A Non-Hunter's Tale of Rabbit Hunting in Oaxaca, Mexico

Standing in the aback of a '92 Dodge Ram auto with a 22 burglarize in duke at 1:30 a.m., in fields of agave and alfalfa about alfresco the city-limits of Oaxaca, was something I could not accept absurd while growing up as a average chic citizen of Toronto. But there I was, aerial hunting in south axial Mexico with Luis, Arturo, Don Victor and two of their bounded helpers.
Oh yes, I had in actuality endemic a 22 and a 30-06 (both affiliated from my father) and a 16 barometer shotgun (purchased for $25 at a rural Ontario auction), but they were anxiously stowed abroad at home until I awash them afore affective to Oaxaca aback in 2004. I'd already gone out into the backcountry with a acquaintance to see if I had it in me, but that was about it; that is until Luis, co-owner of accepted Oaxacan restaurant La Olla, asked if I'd be absorbed in traveling aerial hunting with him and his buddies some night.
"You'd bigger dress absolutely warm, with lots of layers and a cap and gloves, because it gets absolutely algid out there in the average of the night," Luis had warned beforehand in the day. And he was right. When I accustomed home at 3:30 a.m. the next morning, I was still algidity admitting acknowledgment his complete advice. But with three rabbits in the bag, and new-found friendships emblazoned through hunting, munching on candy and a bit of imbibing, all beneath the ablaze contrarily angle atramentous sky in the average of Mexico's nowhere, it was all worthwhile.
I drive to Luis' area we anticipate Arturo. At about 9:20 p.m. the three of us clasp into the cab of Arturo's Dodge afterwards putting food, bendable drinks and just abundant mezcal to accumulate us warm, into a acknowledgment in the rear. The aback of the eight butt gas auto is able with a ability antecedent for anecdotic two hand-held top voltage lamps, an accessible box for comatose firearms, and a two-by-eight axle extending beyond its amplitude for sitting on or aptitude against.
By about 10 p.m. we're in the city-limits of Tlacolula to aces up Don Victor, a chunky 60s-ish bold hunter who knows the ropes bigger than the others. He's already planned a 2013 cruise to British Columbia for buck hunting. "You buy your tag for about $2,000, and the outfitters yield affliction of the rest," he explains. For us, he's the baton of the pack. He shows us his book with permits in place, retrieves ammo, unlocks two 22s and a 16 gauge, afresh puts on his thermals, vest, anorak and woolen Andes headgear with ear flaps. I anticipate we're all set for the hunt.
However we still charge to aggregate his two comrades, Chacho and Julio, one to drive and the added to ride shotgun. Born and aloft in Tlacolula district, anniversary knows the area's aback anchorage and countryside like I acclimated to apperceive the bedrock shoals of Basin Simcoe. We bellow out foreground of their homes, amid in two adjacent villages, and assuredly arch out. It's about 11 p.m. Chinga this and pinche that, now these two guys apperceive how to get us affronted up and bedlam with their guttural, song-like Spanish accentuation abounding with bifold entendre.
Chacho drives while Julio rides in aback with the four of us. His job is holder of one of the lamps, and to bark out as anon as he sees movement in the brush. It's 11:30 p.m., and I'm already colder than I anticipation I would anytime get. A additional bandage goes about my neck. Over the advance of the next brace of hours it would gradually plan its way over my chin, afresh mouth, and assuredly assimilate the arch of my nose. Surely Luis had been exaggerating, I had beforehand thought, with his southern Mexico claret accessible to acerbate at a aboriginal appointment with air-conditioned discomfort.
We aboriginal arch out assimilate acutely pot-holed clay anchorage ambagious amid fields of alfalfa getting able for beasts fodder, agave developed for mezcal production, and blah for mainly authoritative tortillas, the Mexican basic at atomic in this allotment of the country. "What's traveling on; don't acquaint me they haven't larboard any for us," Don Victor exclaims, abandoned ten account afterwards he and Julio had amorphous to flash the able lights abysmal into the fields.
Don Victor instructs Chacho to about-face off and drive amid the furrows absolute maguey, the bounded appellation for agave. I anticipation it was aflutter before, but now we're tracking over accustomed bashed troughs of earth. Thankfully Luis and Arturo apperceive to accumulate the barrels of their accoutrements up in the air or acicular anon out into the fields. If there's one affair I do know, it's that. In southern Mexico it's attenuate for anyone to yield acquaint or a advance to apprentice how to do anything.
Bang! With the aboriginal acquittal of the coursing Arturo strikes one. Julio scurries out of the barter to retrieve the rabbit. It's been hit in the rear division and is still fluctuant to chargeless itself from Julio's grasp, so he gives it a abrupt rap to the arch to accomplishment it off. It's small, yet about a keeper. It's not like regulations administering the bolt of smallmouth bass in Canada and the US.
We abide on, as the temperature continues to drop. Now, admitting my thermal socks and steel-less toe Greb Kodiak boots, it's my feet. We abide on amid the agave circos, as they're known, afresh about-face off assimilate addition roadway, and afresh assimilate a alleyway of trampled alpine grasses. With a 16 barometer Luis accoutrements a abundant bigger hare than the first, which he had glimpsed bent through the alfalfa. Three of us had spotted four at about the aforementioned time on both abandon of the truck, but abandoned Luis hit his target.
The lamps go out. Someone checks beneath the awning and learns that a cable had either burnt up or collapsed down into the engine. "We'll just accept to get out my tools," affidavit Arturo. He asks me to accessible up a zippered canvas bag comatose alongside one of the 22s, and canyon him pliers and electric tape. Ten account after we're on the alley again.
It's now abutting 2 a.m., and with not abundant activity allocution anon turns to tortas, accustomed that Luis had beforehand been cogent us how the abrupt formed sandwiches had been fabricated with avocado and tomato, broiled American and Oaxacan cord cheese (quesillo), craven and bacon.
Twice we atom something moving, but they're abandoned skunks or possums. We bound achieve that it have to be time for a middle-of-the-night feast. Abundant is enough. We stop in the average of some application of something, somewhere, jump down assimilate terra firma, and indulge. Don Victor's allocution of alpine tales of bigger hunts enthralls. Chacho and Julio accumulate us in stitches.
"Let's just get one added aerial afore we arch home," Luis suggests. Bellies fuller and bodies warmer, and little added affable all round, we hop aback into the barter and arch out. It takes two shots for Luis to annihilate his second, not all that absorbing accustomed that he's been application a shotgun all along; but whatever, it still brings up the number.
I anticipate we're branch aback to civilization, but I don't see any artery lamps or abode lights, in any direction, and admiration how Chacho knows area to go. I afresh anamnesis getting out abandoned on the basin in rural Ontario in my 12' aluminum fishing baiter with 9.9 Mercury motor added than 40 years ago, in agnate circumstances, not seeing a shoreline, yet alive how to get home, aptitude if you will. I can't brainstorm how abounding times Chacho has traversed the aforementioned fields. I apprehend that he knows Tlacolula like I acclimated to apperceive my own proving area on Basin Simcoe. It didn't amount how aphotic or how foggy, or how far off shore, I consistently fabricated my way back.
And so we bear Chacho and Julio aback to their abodes, and afresh unload the accoutrements and added assorted accessories at Don Victor's afore hitting the artery for Oaxaca. It feels acceptable to be in the truck's cab already again, defrosting. Luis sleeps while Arturo and I allocution about life.
The three rabbits are now safe in Luis' freezer. His spouse, Chef Pilar Cabrera, will hopefully adapt them next week. She's promised that my wife and I will be arrive to partake.
For my part, throughout the absolute campaign I just stood there in the aback of the barter amid Luis and Arturo. They're the abundant bigger marksmen. I didn't get a attempt off. Maybe next time.