Argentina
August 16th thru 20th inclusive
Ducks, Doves, Pigeons, Driven Game

Outfitted by Sportingd.com {John Airala}

This report is not so much about the hunt as the credibility of Mr. Airala or the lack thereof. We [four of us] purchased the hunt [5 day mixed bag] more than a year ago after it was advertised here on AR which included 100 boxes of shells each. His emails said that he had 12 gauge guns for hire and all shells were $13.00 a box except 410 which were $1.50 more.
Two of us bought 20 gauge and two were going to rent his guns. In an email 3 days before departure an email says his guns are in poor condition and 12 gauge shell will be $1.50 more.So we buy more 20 gauge guns and head merrily to Argentina.We were picked up promptly ,fed well and housed adequately. We never saw Mr. Airala but his guys could contact him on a cell phone. His Argentine guys on the ground were pleasant and helpful but could not speak any english. My son has a few words of Spanish and we muddled through. We went to shoot pigeons first, there were very few, but a lot of parakeets so we had fun. Ducks were next, plenty of them but a big swamp to cross, not for old guys. After the duck hunt we were heading to the doves [3 days of doves] there was much discussion, writing on paper, drawing numbers in the dust etc that we need about another 100 boxes of shells each. The drive from one area to the other was 4 hours+, five of us in a compact pickup, cozy to say the least. After one day of Shooting doves Mr. Airala is contacted about more shells. He says shells in this area will be $15.00 a box. Shells from the area we had vacated were $13.00 but freight would be $450.00 After some discussion we told him to go ahead and get the $13.00 shells and we would pay the freight. To this he replied that it would take two days and they would arrive on the afternoon of our last day of dove shooting. My son tells him John you fu--ing us on the shells. Crude but accurate. He is irate and they hang up on one another. After an hour or so his guys got Mr. Airala on the phone for me to talk to. After some discussion he tells me he will think about it and call his guys back. He also tells me how insignificant this hunting is to him and that he has a 3000 acre agricultural operation. Some of his clients are constantly on the cell phone to supreme court and that he hopes he never sees us again. I feel sure we can make that happen.He also says that he is surely not going to sell shells to us at a loss. How much do shells cost in Argentina anyway? Anyway next day shells are procured, some as close as 10 miles. But we paid the $15.00. The dove shooting was
as good as it gets, plenty of birds. We had the driven shoot with dogs the last day, didn't do any shooting but it was interesting anyway. The six nights we were there we stayed in 3 different hotels, 2 of them in the same town. Our unhappiness is not about his hunting or the extra money he extracted from us but the way he did it and the stories he told to accomplish it,all from 500 or so miles away. He web site says moved to Argentina a long time ago from Michigan. If he treated people there like he did us it would be interesting to know the circumstances of his departure from Michigan.

Too bad. I seem to recall some other complaints about this guy.

FYI, there was a definite problem with shells in Argentina this year. There were no Fiocchi shell in 12 gauge at all. The 20's were limited as to shot size. I seem to recall there was some issue with the powder but I am not certain. I don't remember what impact this had or the cost, nor do I recall what we paid in July.

I don't know what's happened to John and his Argentine operations but that is totally unprofessional behavior and should be a BIG RED FLAGwarning to all. Personally I think changing prices after the deal is done and the clients are on the ground is one of the biggest "no-nos" in the business. If he loses money on shells, that's tough, he made the deal.

I have hunted with John Airala twice. I would not do it again. Our problems started at the BA international airport,no staff to greet us. We had to transfer to the domestic airport on our own. English speaking staff were nil. Out of 10 days we saw John for a total of four hours, that was to resolve an ammo bill and lack of hotel reservations.

You can include me as well.I will (NEVER) hunt with him again.

Another thing that comes to mind as I read this. Mr. Airala inserted another hunter in our group without even a courtesy call to us. As it turned out he was a great guy and we enjoyed him very much but it may not have turned out that way. This was this gentelmans second year with Mr. Airala and he said he was a phantom as he had never seen him.

It's like deja vu. It's like deja vu.

I organized the first 5-day trip that Jim Yackley went on, (there were seven of us). Mike Smith who is also a well-known poster on this site went as well. On the positive side we had two afternoons of tremendous dove shooting. Never saw John and we only had one translator...sometimes. Among other things there was a shortage of ammo, the duck hunting was poorly organized (three shooters, one retriever that gave out, and we left ducks floating on the water). Accomadations were marginal or worse as was food. One flop house he put us up in reminded me of something you'd find in the inner city! Long drives and poor organization. I could go on and on.

But John said he'd make it right and have a 're-do' on him. Five of the group could make one date, two of us on another (Mike Smith and myself). At his suggestion I sent him $400 for an internal flight he said he could organize much cheaper. Two weeks before we were to leave John didn't know where we were going nor what the flight schedule was so Mike Smith and I opted not to go...John had never bought the plane ticket for me, saying it was a deposit for ammo. Never got the money back.

Five members of the original group went to the estancia hunt he organized. Some booked extra days and took extra animals to be fair. Problem is John never paid his bill there and their trophies were held hostage.

Argentina is a very nice country and I intend to go back. I'll go with one of the proven operations that we hear about on A-R (Juan Pozzi comes to mind as do some others). But good old John A of Sporting Destinations is a real shyster....BEWARE!

This is a prime example of why all hunts in Argentina are not the same. I would not be happy with all the driving and hell hole accommodations. You have to ask very specific questions.

That's a shame to have a bad experience while wingshooting in Argentina - so many great outfitters. I can pesonally recommend David Denies Wingshooting and Tomas Frontera Wingshooting - multiple trips with each, top shelf accomodations and tremendous hunting. I would definitely speak with Juan Pozzi as well, but have not hunted with him yet.

I know the shell situation has changed quite a bit over the years - much more regulation and higher prices. I think the smaller outfitters struggle to get big quantities of shells, and pay a higher price for them. That said, I believe shell prices at all outfitters have gone up over the past couple of years - the prices you mentioned are not unheard of, but the change in pricing once you're down there is not acceptable.

Don't let this trip spoil your thoughts of returning. It's certainly one of, if not the best wingshooting destinations in the world.

Brant

You can ask specific questions of a guy like this but it don't mean there will be any truthful answers. But like you guys say a good reputation goes a long way. We hunted with Paco Riestra twice and his operations were first class, just thought we would try something different. Big mistake.

Where does he advertise? See if this information will help in blocking his ads....if he is an SCI member you can probably get him kicked out.

This illustrate the need for references, to always seek references....

Juan Pozzi is mentioned in this thread....I am biased...he is a friend, but you would never have these problems with him.....

He did have a couple of references that said they had hunted with him and he was OK. So far as him being an SCI member, how would you find out?

Cowpuncher you were lucky. You actually got away cheap. Many of those who have booked with Airala over the years have been screwed big time.

I booked my first hunt to Argentina through Airala many years ago. I was fairly lucky. I ended up at one of the best ranches in La Pampa and had a great hunt. From there it went down hill. First of all, Airala only hung around long enough to collect the balance of the hunt fee on the first day I was at the ranch and then he disappeared and I never saw him again. He sent his representative to the ranch on the last day of the hunt to arrange for shipping of the trophies back to the US. I was quoted a price of $700 to export and ship one set of stag antlers and cape. Once I got back to the US I was informed by the export agent that the cost was $1650. I fought with him for months and finally relented only to have the cape arrive ruined.

I booked another hunt the next year directly with the ranch and while at the airport in Santa Rosa ran into a bunch of guys that had booked a stag hunt through Airala (supposedly at the same ranch that I was at). They ended up in a tent camp on 15,000 acres and told me that they never saw a deer with horns. They never were able to contact him while they were “in camp” and actually ran out of beer after the first day and had to borrow a truck from one of the guides to go buy their own. They were ready to kill Airala. Of course he never showed up at the airport and had his one of his lackeys there.

I had become friends with the ranch owner and returned again the following year to find out that Airala had stiffed him for over $25,000 in hunt fees the previous season. I’ve heard similar stories from other ranch owners and other guys that work in the business and know what’s going on.

Now he’s pretty much “persona non grata” in La Pampa province and has moved on to greener pastures. Once in a while I get an e-mail from him advertizing tent camp hunts as if that is a better deal cause you’re “closer to the animals”. The truth is that all the ranch owners in La Pampa know each other and they will have nothing to do with him any more.

You ought to post this on the South American Big Game Hunting section of the forum. I’ll bet you’ll have guys coming out of the woodwork with stories about Airala. By the way, he does post occasionally on AR and goes by the handle JohnAir.

I am a little skeptical of references unless I obtain them independently.

Personally, it wouldn't bother me if he didn't show up as long as everything else was fine. Many of these outfitters are busy running their business. Some have many camps. This is where their managers make a massive difference. We just got back from our 6 th consecutive year in Argentina. We never saw the owner of the dove place.. He was taking care of the business end of the operation. The manager made sure everything was perfect.

I think it should be a warning where you are not staying at outfitters own lodge and/or you are being bussed a couple of hours one way from town. That is begging for trouble IMHO.

Again, sorry this happened to you guys. Argentina is truly one of the world best wing shooting destinations, if not the best. I am headed back next year.

Matt Norman: I wonder if is you whom I met at the bridge club. Anyway, I´m amazed at what happened during your hunt. I feel sorry for you.

Thanks for posting this. Please know many appreciate greatly the reports--especially the bad ones, I daresay--as a reference/warning.

Is the gentleman who is referred to known here at AR as JohnAir by any chance? Enquiring minds want to know.

Enquiring minds have the right to know.

Yes, his name is John Airala and his outfitting business is called Sporting Destinations.

Based on my own personal experience and that of many folks that I've run into in Argentina, I would never book anything through him.

Buyer beware!

Now that we have aired Mr. Airala's dirty linen how about some places that you have been and would reccomend, Our group was with Paco Riestra two years, once in Cordoba province and once in Santiago Del Estro. We stayed at lodges both times and they were nice and I would reccomend his places. I much prefer to stay at a lodge as opposed to hotels and resturants. He had vans that were comfortable. Also mention what you shot while there. At Paco's Santiago Del Estro operation we shot Doves, Ducks and Pigeons.

Bottom line is Argentina is a wonderful country with great people and outstanding shooting opportunities. Avoid John Airala. Go with any of the (dozens) of good outfits besides him.

I've heard far more than enough to scratch his operation off the potential list for good, and the next time I get one of his email solicitations I will tell him as much. Again, thank you to all who have chimed in. Before he is sent to the AR gallows, however, in the interest of fairness (or whatever ) I'd be interested to hear him respond to these reports here. That said, I'm not going to hold my breath...

Matt Norman: PM sent to you.

What Matt said +1.

I have been the last 6 years. The only "problems" we ever faced were weather related. Snow where it hasn't snowed in 90 years. Fog such that the charter plane can fly in. Everything that the companies we hunt with can control was flawless. Nice lodges, great food, good guides, fantastic shooting, every little detail taken care of.

We used:

Los Chanares (doves)
Argentina Outfitters (ducks & doves)

I am going back next year.

I echo what both Matt and larry said. I've been hunting in Argentina for the past six years and will be going back again next year. The vast majority of the ranch owners and outfitters are great people who work their butts off to make sure that you have a great experience. It's a shame that there's always a bad apple or two that can taint to whole barrel.

I would highly recommend the Poitahue Hunting Ranch. You can check them out at www.poitahue-hunting.com. I've hunted there for years...mostly big game, but some bird hunting too. They have an awesome operation. They offer high volume wing shooting for doves and pigeons, Perdiz over dogs, and duck hunting at a partner ranch. They are located in La Pampa province about a half hour southwest of Santa Rosa. There is regular commercial airline service to Santa Rosa, so getting there is easy.

They've been in operation for a long time and will go out of their make to makes sure that you have a great experience. You can't go wrong here.