I’ve always dreamed of going and I’m curious what it would take to put together a trip? If you’ve been, where did you stay and would you recommend it? Is it safe? Do you bring your own gun or just use theirs? How many boxes of shells a day/birds did you shoot? What’s proper etiquette on tipping? What time of year is best? Could you do a trip for $5k?

I really appreciate the information, Thanks!

100 boxes of shells a day? I can’t even imagine shooting half that many boxes a day! Do you wear a shoulder pad? Do they have 28ga for rent?

Just be aware a box of shells, depending on what the outfitter charges, wills run $12-$14 per box. That's where the trip gets expensive when you start dropping a grand a day in shells. But I guess you can control that by limiting your shooting. But why go if your going to do that.

2 buddies of mine went back a number of years ago as a graduation present from their parents. 5 day bird hunt. Day 3 they left and spent the next two in Buenos Aires.....got tired of shooting birds. Shell bill then was over $1500 each and that was almost 20 years ago.



Right now most guys as you stated are running $12-14/box of shells. Our outfitter will let us rent Benelli 20 gauges for $75/day. I'm going for Stag but every single outfitter said do not bring your own gun, its a pain in the rear. My buddy went last year and it took 4 hours to get his shotgun thru customs

I have been going on a yearly Argentina combo shoot for 6 yrs in a row. EXCEPT for this year in May because of Covid! Moved it to next year. Going to shoot only doves for days in a row gets boring after the 2nd day. It sounds like fun but becomes works after 2 days you're ready for a change. Which is why I do a combo shoot. Dove roost shoots (not as high volume as Cordoba) but 800-1000 rounds is the norm if you want in an afternoon. Then decoy pigeons 1 full day. If you've never done this it's like duck hunting on land. My favorite. Perdiz hunt over dogs. Which is their quail but they dont covey like ours usually singles sometimes double. Then duck shoots in the AM usually 35-40 birds in couple hours. All kinds cninnamon teal, silver teal, widgeon rosy bill pochard, ect.. Notice I said shoots on all but the perdiz. you do have to walk and hunt them with the dogs. The rest you just shoot there is no hunting involved!! A 6 day trip flying overnight out of Houston and staying 1 night in Buenos Aires is about $7500 all in. that's airfare, airport transfer, tips, shells, gun rental, (beretta xplor's or benelli's 12 and 20 don't take yours hit or miss and pain in the a--,) license,
hotel in BA, everything. They have a 4 days combo shoot that would fit your budget all in but why go all that way for just 4 days? This year because of covid Argentina has been closed til September to foreign travellers last I heard. I have searched high and low at SCI shows ect to find a better (cheaper) shoot and there are none out there. you could buy an auction trip but in my experience it's cheaper and the outfitter knows this so you don't go to the same places full paying hunters do. Just my experience. I did find another outfitter that was close in price but their duck, perdiz and pigeon limits weren't as many as the outfitter I use. I might get some pm's so I'll just name the outfitter and you can research them yourself. But if you do have any questions I would be glad to answer from my experience down there. the outfitter is RanchoSalvaje,com or Argentinabirdman.com is their american contact in Florida. I compare these guy's to the budget hunter ,but still with nice, comfortable acommidations and 5 course meals, great bird boys, usually have your own room with bath, unless you want to share with friend, and they usually only take groups of 6-8 at a time. And they ALWAYS have put you on birds .Last year I went in May, that's opening of season for them going into winter there. Then I took a last minute trip in August with my 2 teenage boys, the end of the season and I/we shot just as many birds in August as I did in May. We just had to drive a little further (1 hour or so) to shoot ducks. If you want wipe your butt service and over the top accomidations look elsewhere. When I last talked to them they were forced to move this year hunters to next year, but I think they said they still have a couple weeks in July open. 2021.

Any of those outfitters run combo dove/fishing trips? I've heard they have ridiculous trout and salmon fishing down there. Or is the fishing in a different part of the country from the dove blasting?

I know River Plate does golden dorado/dove combo trips. Or they did back when we went with them.

Yes 80-100 boxes per day is very doable, even during the down season. During their winter you usually have enough clothes on that you don't need a pad but when we went in March I wore a pad the whole time.

Awesome information... thanks guys!

A cast and blast would be perfect if I could find one.

When I went they would pass out the score sheet at dinner,,,,,,, 13 hunters were killing 6000 birds a day. I know that seems impossible,,, but that's what it was. I usually averaged about 250,,, one guy was killing over 1,000 a day. ps they didnt pick up any birds,,, just left them in the field.

I've been three times, all the same lodge.

I've rented a gun and averaged 1500 - 2000 rounds a day.

They pick you up and drop you off at the airport. Food is great. The provide an interpreter (she was cute).

The first time we used a local outfitter. The second and third trip we just emailed the lodge owner directly and set it up.

Went last year. Airfare was almost $1800 round trip. All in, including tips, i was at about $5,300 for three days of shooting 1/2 on arrival, 2 full days, then a 1/2 day the day you leave.

If I was going longer, I would still only do three days of shooting. I would add sight seeing for a couple of days.

I would rather hunt west texas.

Pm dkershen, I believe he and another member we’re selling/promoting a certain place down there.

I've got a lodge down there that we sell hunts out of almost year around (summer gets too hot). https://estancialaspalomas.com/

It's absolutely safe, and all of your premiere lodges will pick you up from the airport with nice trucks/vans.

As far as bringing guns I'd suggest using the outfitters guns. You don't want to trash yours with the high volume of shells.

I"ll PM you my number.

If anyone else has any questions about the tips/tricks that outfitters use or how to do a hunt as economic as possible feel free to PM me, I'm happy to help.

Anyone that fancies him (or her) self a serious wingshooter owes it to themselves to do this at least once. The She-Wolf and I did this a few years ago and had a blast (pun intended).

Absolutely, rent the guns. World travel with firearms is getting tougher all the time so I choose to eliminate that hassle where I can...and this is one of them!

We shot 28 gauge exclusively and you don't need more. Good areas will yield shooting opportunities like you've likely never seen. Our last day I joined the "1000 Bird" club (the shooting equivalent of a PFC stripe down there!)...and that was with a leisurely start, a good morning shoot followed by a very comfortable lunch, and a good afternoon shoot.

Allocate money for a massage if available; we needed one after that day!

Mark

Sierra Brava hands down

With all these birds being shot, who is eating them??? Are you able to take some home?

Cant bring them home, most are just left in the field, some are taken back and given to locals. But I've heard the locals are sick of them and dont eat them

Maybe they can be donated to Venezuela... such a waste.

What I've heard is that they are actually an invasive species down there. They don't migrate, and have grown to such a huge population that they decimate crops and are as big or bigger of an issue than our hogs are here. Shoot them and let them lay. Nobody cares as long as they've been shot.

Our September trip got pushed back to March next year. I was bummed at first, then realized that gave me more time to save for a Red Stag hunt while there in March

Go it's a blast and experience not to be missed. Went 16 days dove, pigeon, parakeet, peridiz, ducks. Couple days in BA on front end and a night on back end. food is incredible. Hunted 1 week up North and then second week closer to Patagonia. Unless you plan to go back often, then I suggest going for a least a week and do combo hunt or cast/blast with sight seeing in BA. So much shooting you can really work on your skills. For example, duck hunting each am or pm I would only take a certain flight pattern shot and let ducks just light and pass if they did not present with my shot pattern selected for that particular hunt. Still took guide self imposed limit of 40 each am and pm doing selected path shot only.

don't forget the extra $$ for Black Club (hear it my be closed) and Jet Lounge in BA. Just incredible to see (I did not take full experience) but drinks or expensive.

It’s estimated that 77 million roost around Córdoba.

In talking with some biologists in Cordoba they estimate that there are millions of dove that die due to starvation. It's a full blown plague. Their climate also allows for multiple hatches per year. It's truly incredible seeing the birds there.