Here are some photos I took this week in Cordoba, Argentina at our annual trip. If you would like to go with me on the next trip please don't be a stranger and get in touch with me. We shot a little over 10,000 doves on this trip.

This is the Golden-eared dove of South America...found in millions in the Cordoba Province. It is very similar in size and plumage to our Mourning Dove.



Bird boy loads your gun for you and hands it over. He keeps track of the birds with a counter. At the end of the day you will know exactly how many shells you have shot and how many birds you bagged.




You can shoot as many shells in a day as you like. You can burn 100 shells in a day or 6,000 shells in a day. Choice is yours.



Action is non-stop.




Here you can see a perfect hit by yours truly. I can give you a shooting lesson before we head out. None of my guys came back with any bruising or blueing or complains of aches and pains.



Flocks upon flocks of birds.



During lunch break and at end of the day all empty hulls and downed birds are picked up by the bird boys. All fields are left in pristine condition after every hunt.



That is a picture from this Monday afternoon. Total for the entire hunt was 10,000 doves.



Lodge staff waiting for you with cold drinks as you head back to the lodge. Did I mention the hunting areas are only 5 to 10 minutes away



An appetizer tray with dove breasts and other goodies.




Fantastic wines from Mendoza region of Argentina. They go great with steaks.



Happy memories !!!




Steak, steak, steak....chef will keep serving you until you say you have had enough.



Meal prepared by our chef.




A well balanced meal




This dessert usually wins




This is just a portion of pics that I took. I will be posting more soon. Please feel free to contact me any time here on AR via PM or send me an email or call me if you have been thinking about going to Argentina for doves. If you are a single hunter that is not a problem at all.

It all looks grand. In the unlikely event I could ever get free to go there, a few questions -

What's the deal on gun rentals? What guns and what ga. are available? Does it cost more to rent a double?

Do these birds get eaten and by whom? Can any of them be brought back to the states?

On a scale of 1-10 how useful is a knowledge of Spanish?

How close to the fields do you stay?

Are there organized group side trips to B.A. or other cities?

Are all meals included? How about drinks?

Is the cost the same no matter how few or many birds you shoot? 2 or 3 hundred shells a day would be enough for me, not 2 or 3 thousand.

Everything including air fare to and from mid U.S., hunt, guns, lodging, etc, what outside figure would be enough to cover it all?

Looks like a wonderful time.

quote:

Originally posted by Sevenxbjt:
Looks like a wonderful time.

What he said...........

Glad you enjoyed the pics, we all sure had a great time and I am already looking forward to go back.

To answer Shack's questions.

GUN RENTAL
20 gauge Beretta 391 are available for rent. You can bring your own gun if you want. Paperwork requires a bit of lead time. But absolutely no problem traveling with your firearm.

BIRDS
They go to the local villagers. No one else hunts them except foreign clients. So the locals welcome the protein. We ate quite a few every day as well. Their meat is not allowed into USA.

SPANISH
Everyone at our lodge speaks English. Not sure about other operations.

HUNTING AREA DISTANCE
5 minutes to 10 minutes driving time

TRIPS TO BA
Cordoba to BA you will need to take a plane. So day trips are out of question. At the end of the hunt you can fly to BA and hang out for a few days if you want. You will need to know Spanish for this side trip or hire a guide to show you around. English speaking guides can be hired at about $10 per hour. So if you have a group you can share the cost and it will be quite cheap to hire one.

MEALS
All meals are included, so are the wines from Mendoza region. Also, beer in moderation. All cold drinks, water in the field are included.

HOW MANY BIRDS
That is your personal preference. You can shoot as little or as many as you want. If you want to burn 200 or 300 a day that should be perfectly ok. Pictures from the trip above included 3,000 shells in the package but we can cater to your specific needs. Shooting a case before lunch (500 rounds in an Argentinian case) is considered MODERATE...your barrel does not get real hot. So 1,000 rounds per day is moderate. 1,500 and above per day is what I consider a hot-barrel day.

This particular hunt all inclusive was $2,800 per person for 4 days, included meals, wine, drinks, 3,000 shells, hunting license, 20 gauge beretta semi-auto gun rentals, pickup and drop off from Cordoba airport. Not included were tips to staff and airfare. Airfare fluctuates between $700 to $1200 depending upon time of year, your origin airport and price of fuel.

Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any other questions.

My wife would be along too. That in mind, what would you recommend doing and seeing on a side trip after the hunt? Is BA worth seeing or do you find other parts of the country more interesting? And would the flights to and from the U.S. most likely be in and out of BA?

We're somewhat interested in South America aside from just the hunting.

I'll print this info out and keep it.

Shack,
BA is at the center of the culture of South America and a very interesting place to visit. You will enjoy the experience a lot more if you have a Spanish speaking guide with you. After you guys are done in Cordoba, you can fly to BA and spend a few days eating and exploring. If you were going only to Cordoba then the best route is Miami - Santiago - Cordoba and back. But if BA is on your list then may be Miami-BA and back....that will be your international leg. You will need a domestic ticket to go to BA-Cordoba and back. Do not travel with firearms if you want to do sight seeing and take the Mrs. along. Better off renting from the lodge for $50 bucks a day and no headaches whatsoever.

Warning: Try to keep your eyes inside your sockets while your wife is with you in BA. Those Argentinian beauties are very very pretty.

P.S. Same warning stands if you travel to Iceland...there you may even need a neck brace and a towel to wipe the drool off