Jackie Vasquez, big game hunter with a jaguar, long ago
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Joseph Aloysius "Jackie" Peyrefitte Vasquez 1919 - 1989.
Jacky Vasquez story was a myth turned a LEGEND. Jacky was a mechanic/ electrician by trade, but a professional hunter and guide by Choice, and good at this. Jacky Vasquez was the brother of John Vazquez. Perhaps because many times he carried guns, a COW BOY IMMAGE was created. Jackie had the misfortune of falling into a few Traffic Accidents, and he was lucky to survive, while his passengers succumbed. So the story was spread, that he was delivering SOULS to some evil spirit. I knew Jacky Vasquez very well - To me he was a gentleman. Soft spoken and friendly. BUT the same was said of Mr. Eyles the Old Old man. School children would run when his name was called. Then there was Greezy Man - Tunka and others which kept the children IN CHECK. He had a way with dogs. He could bring a stray dog into obedience and loyalty in minutes.
We had other Characters like Katate, Tongue pan Chest Walter, Timba and even COBO. I could go on butchildren in those days weren't adventurous to find out nothing about these Characters...suffice with the story and we were in Bed and off the streets , early.
I have spent a lot of time with jacky in 60's and 70's he was a hunter who use take tourist to hunt jaguars had a old guy who work with him name Archie who he use dress a jaguar skin and let get on his all fours and look like a jaguar but he had a bad knee so when he move in the bush he was limping so when the tourist want to shoot him jacky who say don't shoot him he's old then the tourist would leave Archie alone and jacky would say at least you saw a jaguar but jacky was a survivor
To the right is an article from the Billboard January 13, 1960.
Jackie was a wonderful person, a good hunter and a great guide.His customers were mostly hunters but I went several times with him and watched how he moved in the jungle (pineridge). He had a beat up old sort of safari looking jeep.
Jacky is the father of cross country champion Shane Vasquez and the late Hon. Ainslie Leslie. He was a tour guide. He would come pick up tourists from Bliss Hotel and take them out for tours. He was an avid hunter and was said to be a highly intellectual person.
I knew him well he used to come drink with my father on Albert Street on many a Sundays and my memory of him was ohhh boy u just get so fearful of him but in the end he just says things but he was a very humorous person when u really get to know him may God bless his memories.
In about 1949 he was tried for the murder of Roy Waight whose body was found in the vicinity of the Haulover Bridge. After a lengthy trial he was found not guilty.
Great white hunter & botanist, knew all the native plants by scientific names and supposed to have had The Powers. Here he is with a jaguar he killed.
I remember everyone was afraid of this man, as a child we were told so many things about him. Heard he use to kidnapped kids on easter and use their hearts for some mystic purpose . the truth for that I don't know. While he was never convicted of any crimes, Jackie Vasquez was at times seen in the same vain as Edward Rodney.
He has a well known son and a great Belizean cyclist. ..Shane Vasquez..his other sons are also very good boys hard working and respectable.. Maureen Scharton, Carol Rohan, Sylvia Jean Kuylen all daughters of Jackie.
By Sandra Leslie: He was my father. He was the most brilliant person I have ever known. He was a naturalist, ornithologist, botanist, astrologist and any other you can name. He was an electrician, a mechanic and the sweetest person to know. He might have carried a lot of inaccuracies about him but he entertained the likes of Hemingway, Ross Allen, Emirs and many more. He knew the local as well as Latin name of just about every plant growing in Belize. He was amazing and I am so proud of him.
He used to live on Gabourel Lane beside St. Mary's School when I attended there. He was a hunter and some people said he dealt with the Devil. I saw him many times - he never harmed me. All kinds of scary stories were told about. I remember they said he was an awesome big cat hunter.
He use to be the boogie man...wen we were kids ...there was this abandon house by municipal airstrip that people seh jackie vasques lived there...and he use to eat children...so...who is..this man...anybody...and why the mystery behind the name..
Fact - myth - folklore. He was just a man who loved hunting.... It was three brother's John, Jim and Jackie. Yes he was a great hunter but all dat was said about him was a lie, me myself as a child was scared and he was my Uncle. But in reality he was a good uncle.
This is the Belize I have come to know, believe nothing you hear. On Caye Caulker if 2 men raise their voices at the Split, 10 minutes later the story at the airstrip is there are 4 men dead.. Duendes! Eaten children? This shooshing is so typical, the truth about a guy who liked to hunt was just nowhere near sensational enough!
John Carr:
I knew Jackie as the Best Jaguar guy in Belize--I lost 20 plus cattle and called Jackie-- Problem solved -
Dora Riverol:
Jackie Vasquez did tourist hunting for a living ... he was good at it and how he maintained his family... Jackie as far as I know had two kids... Ainslie and Sandra Leslie... Ainslie has passed away but his sister Sandy is still alive ... when in Belize she lives somewhere west near Belmopan I believe.As for killing jaguars ... a Belize businessman got a license for importing jaguar skins from Central America, Mexico and other parts from the PUP government after the sale of jaguar skins was made illegal in Belize... this businessman single handed just about almost exterminated jaguars in Central America... I use to go to his warehouse and saw mounds of jaguar skins... am sure he bought jaguar skins from local Belize hunters... who would be able to tell the difference between a Guatemala and a Belize jaguar skin... he got away with it until I believe the importation of jaguar skins became illegal in the U.S. and beyond. Am guessing same for Jackie... U.S. hunters could no longer import their trophy skins to the U.S.
Hector Silva:
I knew Jackie Vasquez very well. Soft spoken, Mannerly, Respectful, and a man who knew the Belizean Jungles and rivers well in his hunting career. Jackie also exported Orchids to the USA, - The reason why Jackie became notorious among the superstitious and gossipers is, because he SURVIVED serious Traffic Accidents and others perished. . ( Bad mouths said he collected souls for the devil. May my friend Jackie rest in peace. Similarly Old Mr Eyles was feared by school children by the Mouth of PAPARATZES.
Percival Thompson:
He had a vhild in burrell Boom . was good friend with the late mr Willy Gillette who was one of his hunting partner . saying in in Boom is that around lent he would catch little children and eat them.
Late evenings when kids play outside someone halla, ' jaky vaskes ,. Evrybady skyatta .
Most huntaman did not want to go huntin wid him .
My mom used to get diffrent skins , deer, aligetta , tiga etc. from hunters to town to sell to him for a small comission .he lived somewhere arung gaboural lane . my moms friend and chuch sista miss Hessy was his neiba.
Roberto Navarrete:
Knew him well, he and his sister, When i was a kid i lived just down the street, always hanging out at his house, i had the run of the house, at the time he rented a room to a piano player named Jerry(Ebarrow)or something like that. Went on at least three hunting trips to gallon jug,, at the time i was about 8 or 9, during the night it was scary howling monkeys and tiger call, witch was a drum like thing with horse main inside and when you pulled on the hair it made a loud noise which was supposed to attract tigers. Of course i was always close to Jackie,and his shooter. I really enjoyed going for the adventure, Jackie also had a son name, Yendsley, or something like that who was friends with my brother John,they lived in an alley on handyside street.Back in those days Jackie was my Super hero, He was a very nice guy if you new him and respected him.
Karleen Crawford:
I heard so many stories about him growing up. My dad was born in Maskall village in 1941. He said when the kids would hear Jackie Vasquez is coming they would go hide under the bridge. I was scared of his legend. They told me he could shape shift. That he made a deal with the devil and had to get souls to stay young.
Gregory Morrison:
My mom knew him when he lived on Handyside Street.
When I was very young boy he moved by All Saint's
Hercules Man:
Yap kinda saw him in San Felipe village with lot of dogs and cages.my dad would tell us about him.and hunting my dad was born in sn Felipe village.in 1934
Stephanie Ayuso:
He’s my grandfather he was very kind he helped a lot of people I’m honored to say I spent good times with him
Benito Bol:
As kids we were all scared of him. We were told by our elders that he would snatch children n they would never be seen again. Lol. When we heard that name we would dive under the bed, so I think our parents used it as a way to make us behave.
Deborah Coston:
He used to stop by our farm at South Stann Creek and always seem to bring my mother and Orchid for her collection. I thought he was great, didn't learn of the scary stories until I was an adult.
Rosenda McCulloch:
I got to know him a little in his middle years, and quite liked the man. I am convinced he thoroughly enjoyed and was proud of his notorious reputation!
Albert Paul Avila: We must remember that at the time Jackie Vasquez was hunting Jaguars it was a different time. Jackie Vasquez was an intelligent man and I am sure if he was alive today that he would be one of the biggest advocate for the preservation of the big cat. It is like beating children in school. We don't do it anymore and some of those same teachers who we consider good teachers today use to do it and some are still teachers today. Today, not only is it illegal, but I think they/we realize that we can teach without beating the knowledge into our kids.
JMarion Escobar:
I knew him he was married to a distant relative of mine he lived on Gabourel lane contrary to popular beliefs he was a good man took in many hungry kids give them a place to live food guidance!! Elma white was his wife the cyclist is his son the guy from Chaa Creek knows the children well.
Aphini Vasquez: Reading is very fundamental. Ofcourse I know who my great-grandad was. My grandfather (his son), talks about him all the time & he was very loved by his very big family & friends. This post was made only to find out if people knew him personally or had any stories to share about him. I only know of him from what my family shares to me; so I wanted to know more, hence the reason I made this post. He was a brilliant man, but very misunderstood. Nevertheless he’s a Belizean legend.
I recall an article in sports illustrated? that had a piece about him.... And here it is!
Land of Wild Men and Tame Devils
Sports Illustrated, April 03, 1972
If you want to go where nobody goes, try Belize. Fish and game abound, and duendes might carry you off and teach you the guitar
A puzzled look came over the travel agent's face, and he asked me if I would please repeat. "Certainly," I said. "My wife and I are looking for a place where nobody goes and we can catch a little sun and a few fish and it doesn't take forever to get there—and nobody goes there!"
"Yes," the travel agent said, "I see. Hmmmmm. That shouldn't be too hard. Hmmmmmmm. Let me see. Ah, ha! I've got it! Alabama!"
"We've been to Alabama."
"Well, then," the agent said, pulling out a map. "Let's try something dramatic. How about Oaxaca? No? San Jose? Oh, I see. Grenada? You've been there, too? Let's see.... How about British Honduras?"
"How about where?"
"British Honduras, also known as Belize. Look here at the map. It's that little spot just south of Mexico. Just east of Guatemala. On the western edge of the Caribbean."
"Tell me about it."
"I don't know anything about it. I don't think anybody knows anything about it. I don't have a single brochure on the place."
I looked at Su and Su looked at me. Eureka! We had found it.
Read the rest at the Sports Illustrated Vault
The below is by Hector Silva:
THIS SHOULD INTEREST, ESPECIALLY THE SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO WERE SCARED BY THIS HUMBLE GENTLEMAN. " JACKIE VASQUEZ. "
I knew Jackie Vasquez well. - He was a soft spoken person, He was an avid Hunter and He knew the jungles of Belize. - One of Jackie Vasquez exporting items were JAGUAR and CROCODILE SKINS, and BIRDS and ORCHIDS.
Jackie had hundreds of stories to tell of his adventures. - - - Some were Folkloric and some were Scary. - - The scary ones were the ones which dominated the description of this Person, known as Jackie.
The Jackie Vasquez I knew was a gentleman, who feared nothing. - He entered caves to see what wild animals he could find, including giant snakes, which skins had a good market abroad.
Jackie was also an ALLIGATOR HUNTER, for their valuable skins.
We can truthfully say, that Jackie Vasquez, Charlie Paine, Spoodle and others not known, were the PIONEERS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
SO I END THIS STORY, BY ABSOLVING THE NAME GIVEN TO MR. MR. JACKIE VASQUEZ, as pure fiction ( untruth. )
It is true to say, that in may accidents he had, in a VEHICLE or MOTOR CYCYLE, people along with him died.- So the rumor spread, that he sold their Soul to the DEVIL.- The same rumor thing they said about another Person, Old Mr Eyles. -
School children were scared by these rumors.
MAY MR JACKIE VASQUEZ SOUL REST IN PEACE. ( the end of this MYTH."
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