Rancho
El Carbon is an extensive wildlife breeding area. There are no
high fences there, and it's only limited by livestock fences from
the contiguous ranches, which are no obstacle for the free circulation
of wild animals.
At
El Carbón we have no livestock whatsoever, in order for
the native wildlife and vegetation to be totally preserved.
The
fauna subject to be hunted in Rancho El Carbon includes: Mule
deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Coues white tail deer (Odocoileus
virginianus couesi) and collared peccary (Pecari tajacu).
DESERT
MULE DEER Odocoileus hemionus
This
species has found, in Rancho El Carbon, the ideal conditions for
its reproduction, nourishment and protection during the whole
year, thanks to its natural characteristics, regardless of the
improvements and management implemented by its owners who, which,
as we said before, have consisted in the reforestation of eroded
areas, drinking, feeding places and salt bed installation, and
constant vigilance, etc.
We must keep in mind that this is a nomadic species that rarely
gets established in a single place for a long time, making it
difficult to find this kind of animals in fenced ranches. However,
the healthy abundance of bura deer in Rancho El Carbon all year
round has attracted the attention of scientists and specialist,
who have carried out several studies concerning the behavior of
these animals in our property.
The
last study was carried out by the University of Arizona, in collaboration
with Sonoran authorities and technicians, who captured 14 adult
and pregnant muley does in Rancho El Carbon; blood, feces, and
muscle tissue samples were taken from them, and a radiotransmitter
collar placed on them in order to follow their movements by means
of a special plane sent form Phoenix, Arizona, every month during
the year 2002.
This research has provided scientists with valuable information
regarding the behavior of this species, but one of its surprising
characteristics is the constant presence of the does in the same
area, which is unusual in this kind of deer. This behavior -where
hunting is concerned- indicates the constant presence of female
deer in the area, which forcefully attracts males during the rut.
This is why Rancho El Carbon has got, traditionally, the UMA with
the greatest number of hunting permits for bura in Sonora state.
Rancho
El Carbón presents a very special hunting condition, as
it is surrounded by ranches specialized in "Cimarron"
or wild sheep hunts, which means that mule deer hunting in those
properties is almost nonexistent, as it's not desirable for their
owners to scare away the wild sheep population with people roaming
their properties stalking a muley, which produces a lower profit
compared to wild sheep. This benefits Rancho El Carbon.
Due
to the existence of multiple high hills, we can also find
whitetail deer of the coues subspecies in sufficient quantities
for the corresponding authorities --SEMARNAT-- to grant
a cynegetic exploitation rate, although, to be honest, the
population of these small deer is smaller than that of the
muleys in Rancho El Carbon.
Coues
deer, as members of the whitetail species, are territorial
animals that live in mountainous areas, which differentiates
them from bura deer, which are nomadic and prefer lower
lands.
In
recent years, probably due to the constant improvements
of Rancho El Carbon, their numbers have increased. Although
hunters visiting the ranch consider this animal a secondary
species, hunting them is an exciting challenge which complements
the muley hunt, as it adds to the pleasure of a desert hunt.
COLLARED
PECCARY Pecari tajacu
The
environmental characteristics of Rancho El Carbon are also
appreciated by javelinas (collared peccary), which graze
in its land forming large groups.
The
hunt of this species has been quite limited, as hunters
concentrate in muleys without paying much attention to the
peccary.
