9 



With respect to whether the Runa practice garden hunting, these results showed that the agouti 

 and paca were both numerically important and frequently harvested in gardens. The acouchy, on the 

 other hand, was numerically important, but did not use gardens. Among the large mammals, the 

 collared peccary and brocket deer were neither numerically important nor harvested in gardens. Both 

 species, however, were harvested in fallow areas. Irvine (1987) concluded that the primary factor 

 responsible for the occurrence of game kill sites in gardens and fallows was not the availability of 

 crops, but rather the occurrence of fruiting trees such as chunda (Bactris gasipaes) and sacha abillu 

 (species undetermined. Family Sapotaceae). 



The present research is the first integrated study of garden hunting to demonstrate the possible 

 interdependence between hunting, gardens, and game abundance. In this study, I examine 

 simultaneously wildlife take, wildlife availability, wildlife food habits, and wildlife use of gardens in a 

 single area. 



Maya Gardens 

 Maya gardeners today plant two types of gardens: milpa and solar (Caballero, 1992; Forrest, 

 1991). The milpa is a relatively large plot of land that is located away from the house. Crops such as 

 com and beans are planted in these gardens. Milpas are moved to new sites every 1-2 y. The solar is 

 a relatively small plot that is located around die house or in the immediate vicinity of the house. 

 Fruits, herbs, and medicinal plants are planted in these gardens. Solares are not moved from year to 

 year. In this dissertation, the term garden will be used to mean milpa. 



Research Objectives 

 The overall research question of this study is the following: "Do Yucatec Maya Indians at 

 Ejido X-Hazil y Anexos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, practice garden hunting?" If Maya subsistence 

 hunting is indeed garden hunting per Linares (1976), I would predict the following: one, wild animals 

 taken as game would use gardens; two, hunters would concentfate their harvest of game on those 



