Just spoke with long time Argentine outfitter with whom I've hunted many times.

Country remains closed except for 4 daily inbound flights to BA from abroad. No legal land crossings.

Major cities have a 2400 / 0600 curfew except for essential movement. Movement throughout the rural regions limited, network of roadblocks set up throughout the highway system.

Positive case #s ascending in the cities, almost none in rural areas.

Government plans to review its policies April 30.

He believes that if this continues for another season, at least 50% of the wingshooting outfits, especially those who lease lodges, will go under.

I traded texts with an outfitter we were supposed to hunt with last year. Needless to say, that got cancelled.

He believed things would open in June. I am not sure where he got that from.

I agree that if this goes on another season, many will not survive.

It’s all been very fluid for a year. My guys were initially thinking it would’ve been towards the latter part of last year. Now, they’re coy about it as it’s out of their control.

They are able to host Chileans with negative tests, which has helped some. They are also renting out their estancia for weddings, holidays, etc. to generate some revenue and keep some of the staff busy. However, there have been as many as 25 or more bird boys, but as contractors. Those guys are hard workers and can be resourceful, but I do worry.

I’m quite accustomed to the “controls” or checkpoints down there, but they were mainly to check for drinking, DNI (it’s like their national ID), insurance and the like. I wonder if they are also checking temperatures.

I just hope they open up soon for all of us and them.

I don't know if anyone else gets John Wiles Wingshooting emails but earlier this week he said the country was shut down until November 8, screws up my group's September foray for dove and dorado!

Damn I hope he is wrong .

https://www.google.com/amp/s/s...merica-schedule/amp/

This is not good. Of the over 20 trips I’ve made, I’d say half or so connected through Santiago. Once I connected through Lima, and almost took one through São Paulo, but only to wanted to check out the city, but needed a special visa and nixed it.

It just appears to be a reduction in flights, but still doesn’t look good.

I am hearing conflicting things depending on who I talk to. I can fine nothing authrotative.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I am hearing conflicting things depending on who I talk to. I can fine nothing authrotative.

Same here. I suppose I will just wait with fingers crossed until the official reopening occurs. I almost bought some really cheap flights that would’ve put me there a few weeks ago, but glad I didn’t. I suppose I may have been covered anyway for a flight that never occurred.

I am jonesing for an asado, Malbec and good times with friends. There is an Argentine steakhouse here, but it’s nothing like there. They do have Quilmes on draft, which helps. Of course, Malbec is available, but it always seems to taste much better there.

A quick scan of international media this weekend revealed an increasingly negative picture. Covid cases are on the increase, hospitals are full. And while there are some internal policy conflicts underway---the Argentine Supreme Court just overruled the President on school closures, for example...it seems unrealistic to think there will be any meaningful changes in travel restrictions any time soon. Perhaps through the end of the year.

This will be a terrible blow to an already devastated economy.

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
I don't know if anyone else gets John Wiles Wingshooting emails but earlier this week he said the country was shut down until November 8, screws up my group's September foray for dove and dorado!

Hello ! Do you know why he say november 8? And not before or after? Here in Argentina, nobody knows really when this over. The vaccination process it's going...

Best Regards,
Federico

One would think an official position could be found .

No sir... John sends out a daily email most days and that is what he reported. I can only think it was provided to him by the lodges he works with but I am not positive...

Got a message last night from an outfitter I have hunted with many times. They are bagging the balance of 2021. They were not sure when it will open.

Thanks for the update, Larry. Very disappointing news, both for us as hunters but also the bird hunting companies that are struggling to survive. Once things do finally open, I’d love to see group hunts put together on sites such as AR by our better Argentina outfitters to help them get back into business quickly.

Yup. It's pretty much over.

Rueters reports today an increasing number of daily cases. Argentina now stands at 3.6 million cases and 77K deaths, out of a population of 45 million. It's among the highest statistical ratio(s) in the world.

Just got this What’s App message:

Hey Senor Larry; good to hear from you. even though I see you occasionally on face book. We are all great down here, just waiting it all out and preparing to host all our pending clients and we also have a lot of requests to book new dates.
Argentina is now at the end of autumn and going into winter. The government is vaccinating as quick as possible and that is helping. Lots of regular flew going on though and that makes the process slower.
But based on US's experience with winter and also looking back at Europe a few months ago, I would say that once Argentina goes through the winter period, we should start getting back to normal. My best guess is October / November 2021. Please let us know if you guys want to pencil down some dates for those months and/or on, to 2022.
Hopefully by then, borders will open up. It looks like this is the last run for the virus, so pretty sure by the end of the year we will be up and running.
It will be great to see you guys again. Please say hello to all.

What is interesting is that I’m hosting an Argentine outfitter for the next two and a half weeks. I took him to his vaccination today. He’s also here for a banquet, but it made sense for him to vaccinate here. Ironically, his brother and partner got vaccinated in Argentina today as well.

He anticipates maybe September will be the goal, but I will still wait until there’s a green light.

Larry, I assume your contact meant gripe, Spanish for flu and not flew. Dallas County reported two cases of regular flu here during what would’ve been the peak of our flu season.

As has been mentioned before about the small outfitters that use hotels/rent actually stand to fare well without the overhead of four lodges and staff like my guys. They have been getting by renting out their properties to local Argentine tourists.

I hope to see an end to this soon, as they do also.

American is flying direct from DFW. I'll ask one of my buddies what the sitrep is in BA he's there now.