I have bad news for you, my friends. As per today, the Government forbade the exporting of new puma trophies, on the basis of some obscure studies not yet ended....the antis won another one due to bad operators. Here is the text (in Spanish):
B.O. 23/10/08 - Resolucion 1624/2008 - SADS - FAUNA SILVESTRE - Tránsito interprovincial y la salida del país de trofeos de caza de especies silvestres autóctonas.



Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable

FAUNA SILVESTRE

Resolución 1624/2008

Derógase el Artículo 6º y Sustitúyese el Artículo 1º de la Resolución Nº 1828/07, en relación con el tránsito interprovincial y la salida del país de trofeos de caza de especies silvestres autóctonas.

Bs. As., 8/10/2008

VISTO el Expediente Nº 03276/2008 del registro de la SECRETARIA DE AMBIENTE Y DESARROLLO SUSTENTABLE de la JEFATURA DE GABINETE DE MINISTROS, Y

CONSIDERANDO:

Que de acuerdo a lo establecido en el Artículo 2º de la Ley 22.421 de Protección y Conservación de la Fauna Silvestre, el interés por la conservación debe prevalecer sobre los demás beneficios que las especies de la fauna silvestre aportan al hombre.

Que la Resolución SAGyP Nº 63 de fecha 31 de enero de 1986, prohíbe la comercialización interna en jurisdicción federal, tráfico interprovincial y exportación de ejemplares vivos, así como de sus subproductos pertenecientes entre otras especies al Puma (Puma concolor).

Que posteriormente la Resolución SRNyAH Nº 376 de fecha 6 de septiembre de 1994, excluye a los trofeos de caza deportiva de Pumas (Puma concolor) de la prohibición establecida por la Resolución SAGyP Nº 63/86.

Que desde la sanción de la Resolución SRNyAH Nº 376 de fecha 6 de septiembre de 1994, no ha habido estudios poblacionales de esta especie que permitan evaluar la sustentabilidad de dicha práctica deportiva.

Que la DIRECCION DE FAUNA SILVESTRE de esta SECRETARIA, desde hace un año, ha comenzado a financiar estudios con esta especie en el norte y el centro de nuestro país, estudios que aún se encuentran en una etapa incipiente.

Que se ha tomado conocimiento de una serie de casos de manejo inapropiado de ejemplares de esta especie por parte de establecimientos dedicados al turismo cinegético.

Que las Autoridades de Fauna de la Provincia de La Pampa, suspendieron oportunamente por Disposición Nº 17/07, la caza de ejemplares de la especie Puma (Puma concolor) por haber comprobado numerosos casos de tenencia ilegal de pumas vivos en cautiverio.

Que en el transcurso del presente año se realizó un procedimiento conjunto con las Autoridades de Fauna de la Provincia de Santa Fe, detectándose irregularidades en la tenencia de ejemplares vivos de la especie Puma (Puma concolor) en un Coto de Caza sito en la jurisdicción mencionada.

Que por Resolución SAyDS Nº 1828 de fecha 20 de noviembre de 2007, se estableció la salida del país de UN (1) trofeo de la especie Puma concolor, por cazador y por año, obtenidos en establecimientos de caza deportiva debidamente inscriptos en la jurisdicción de su residencia, en el Registro Nacional de Armas (RENAR) en los casos en que corresponda y en los registros de la DIRECCION DE FAUNA SILVESTRE de esta SECRETARIA.

Que es necesario contar con estudios serios que certifiquen la sustentabilidad de esta práctica.

Que esta especie se encuentra incluida en el Apéndice II de la Convención sobre Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres (CITES).

Que la Delegación Legal de esta Secretaría ha tomado la intervención que le compete.

Que la suscripta se encuentra facultada para dictar el presente acto administrativo, en virtud de lo dispuesto en la Ley de Protección y Conservación de la Fauna Silvestre Nº 22.421, su Decreto Reglamentario Nº 666 del 18 de julio de 1997 y el Decreto Nº 142 del 26 de diciembre de 2007.

Por ello,

LA SECRETARIA DE AMBIENTE Y DESARROLLO SUSTENTABLE

RESUELVE:

Artículo 1º — Derógase el Artículo 6º de la Resolución SAyDS Nº 1828 de fecha 20 de noviembre de 2007.

Art. 2º — Sustitúyese el Artículo 1º de Resolución SAyDS Nº 1828 de fecha 20 de noviembre de 2007, el que quedará redactado de la siguiente forma, “Autorízase sólo el tránsito interprovincial y la salida del país de trofeos de caza de aquellas especies silvestres autóctonas, que provengan de establecimientos de caza deportiva debidamente inscriptos en la jurisdicción de su residencia, en el Registro Nacional de Armas (RENAR) en los casos que corresponda y en los registros de la DIRECCION DE FAUNA SILVESTRE, con excepción de aquellas especies sobre las cuales pese alguna prohibición expresa en otras normas vigentesâ€.

Art. 3º — Prohíbese el tránsito interjurisdiccional y salida del país de trofeos de caza de la especie Puma concolor, excepto aquellas solicitudes que a partir de la fecha de publicación de la presente, se encuentren debidamente acreditadas en los registros de la DIRECCION DE FAUNA SILVESTRE.

Art. 4º — Comuníquese, publíquese, dése a la Dirección Nacional del Registro Oficial y archívese.

— Romina Picolotti

The prohibition is for exporting only, because each Province has its own rules regarding hunting.

Far too much for this poor gringo to translate with my USA-border Spanglish. Does this mean hunting is prohibited, or just the export of hunting trophies?

Bill Quimby

This norm is prohibiting (allowing just some specific exceptions) the export and interstate transportation (whitin Argentina's ownland) of Puma trophies ....

Bill Quimby: like Martín said, the prohibition aims at the exporting and interstate travel of new puma trophies. In practice this means the end of puma hunting for foreigners. Moreover, too much legislation always direct to the same place: chaos and backsheesh. There is some articles in this rule that are absolutely ridiculous: i.e. the meat from a wild hog should come from an authorized hunting ranch or "coto". And the so called "studies" of puma populations of course are not being developed at all. Just another stupid regulation from a woman who blocked the pass to Uruguay in the first place and was appointed to office....oh well, this is Southern blues.

Will the cost of hunting a puma decrease now that few (if any) foreign hunters will be hunting them?

Bill Quimby

Bill Quimby: Frankly, I don´t believe so. Has the price of a leopard decreased because USA doesn´t allow the importing of trophies?. I guess not. Demand is of course a factor but the costs of such hunts will ever be present. Alas, this is Argentina and who knows?
There are other things to consider. For instance, the landowner of one of my favorite hunting ranches lost 29 heads of sheep due to pumas and was praying that some hunter could be able to find the killers. And he is or used to be one of the finest hunters in the country. Perhaps the hunters will let their pumas and take home only the pictures. In all probability the bordering countries like Paraguay will benefit from this stupid rule.

The difference is that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows Americans to import a certain number of legally taken leopards from each southern African country -- including South Africa -- each year.

Argentina has forbidden the export of all puma trophies, which undoubtedly will keep the majority of Americans from hunting them when in your country.

I understand there are fixed costs, but with lowered demand I would think the outfits that cater to foreign hunters should charge less for those who want a puma and don't care if they can't export it.

Bill Quimby

Bill Quimby: Frankly I´m not a good forecaster. Regarding Argentina even the best wizards go wrong. We have here something on this style about the "perdiz colorada" (rynchotus rufescens if I remember well). Many, many years ago these partridges were almost extinct so the hunting was forbidden. Of course the prohibition never was ended and nowadays there are more "coloradas" than the common variety, nocturosa maculata. This notwithstanding the prohibition on the "coloradas" is still alive and kicking. And I fear that the pumas will follow the same destiny.

Nainital:

As I understand it, the ban on exporting wasn't based on a declining population of pumas and they still will be hunted by Argentine hunters. The losers will be the outfitters who were selling hunts to foreigners.

Bill Quimby

That is a blow to all of us. They have whittled away a little more of our hunting..............

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by nainital:
In practice this means the end of puma hunting for foreigners.

Yeah, sure....

I promise that I will nor bring anything back with me..

L

quote:

Originally posted by Lorenzo:

quote:

Originally posted by nainital:
In practice this means the end of puma hunting for foreigners.

Yeah, sure....

I promise that I will nor bring anything back with me..
L

Well said. Pumas will still be hunted by farmers whose sheep and cattle are being killed by them. But this was brought about by the number of truly canned pumas that were offered to gringos (like me, but I believe I am now only a half gringo). Greed corrupts.

"Senor, we have a puma just killed one of our sheep, do you want to try for him." "Yup." Then a sheep is killed, the puma released from his cage, the hunter led around a little, and milagro de milagros, "alli, alli, tiro, tiro, pronto!"

(My apologies for my poor Spanish)

Bill: once again, you are absolutely right. And I wonder if this also happens in Africa and Australia, where so much trophies suddenly appear before the wealthy hunters... . Alas, here we are sure that this prohibition will never be ended. The antis are strong (almost all women are antis, damn it) and things like Greenpeace rule. Unfortunately, without some control of the serious outfitters this story means that the pumas will be shot and trapped "ad lib" by the gauchos. Curtains for poor old felis concolor concolor.

quote:

Originally posted by nainital:
Bill: once again, you are absolutely right. And I wonder if this also happens in Africa and Australia, where so much trophies suddenly appear before the wealthy hunters... . Alas, here we are sure that this prohibition will never be ended. The antis are strong (almost all women are antis, damn it) and things like Greenpeace rule. Unfortunately, without some control of the serious outfitters this story means that the pumas will be shot and trapped "ad lib" by the gauchos. Curtains for poor old felis concolor concolor.

Por supuesto.

I realize Argentina seems to be just starting with it's pro hunting and shooting political groups, but in the last few years, we've been making great progress in getting women into shooting, hunting, and self-defense.

What worked best in my personal experience is introduce women, carefully, who presumably already eat meat, to game meat... and, frankly, don't put them straight into butchering, etc.

Birds and squirrels seem to be a good introduction.

Also, events focusing on bringing daughters, and their friends, shooting, can be very successful.

My brother and I introduced many women to shooting during college by throwing "Ranchfest" where we'd throw a party out on our ranch, invite a bunch of students, and then take all of them shooting, take the ones hunting that want to, etc.

To work for women, it seems to need to be a low-pressure social event, pretty much run by other women. Reactive targets/spinners, etc seem to be quite popular -- keep to 22s, but have a variety of other calibers available.

Of course, feminine, attractive, women to be recruiters/public faces are invaluable.


Just what worked for us.