Show i t Duck Kill In M Mexico exico I By CHUCK GRIFFITH Bureau of Sport Fisheries Fisheries' and Wildlife Each autumn as the continents continent's continents continent's con- con v migratory waterfowl head for their wintering grounds a recurrent disease sets in THE DISEASE is called the Mexican slaughter syndrome and surprisingly it affects duck hunters not ducks The Mexican sl slaughter syndrome syndrome syndrome syn syn- drome or MSS is an emotional ems emo ailment that occurs I when the annual duck hunting I seasons and bag limits are announced l Its most obvious symptoms are anguished protests protests protests pro pro- tests that any season or bag restrictions are pointless because because because be be- cause the Mexican slaughter the ducks anyway I I TAINT NECESSARILY so Not when you consider th that t Mexico under international treaty with the U. U S. S also rates a share of the continental waterfowl harvest along with the United States and Canada anada AS A matter of fact the total annual kill of wild ducks ducksin in Mexico is in the neighborhood neighbor- neighbor I hood of a million half ducks j give or take Sound I like a lot Not when you consider that hunters in the United States killed just under 15 million ducks in 1967 while Canadian hunters killed another 31 mil mil- lion MSS STARTED several decades decades decades dec dec- ades ago when market hunting hunting hunting hunt hunt- ing flourished in parts of Mexico and wild duck was found on cafe menus throughout through through- out the country Today restaurants restaurants restaurants res res- res- res which feature wild ducks buy most of these from American hunters who are over their limit or dont don't want to take their ducks back across the border Americans can bring back only ten ducks and give geese a week during the Mexican season Regulations there now prohibit J s use of more than three standI standard stand stand- I ard and shotguns in one blind IF AMERICAN hunters are concerned about this illegal acS activity activity ac ac- ac- ac S they should report the erring hunters to American authorities authorities au au- t 1 y Morgan says Two factors work against a higher kill of ducks by Mexican hunters First Mexico has extremely extremely extremely ex ex- restrictive gun ownership ownership ownership owner owner- ship and ammunition laws These were expanded in 1967 to cover importation of guns and ammo by alien hunters American hunters can sidestep sidestep sidestep side side- step this to some extent by renting guns and buying ammo after they cross the border SECONDLY economic conditions conditions conditions con con- in Mexico work ork against waterfowl hunting Most Mexicans Mexicans Mexicans Mex Mex- simply cant can't afford the high cost of guns and shells When they can they prefer to hunt deer or wild game which will put more meat on the table per peso invested The average duck kill per day by Mexican hunters has been estimated at a single duck far below the average daily bag in the United States and Canada ACCORDING TO Dr A. A Starker Stark Stark- er Leopold one of the foremost foremost foremost fore fore- most American authorities on Mexican wildlife the total Mexican Mexican Mexican Mex Mex- ican duck kill even in market hunting days probably was less than the opening day kill killin killin killin in the United States Today the total season kill of ducks in Mexico is about equal to the opening weekend kill of ducks in Minn Minnesota sota MALLARDS THE bread and butter duck of the U U. U S. S and Canada are almost a rarity i in Mexico The pintail is the i most numerous of the first class game ducks wintering there Other reared northern-reared species wintering there include teal gadwall and baldpate Some 26 kinds of migratory I ducks plus coot winter in Mexico Mexico Mexico Mex Mex- ico but only 13 are common game species Six are strictly resident species the tree duck black-bellied black duck duck mottled duck Mexican duck and masked duck HUNTING PRESSURE is spread thinly over the vast waterfowl wintering grounds of Mexico according to Dr George Saunders retired Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife biologist who studied Mexico's waterfowl for many years We eWe have more duck hunters hunters hunters hunt hunt- ers in Delaware than there are Mexican duck hunters in Mexico Dr Saunders says And American hunters probably probably probably ably killed more mistake ducks' ducks during each of the three ex ex- teal seasons than i were killed all last year in m Mexico I MOST WATERFOWL managers managers managers man man- agers who have studied the situation say gun pressure by American hunters in Mexico would be higher if it weren't for several problems These include lack of satisfactory accommodations accommodations accommodations ac ac- ac- ac in many places I delays in obtaining hunting licenses licenses licenses li- li I I censes and permits for Cor guns and ammo the discomfort of dysentery and insect pests and the language complications I All of which indicates that the Mexican slaughter syndrome syndrome syndrome syn- syn drome is more imaginary than I real Almost psychosomatic you could say |