Over the years, more reports have come from Tamaulipas than any other Mexican state. Most are spawned by easy access from the U.S., excellent shooting, the wide variety of birds available and long seasons. The hunting year starts off in mid-August with the opening of the white-wing dove season, which runs through mid-October.

White-wing populations number in the millions and the abundant milo, corn and wheat fields atract awesome concentrations of birds providing some of the best dove hunting in North America. In early November, the “mixed bag” season starts with mourning dove, bobwhite quail and waterfow shooting available until mid-February.

In Tamaulipas, Danny Putegnat has owned and operated Rancho Mescalero since 1992. The southwestern-style lodge is built on a hill overlooking the valley and is conveniently located just off High- way 180 north of Soto La Marina. During the white-wing season, Putegnat can accommodate up to 24 guests, but during the mixed bag season he keeps the groups smaller, eight to 12 hunters.

Most clients fly to Harlingen, Texas where a lodge representative meets them for the 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive to the lodge. The van is stocked with cold drinks and the border crossing is generally a non- event. At the lodge, clients check into their double rooms, each with a private bath. The lodge has a satellite TV, pool, hot tub and an open bar. Putegnat has a selection of Beretta and Benelli autos and a couple of Beretta over/unders available for use.

Depending on the conditions, for the mixed bag hunts it’s generally ducks in the morning and upland birds in the afternoon. The drives to the duck shooting areas are 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Most of the driving is on pavement and only once did we travel more than 45 minutes. The hunting is over decoys from blinds, and each pair of hunters has a bird boy to do the retrieving. Hip boots or waders are a must, as most of the blinds require wading and hunters often stand in knee-deep water.

Our bag consisted of blue-winged and green-winged teal, pintail, shoveler, wigeon, gadwall and a few redheads and scaup. Additionally, we bagged a couple of fully plumaged cinnamon teal drakes. This is one of the few places in North America where all three species of teal can be bagged on one trip. Goose hunting is also available.

Duck hunting success was mixed and averaged about 10 birds per hunter with a few hunters reaching their outfit- ter-imposed limit of 20 birds.

In the afternoons, we hunted bob- white from a first-class Texas-style quail rig. The rigs hold up to eight dogs, an English-speaking guide, a dog handler and two clients. Rancho Mescalero has a kennel of 16 dogs and each rig carries at least four dogs per hunt. Two pointers are on the ground at all times and the hunters follow the dogs in the vehicle or on foot.

This year the hatch was average and we flushed six to 10 coveys per half day of hunting. In good years, that number can reach 30 coveys a day. For my money, even in average hatch years like 2006, the wild quail hunting in Tamaulipas is among the best in North America.

Some of the clients hunted mourning doves, and the action was good with bags of up to 35 doves/gun in a half day of shooting.

From mid-November to the end of February, Rancho Mescalero offers three night/two shooting day and four night/ three shooting day packages for water- fowl, quail and mourning dove for $2,195 and $2,795, respectively. The price includes a pick-up at the Harlingen airport, ground transportation, food, lodging, hunting services and the use of shotguns but excludes the hunting li- cense ($195), shells ($13/box) and tips.

Outdoor Mexico, 800-635-1594 or 956-541-6062; www.mexicobirdhunt. com.

—Gary Kramer

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