NO,,, didnt bring any doves home, but I did lie to my wife and tell her the total trip was around $4000.

Dang sure couldn't hide 5 grand from my wife.

For 9k I'll set up multiple trap stations and let you shoot all day with no 5 minute breaks.... same difference as shooting hundreds upon hundreds of birds and just leaving them lay. I'll even cook whatever you want and set up on my barn to watch for bandits...

Yeah I've had several invites but all I could think of is that's a couple of pronghorn hunts, a good elk/mule deer hunt, or half a sheep hunt.

Some guys love their bird hunting though.

This was my thinking for years. I just wanted to do the other stuff before doing that. Another opportunity presented itself and I decided at 52 years old, I would go ahead a check it off the bucket list. My wife thought I should take my two adult sons along, so they went as well. That made it even better. Getting to do something like that with them will be a forever memory for me. Neither of my sons care for deer hunting of any type but love to bird hunt so it was a real easy decision for me this past time. I was never one to give my kids anything, they always had to "earn" the things they wanted. Now that they are off on their own, doing well and making their way in life, it was time to give them something.

Sounds good. Nothing like making memories with the kids.

I think some of the outfitters pick up the birds and give them to farmers to feed to hogs.

JR

There were about a half dozen hogs actually eating the doves as they fell for about 3 hours, they cleaned the place up. As we were told, either shoot them or the farmers will poison them, there are that many down there and they have multiple hatches each year. We hunted a roost area one evening and by the time we left, there were so many doves in there they looked like leaves on a tree.
We have been going about every 3-4 years and last time our hunt was $2,500, shell bill was about $2,000 at $10 a box, flight was about $2,000 plus a night in Buenos Aries. Probably totaled about $8,000.

Its a good time for sure


Don't want to shoot a Shotty for a few days when you return

It's easy for us to pass judgements on other countries and how they handle hunting or killing their game. Its funny how sometimes without knowing all the facts, people will get all up in arms because it is different from what they are used to. You provided a bunch with your trip in my opinion......economic help to some folks down there, did some pest and crop control, and made some memories. Sounds like you did good to me.

Heading to Argentina this summer for a Dove hunt and fishing trip. Looks amazing for sure!

So it's a prairie dog town in the sky.

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yep, I have always heard about the incredible dove hunting down there and the numbers were mind boggling ... I always wondered how in the heck one could transport thousands of birds back home to the freezer. Guess I now know.

I can't believe I hadn't thought of that. Good one, JG

That's crazy...

Good number of Pigeons there too. Some folks opt for a combination hunt. But Dove are the most popular since there are literally millions of them. Tens of millions in some roosting areas alone.

It is estimated that dove consume in excess of 25% of the grain production in some areas. Hence the need to constantly reduce their numbers.

This is isn't 'sport' hunting. It's an effort to reduce an impossible number of depredating birds.

Agree. I went back in 2005 and enjoyed every bit of 16 days and can't wait to go back and take my son some day. The hospitality of B.A., the small communities, ranches up north for dove & duck and down south to Patagonia for Pardee and mixed bag were unforgettable. Food incredible and they like their wine and dancing! The farmers are very appreciative and on my trip birds were picked up by the toe sacks for the ranch/farmhands families and excess delivered to villagers many miles away.

But my how the cost has increased significantly. I went for over two weeks for what people are saying they are spending now for a 3-5 day trip.

Lol.

And you wouldn't have done a thing for the ag industry in Argentina. Letting varmints feed buzzards isn't a bad thing.

Plus, the trip to Argentina is pretty awesome I hear.

Back in my prior life when I made more money I looked into this, say around 02 or 03. Seemed like it was about $5 to $6k down and dirty. Guess like everything else its gone up. I know some guys that have done it and they say Argentina is a really cool place.

I know several that have gone and none said they didn't enjoy it.

A couple of friends of mine went a couple of years ago and they said that while they were shooting, there were about a dozen young boys running out in the fields and retrieving the birds. They would take them back to their village and the doves were dinner for the whole village.