95 

 game species when dogs accompanied hunters, followed by the paca (12), agouti (7), collared peccary 

 (7), plain chachalaca (3), brocket deer (1), white-tailed deer (I), and great curassow (1). Five of the 

 seven main hunters reported using dogs (hunters # 6, 18, 35, 63, and 98), while two did not (hunters # 

 1 and 9). 



Discussion 

 Composition and Characteristics of the Harvest 



Maya Indians have practiced subsistence hunting for at least several thousand years. This 

 study demonstrated that although the Maya of X-Hazil Sur, Quintana Roo, Mexico, have become highly 

 acculturated, many still practice subsistence hunting. In addition, this study also demonstrated those 

 species of game that were hunted during 1989-1990 were essentially the same as those hunted by the 

 prehistoric Cerro Brujo people about 1,000 y ago (cf., Linares, 1976). This suggested that subsistence 

 hunting continues to be an important social and economic activity for the Maya. It also implied that the 

 hunting was conducted in such a way that the wildlife resource was not extirpated. Thus, Maya hunters 

 and the techniques they employed may provide insight into how to manage hunting and wildlife 

 populations in areas where the game has been extirpated or seriously depleted. 



Number of species and individuals . The primary game species for Maya hunters at X-Hazil 

 Sur were mammals and birds. Some fish were harvested, while reptiles, amphibians, and insects were ' 

 not taken for subsistence purposes, except that honey was consumed when encountered. This 

 contrasted with other indigenous groups in Mexico that-in addition to birds and mammals-took 

 substantial quantities of fish, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. For example, Lacandon Maya Indians 

 in the state of Chiapas consumed a wide variety of amphibians and reptiles (Galleti, n.d.; Gongora- 

 Arones, 1987; March M., 1987), while Mixteca Indians in the state of Oaxaca (Parra Lara, 1986) 

 consumed large quantities of iguanas (Ctenosaura pectinata) and crabs (Cardisoma crassum). Mestizos 

 throughout Mexico also consumed a wide variety of fish, reptiles, and crustaceans (Mellink et al., 

 1986; Reyes Castillo, 1981; Santana et al., 1990). 



