56 



Methods 



Study Area 



The study took place at Ejido X-Hazil y Anexos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, during 1989-1990 

 (total area = 552.95 km^; Figure 2-1). Hunting data were obtained from hunters at the village of X- 

 HazU Sur (19°23'30"N, 88°05'00"W; population = 1,040), the largest of three villages on the ejido 

 (total population = 1,680). The mean annual temperature is about 26°C and the area typically has one 

 dry season (December-May) and one wet season (June-November). Rainfall during 1 January-12 

 December 1990 was 1,277.3 mm (Figure 2-4). About 88.52% of the ejido was categorized as Late 

 Secondary Forest, 6.07% as Plots & Gardens, 5.18% as Early Secondary forest, and 0.23% as Other 

 (Table 2-3). Since about 1915 the area has been occupied by Maya Indians, whose main subsistence 

 activity has been shifting cultivation, primarily com. Prior to 1915, Maya Indians did not occur in the 

 area. 



General Considerations 



The key to the successful completion of this project was obtaining the cooperation of village 

 residents and individual hunters. This cooperation was gained over several months and required careful 

 and continuous attention to many local political and social matters that were indirectly related to the 

 field research. These matters were important, however, because it was difficult to separate personal 

 and professional relationships in the village. My ability to obtain hunting data was enhanced by living 

 full-time in the village and participating fully in local affairs. 



The results of this study were composed of data about game species taken during outings by 

 hunters from the village of X-Hazil Sur. Reports from hunters in the adjacent villages of Uh-May and 

 Chancah Veracruz were not included due to time and financial constraints, even though they were part 

 of the ejido and hunted on areas used by X-Hazil Sur hunters. The working arrangement widi hunters 

 was that they would report a kill, regardless of the time or the number of animals taken, and allow it to 

 be weighed and measured before they butchered it. Game processing and hunter interviews usually 



