
a really good population
of red brockets in this area.
So we did like, some
scouting trips first,
and then we saw it was
a lot of potential.
So we started trying
to develop the hunting
and employing people
from the town,
the local hunters, 'cause
there are no poachers here,
but they hunt a lot for meat.
So there's a big meat market,
cultural, 'cause they grew
up eating deer, right?
So they start employing
them, talking to them,
and well now we have
most of the best hunters
employed as guides,
and that also reduce a lot
of the hunting for meat.
So, we're trying to
make a team there.
Our guys are the best
doing what they do.
And now also the meat market,
it's going down, so almost 50%,
there are less brockets
being hunted for meat now
because they get employed,
they get good tips,
and they take care
of the resource.
- The brocket deer belongs
to a different deer family
called Mazama,
and is among the least
studied of any American deer.
They prefer the deep cover
offered by tropical
semi-deciduous
and flooding forests.
The males carry short,
unbranched antlers,
and their preferred food
is a fruit called amapola.
(birds tweet)
By having controlled
legal hunting in the area,
a limited offtake quota
is set and managed,
and anti-poaching is done to
prevent illegal activities.
(leaves crunching underfoot)
- Well, this is the
famous amapola tree,
the one that the reds
really, really like.
Also, some of the grays,
but usually you find
them in a higher altitude
where there's more
red brocket and gray.
And this actually the flower,
that's amapola flower.
It's got some
like, nectar inside
and some water as well.
It holds it.
So that's what they crave for.
This is a big secret.
It took us some years of
scouting and researching them
to find out what
they really like.
So after we started
hunting this flowers,
that's where our success
rate increased a lot
in the brockets.
- They're a very secretive
and small deer species,
and are quite elusive to even
the most accomplished hunters.
Using trail cameras
allows the team to see
if any deer are
present in an area,
particularly the males.
- There's one male
coming in at night.
Oh it's a good one.
You can see the antlers there.
So this way, like here,
we know there's a big,
big one coming in,
coming at night.
So we'll have keep on looking
until he shows up in daylight
and then we'll
probably come and sit.
- In the Yucatan peninsula,
hunting is only
allowed if it is done
within the management units
for conservation of wildlife,
called UMAS.
The UMAS have permits,
and their owners decide
what to do on their sites
and with their species.
How many do you
take off in a year?
- Brockets?
- [Dan] Mm hm.
- Well we got a 25 quota,
and we shoot anywhere
from five to eight,
not more than that.
So we always keep
it low, the harvest,
and every year we get
a little bit like,
maybe one more every year,
'cause we're just like,
having more brockets around.
So that's where we're seeing
the conservation efforts working
and also the trail
cameras helps a lot,
'cause you can actually
target the males
so you don't lose time sitting,
and then you have a
bunch of females show up
and you just waste
a day of hunting.
(camera case clicking)
(intriguing music)
- One of the most
alluring attractions
to hunting the Yucatan
is the entire experience.
(intriguing music continues)
(leaves crunching)
(birds chirping)
(intriguing music continues)
(leaves rustle)
This includes an immersion
into the unique habitat
and sounds and
smells of the jungle,
as well as the climbing
into a tree platform
called the mashan and
swinging on hammocks.
- Dan, this is one of
our local main mashans
as we call it here.
So it's basically a tree stand.
That's what we use
for the brocket.
That way you're high up,
it gives you an advantage,
both with the sight and scent.
So you can see the on
amapola tree is right under.
Hopefully we'll get one coming
into that area and feed.
And you won't even hear them.
It's amazing how they
can move so silently
through the forest,
and sometimes you just look
down and there they are.
- After a hard few
days of hunting,
we had glimpses
of stealthy deer,
but no luck so far.
(suspenseful music continues)
(birds chirping)
After almost two weeks,
we have our first
real opportunity.
(gripping music)
(birds chirping)
(heart beating)
(music swelling)
(gunshot)
(gripping music continues)
After many long
days of searching,
it is deeply rewarding to
finally succeed in our pursuit.
(gripping music continues)
(birds chirping)
The funds generated
through hunting
also have a direct and
positive economic impact
on the local communities,
incentivizing the
protection of wildlife.
(inspirational music)
- You'll see it, Dan,
how we're gonna transition
here from forest to farmland
and you'll see it's a quite
a big change in scenery
and all this forest, you know,
it's a brocket habitat,
but as long as
turkeys and curassows,
and all the forest species
and hunting actually is
keeping them from turning
all the forests into farming,
so that's what we're
working hard at.
(inspirational music fades)
(lighthearted music)
- [Dan] After a challenging
but rewarding two weeks
in the Yucatan,
we are off to explore
another part of Mexico.
The reserve we are
hunting is called
Bellreguart De Sochiapa,
which translates to "beautiful
resort of the flower river."
It is located in the
center of a triangle
formed by the city of Huatusco,
the city of Xalapa,
and the port of Veracruz,
and is in the central region
of the state of Veracruz.
(lighthearted music continues)
- How are you Dan?
- I have come to hunt the
elusive Gulf Coast whitetail,
as well as take a look
at conservation status
and practices in the
southern part of Mexico.
Let's get out there
and chase some deer.
Get these bags in
the truck, let's go.
(lighthearted music continues)
(rooster crows)
Rafael, how long have
you had your ranch?
- August of 1994,
almost 29 years.
- The ranch occupies
approximately 1200 acres
made up of six plateaus
separated from each other
by ravines and deep cliffs
that provide isolation and
extraordinary diversity.
Prior to the acquisition
of the ranch by Rafael
and his brother Carlos,
the land was
completely abandoned,
and locals took
advantage of the timber
and poached out
most of the animals.
(lighthearted music continues)
And what was this
area like then?
I mean this village here,
was it --?
- Less people.
Lot of these houses
were mud houses.
This town, besides
being coffee growers,
used to be famous for all
the pottery, mud pottery.
- [Dan] And in between
this town and your ranch,
what was the habitat
like 30 years ago?
- Yeah, pretty much the same,
as far as coffee plantations.
Not so much as for
what's been happening now
with the lime plantations,
lime has taken the place
of coffee and natural trees
and natural vegetation.
(lighthearted music fades)
- The main
conservation challenges
and threats within the
region are agriculture,
poaching,
and deforestation.
(chainsaw buzzing)
Population growth is another
threat to Mexico's wildlife.
(provoking music)
(birds chirping)
Species that are unique
to the area include
white-lipped peccary
and Gulf Coast whitetail.
And you can also observe
other resident species
and migratory birds.
Reptiles are also
well represented.
(inspirational music)
After purchasing the property,
the brothers have invested
a 30 year conservation
restoration commitment
to bring native animals,
trees, and plants
back to the preserve.
It is because of this effort
that the ranch is now a
thriving oasis for wildlife.
(inspirational music continues)
- It's about 300 meters
from here to the river,
and that's the part
where we planted most
of the tropical trees.
In all, we brought about
130,000 tropical trees.
Of those, most of them were
planted down in the canyon,
some of them up here
in the savannah.
(inspirational music)
- Rafael is taking me
down into the canyon
(leaves crunching)
(music swelling)
- [Rafael] Now
these are the leaves
from the mahogany trees that
we planted some 27 years ago.
How beautiful they are.
- Hunting plays an important
conservation role here,
to help fund their commitment
and the ranch is currently
used for hunting,
outdoor experiences,
and tourism.
I have come to hunt the
elusive Gulf Coast whitetail,
as well as take a look
at conservation status
and practices in the
southern part of Mexico.
(lighthearted music)
(car door closes)
- This is Senor Dan.
Venicio, (speaks in Spanish).
(speaking in Spanish)
Venicio is gonna
be your main guy.
In fact, he's our expert guy.
- The Gulf Coast whitetail is
a little known deer residing
in Veracruz, Tabasco,
Campeche, and Yucatan states.
This whitetail has
very small horns,
and is not pursued as
often as the more typical
and known North American
whitetail subspecies
with the larger racks.
(lighthearted music continues)
Hunting is mostly done from
traditional tree stands
or blinds,
sitting over known
deer travel routes
while observing and glassing.
Most of the time, very
little game is seen,
as the cover is thick
and the deer wary.
(lighthearted music continues)
Countless hours are spent,
and the temperature
is hot and humid
and not at all comfortable,
but an elusive
whitetail such as this
is worth the time invested.
- I've got a mature
buck in front me.
It's supposed to
rain quite a bit
the next couple of days,
and at this point,
I think I'm gonna take him.
(gripping music)
(heart beating)
(gunshot)
(tinfoil crinkling)
The cooks prepared a
traditional meal that was quite
possibly the most tender
venison meat I have ever eaten.
(tinfoil crinkling)
It was slow cooked and
seasoned with local spices
and could easily be
cut with just a fork.
(inspiring music)
I believe that one of the
most meaningful aspects
of hunting is sharing
a meal with others
as a result of an animal
that I have harvested.
(tinfoil crinkling)
It is an ultimate connection
to where your food
is coming from.
The act of sharing
food through hunting
has been around longer
than civilization,
and is a tradition
filled with compassion,
truth, and generosity.
(inspiring music swells)
(cutlery clinking)
(speaking indistinctly)
(cutlery clinking)
(speaking in Spanish)
(cups clinking)
- Thank you for being here.
- Thank you.
- Take your time and we
hope you come back again.
(speaking in Spanish)
(gate creaking)
(provoking music)
- Hunting regulations are of
little concern to poachers,
and if caught,
prosecution or
meaningful penalties
for this illegal
activity are rare.
Because there is extreme poverty
in the southern part of Mexico,
poaching is rampant.
Bellreguart De Sochiapa has
unique barriers to defense
against poaching and
human encroachment.
On one end of the property,
there's a very deep
and steep canyon
that makes access to
the ranch very difficult
from that direction.
(provoking music continues)
On the other side
of the property,
there's a high fence.
Both of these barriers
serve to keep poaching out
of the preserve.
I spoke with my
guide Venicio Xico,
who was a well-known poacher
in the area many years ago.
He is now employed by the ranch,
and has been for
the last 20 years.
His perspectives regarding
wildlife and poaching
have changed dramatically.
He is currently in charge of
anti-poaching on the ranch,
and has gone from a
problem for wildlife
to becoming a solution
for wildlife protection.
Does he have any idea, roughly,
how many animals
he may have taken
back in his younger years?
(speaking in Spanish)
- He says that maybe
he thinks he may,
he might have hunted about
30 animals in all between,
which include
armadillos, coatis,
everything that came inside.
He was a hunter.
(fire crackling)
- So ask him if he feels
that it's important
to protect the the indigenous
animals of this area.
(speaking in Spanish)
- He says he's all against it,
and if people come into
the ranch by force,
they will be kicked
out by force too.
If people who don't have
anything to do on the ranch,
we'll do it, like poachers.
- What does it mean for Venicio
to now be a protector
of the wildlife
and the ecosystem here?
(speaking in Spanish)
- This is for him, it is
important that we have
all this vegetation
and the protection that we
have given to this place,
for us and for the
people in the town.
He's proud of what we're doing,
what he's doing with the
vegetation and the animals.
This is a forest and wildlife.
(inspiring music)
- Hunting as a land use has
the exact opposite impact
of what a lime farm
has on the environment.
Unlike agricultural use,
legal and regulated hunting
does not have any
negative impact.
It is a natural land
use that has been
part of the human existence
since the earliest of records,
keeps large tracks
of land intact,
and in their natural state.
And it is a highly
effective conservation tool
for all the species
that inhabit the space
where this practice is used.
(inspiring music continues)
(inspiring music fades)