Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/401545
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 9 7 generator furnished light at night for all areas of camp and made ice as well. You couldn't ask for more. Well, maybe a dead ocellated turkey, or better yet, fewer spider monkeys. O n the second day Javier and I heard no turkeys but walked into a large group of chachalacas in the high canopy. They were feeding on the fruit of the sapodilla tree – also known as the Chicklet tree because its sap is the famous ingredient of Chicklet chewing gum. We crept under the massive trees and quickly spotted the pheasant-sized birds, which were hopping from limb to limb. One provided a clear target when it flew to an adjacent tree, and I dropped it with a quick shot. I was excited to take one of these birds because they are found on Sapelo Island, Georgia, where we have a beach cottage. Howard Coffin, who developed the Hudson automobile and owned Sapelo in 1925, stocked them on the Island for hunting. They have survived hunts include the greater curasaw, crested guan, and chachalaca. These three along with the ocellated make up the Grand Slam of jungle gamebirds. I found Alfredo to be delightful and very optimistic regarding jungle turkey hunting. He mentioned that he would be in camp with us, always a good sign when the outfitter is available to solve problems that may arise. I booked my hunt for the first week of April and convinced my old high-school buddy and long-time hunting partner, Jimmy Goolsby, to go with me. We flew into Campeche and stayed overnight in the old and elegant Castle Mar Hotel. A driver picked us up the next morning for the long drive south into the jungle and that terminated not far from the Guatemalan border. Our camp recently had been hacked from the jungle and stood on the bank of a small stream that offered a refreshing bath each afternoon. Sleeping quarters were high-wall tents constructed of mosquito netting with a tarp overhead to protect us from rain. Despite the spartan conditions, the entire camp was laid out very nicely and I found it to be most comfortable. Camp staff served excellent meals under a thatched-roof shed adjacent to the cooking shed, and always included fresh fruit and sweets on the table. Beer, soft drinks, and bottled water were plentiful. A loyd Newberry and Jim Goolsby each took a Yucatan gamebird grand slam. Clockwise from left: Goolsby with his ocellated gobbler, Mayan guide holds a greater curasaw, Newberry with crested guan and a chachalaca, and Goolsby with a crested guan. Opposite: The camp's open-air dining hut. L