In early July, my lovely bride and old friends from South Carolina left Houston for a week in Argentina for one of our hunting/tourist trips. I had hunted Argentina twice before, once with Marcelo Gil's great operation in Cordoba for doves, and was really looking forward to renewing acquaintances with him and his first class team. Our goals this trip included ducks, doves, pigeons, and perdiz. Results were as expected - spectacular.
We were met at the airport in Buenos Aires by Marcelo's son, and were soon on the way for the 3 1/2 hour drive to the estancia. With business class tickets, both Nancy and I had slept well on the overnight flight. One of the best things about going south rather than east or west is even though the seasons change, one does not have to contend with jet lag. Argentina is within an hour or two of time zones anywhere in North America.
The estancia was a late 19th century ranch with much of the period furniture still present. We were extremely comfortable with warm fires blazing in fireplaces throughout the casa. Food was excellent and the Argentine Malbecs were rich and red. And I should probably add, if you don't care for fabulous beef, don't go.
Our first morning was cold with a howling wind. Marcelo suggested doves would be a better choice in those conditions than ducks, and soon Rick and I were posted along a fence line trying to hit the little gray missiles hurtling past. Hunting doves in Buenos Aires Province is not the same as a thousand round day in Cordoba. But it is better dove shooting that you will see outside that sort of venue. In a couple of hours we downed over sixty, and were on our way back for a warm lunch.
That evening and the following two days we concentrated on ducks. My best morning was 56 and 14 different species. However, my favorite day was the afternoon we hunted perdiz. They are hunted in style that is similar to sharp-tail in wide open, but somewhat marshy ground. They are typically singles, and prefer to launch at twenty yards or so. I was hunting over a wonderful little English pointer. I ended up firing at fourteen Perdiz - missed one, sailed one, and bagged an even dozen. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good! Just a great gamebird.
Another fascinating thing about Argentine waterfowl, is that only the lowly shoveler is familiar to a North American hunter. Several species of teal, a couple of exotic pintail, the impressive rosybill pochard and whistling ducks make for a really interesting bag.
Much too quickly it was time to head back to Buenos Aires for a few days of playing tourist, retail therapy for the girls, a great tango show, and more wonderful Argentine beef and Malbec wines. I should note that Argentina is going trough a significant economic crisis that has lowered the Peso's value significantly. When last there, the peso was approximately 17 pesos to the dollar. While we were there it was forty-seven; this morning it is nearly sixty. It is a terrible situation for the Argentine people, but it is like shopping in a nation-wide half-price sale. Argentine leather goods are superb.
Marcelo, who is one of our sponsors, ably assisted by his sons and Rocket, runs a first class operation in Argentina. If you have never gone, consider it. It is friendly, safe destination which offers simply incredible hunting opportunities. High-volume dove shooting in Cordoba has to seen to be believed, and the waterfowl hunting is unique in my experience. Their red stag hunting has a world class reputation, and my son and I will be headed that way in '21.
We were met at the airport in Buenos Aires by Marcelo's son, and were soon on the way for the 3 1/2 hour drive to the estancia. With business class tickets, both Nancy and I had slept well on the overnight flight. One of the best things about going south rather than east or west is even though the seasons change, one does not have to contend with jet lag. Argentina is within an hour or two of time zones anywhere in North America.
The estancia was a late 19th century ranch with much of the period furniture still present. We were extremely comfortable with warm fires blazing in fireplaces throughout the casa. Food was excellent and the Argentine Malbecs were rich and red. And I should probably add, if you don't care for fabulous beef, don't go.
Our first morning was cold with a howling wind. Marcelo suggested doves would be a better choice in those conditions than ducks, and soon Rick and I were posted along a fence line trying to hit the little gray missiles hurtling past. Hunting doves in Buenos Aires Province is not the same as a thousand round day in Cordoba. But it is better dove shooting that you will see outside that sort of venue. In a couple of hours we downed over sixty, and were on our way back for a warm lunch.
That evening and the following two days we concentrated on ducks. My best morning was 56 and 14 different species. However, my favorite day was the afternoon we hunted perdiz. They are hunted in style that is similar to sharp-tail in wide open, but somewhat marshy ground. They are typically singles, and prefer to launch at twenty yards or so. I was hunting over a wonderful little English pointer. I ended up firing at fourteen Perdiz - missed one, sailed one, and bagged an even dozen. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good! Just a great gamebird.
Another fascinating thing about Argentine waterfowl, is that only the lowly shoveler is familiar to a North American hunter. Several species of teal, a couple of exotic pintail, the impressive rosybill pochard and whistling ducks make for a really interesting bag.
Much too quickly it was time to head back to Buenos Aires for a few days of playing tourist, retail therapy for the girls, a great tango show, and more wonderful Argentine beef and Malbec wines. I should note that Argentina is going trough a significant economic crisis that has lowered the Peso's value significantly. When last there, the peso was approximately 17 pesos to the dollar. While we were there it was forty-seven; this morning it is nearly sixty. It is a terrible situation for the Argentine people, but it is like shopping in a nation-wide half-price sale. Argentine leather goods are superb.
Marcelo, who is one of our sponsors, ably assisted by his sons and Rocket, runs a first class operation in Argentina. If you have never gone, consider it. It is friendly, safe destination which offers simply incredible hunting opportunities. High-volume dove shooting in Cordoba has to seen to be believed, and the waterfowl hunting is unique in my experience. Their red stag hunting has a world class reputation, and my son and I will be headed that way in '21.
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.....................can't wait to go there one day.....FWB
