I'll throw out a few things for you to think about. I've been to Mexico a few times, and am going again in January.
The bad is: that I couldn't stay longer, and I didn't see a monster deer every time I went. Truthfully, MX is a fun place to hunt and enjoy the winter in a warmer climate. The only draw backs I've experienced is crossing the border (if you drive) its a pain in the butt. It just takes time to get across and go through all the check ins and paperwork.
If you fly, it's a little easier, but you still have to do the same basic check ins and paperwork. We're driving this year.
If you book a hunt with a good outfitter he will help you get your gun permit so you can bring a firearm into Mx. He will also take care of your tags and licenses so you can legally hunt there. He will pick you up at the airport in Hermosillo and help you get through the military check of you and your rifle's paperwork. Then he'll take you to the ranch and put you in a ranch house and then you will start hunting. That's the fun part. I enjoy the food too. It's fun to see what they are going to cook for you next. Mostly frijoles and tortillas in the camps I've been in, with an assortment of other surprises. I like the food, but some of my buddies get sick of it after a week in camp.
After you've hunted you will then return to the airport with your monster buck antlers. There you will check in and get your rifle, antlers, and other gear ready to go. Once you get to the states, you will have to check your rifle back in and then you're home free.
There are some crazy things that can happen down there, but normally they don't if you mind your business. You may get pulled over by the police and get to pay them a nice bribe to get them to let you go. That's happened to us two out of three years. Once it cost $100 ( because there were two officers) and the last time it cost $40 (we didn't have our seatbelts on)
Make dang sure you pack your paperwork and your passport with you at all times. It's best to never leave your hunting ranch with your rifle in the truck either. If you go to town for groceries, leave the rifle at the ranch. Take a mexican with you too, and take his truck if you can. If we take the Duramax or any new truck from the states we get pulled over as soon as we hit town in Hermosillo.
There may or may not be cell service at the ranch you hunt. If you can't possibly live without a phone, you may want to bring a Sat phone. We have bought Mexican cell phones twice and been able to use them at the ranches we hunted, but the other ranch had no cell service. You can buy them at Wal-Mart in Hermosillo. Again use your Mexican buddies to help you get what you need. We have hunted without an outfitter twice, so we got to experience a few more surprises than with an outfitter. It's a lot smoother when you are guided and they take care of you.
It's a cool place and the deer are fun to hunt, but don't expect to see a monster buck every time you go. It's a lot like hunting here in the states. There are some big deer, but only a few guys and gals really truly bring the big ones home each year. For every toad that's killed there's ten more guys that go home empty handed, or with a buck half the size they dreamed about before the hunt.
This is a start for you, and I'm sure there are plenty of guys that know a lot more about it than I do. Oh, and don't be afraid to call some references from your outfitter and ask them what to expect, and how their hunt went from start to finish.
DeerBeDead
