ARGENTINA: Argentina Hunt With MG Hunting

matt vejar

AH veteran
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
226
Reaction score
672
Media
78
Hunting reports
Africa
7
Mex/S.Amer
3
I just got back from an outstanding two week hunt in Argentina. My first hunt was with Peter Gil and Rocket for Blackbuck and Axis deer. @MG Hunting is a longtime outfitter in Argentina and Marcelo Gill was a world class shotgunner who unfortunately passed in November. His sons have takin over the business and he would be proud of the continued world class hunting they offer.
The customs agent looked at my passport and Migration paper and I was of to baggage claim in five minutes. Easiest entrance ever. Grabbed my bags and walked out to see Rocket - I’ve never met him but just new in his attire it had to be him and it was! Peter was waiting in car and off we went for the day and half hunt.
On the drive out to the hunting area about a 2 hour drive south and west of Buenos Aires, Peter explained the the 10k acre ranch that they normally hunt was about 80% under water, so we would be hunting a different ranch. The ranch under water is near the town of General Bragano which many record book heads have been shot and I was slightly concerned as the reports I read were from that ranch. Well being an old time outfitter Peter said they had another ranch nearby that was not underwater and I need not worry. This turned out to be so true! We stopped and picked up some bread in a really small town and then off to the Estancia.
Upon arrival I changed clothes and met the Gaucho and a young man and his father who coordinate hunts with the local ranchers. The ranch was a series of giant open pastures and large checks of corn. We soon spotted a band of Blackbuck and the stalk was on walking in side the adjacent corn field. After a 10 minute walk we spotted the heard but they had moved and were way to far off in the open field-500yards with no cover. Back to the truck and off again. From a wind mill the ranch guide climbed up and spotted a group a kilometer away. We drove a bit and the walked through native grass trying to close the distance. We bumped into and unscrew heard of several does but not one buck. The rut was on so it was likely a buck was nearby, but after 5 minutes we moved on toward the two different small bands that contained bucks. We came to a cut field of corn and the one band that contained 3 or 4 bucks that were fighting some 400 yds distant. We crouched and walked towards a fence line that offered the only cover with a small brush. The last 50 yds we crawled and holy crap it was exhausting. When we got to the fence line the band had moved off 350 yds - no shot for me. I’m good to maybe 250 on these small animals. I was using Peter’s 300 Win- mag with a Z-8 Swarovski so felt confident. We decided to have lunch a retry them again in the afternoon. I had arrived at 7:40 on the United Flight from Houston and had slept 5 hours of the 10 hour flight so felt great. Appetizer was salted peanuts and chips with a cold coke. Never tasted better. Rocket Cooked up a great steak and with some salad we had a great lunch. The Gauchos cooked a pig on a spit and I had a slice of pork and all good. Wine or beer were available but I figured I’d wait to celebrate later.
Back into the field and the plan was to wait in the Corn with the rifle on my Bog Pod shooting sticks set up for a kneeling shot. They would drive around with the truck and hopefully they would move towards us. Rocket was hoping this would work- as I told him how much fun it would be to crawl all day through the cut corn! We laughed. The band showed up at 350 yds. Their was one really good one that was by far the best buck of the bunch. They milled around and it was a beautiful site in the lush pasture. Now would they go straight or turn left and funnel towards us as their was a small passage way of native cover between the two the two large pastures and the adjacent corn fields. Suddenly a doe showed from our right. We let her pass and she went into the corn. I raised to stretch my legs slowly but spooked a buck that was trailing her. He dashed into the corn not spooking the other band. Suddenly the other band starting running towards us Rocket asked”you on the big one”, yes know doubt which one! He stopped suddenly at a 100 yds and the 300 barked. A direct hit on the point of the shoulder. Buck ran 40 yds and collapsed. What a beauty! Hand shakes and smiles all around. We headed back to Estancia for lunch. Rocket cooked up a steak on the coals. Peter readied the table with appetizers Sausage, cheese, chips and peanuts. A glass of wine. Lunch was fantastic and all from an ice chest. We pack up and head to the town of Chascomus- which has the largest lagoon in Argentina -a nice hotel next to the lagoon where we will spend the night and have a great pasta dinner and an excellent breakfast the following morning.The following day we head to another Estancia that has Axis deer. His father and son team meet us at hotel and 30 minutes later we’re at Estancia gate and we meet the Guacho guide who knows ranch. Peter will ride in truck as Rocket goes to look around in another truck. This ranch has no corn but has a maize of a native reed that courses it way like a continual slough of reed winding towards the west. It is so thick that it can hide a cow at 40 yds at ground level. Normally I don’t shoot from the truck but it is obviously very probable this is going to be the case at this ranch. We soon spot a band but I cannot get a shot off before they disappear. I am now convinced my only shot will be from the truck so I get my daypack out and rest on hood. Peter says the big one we saw is the biggest one the Gaucho knows of and like the Blackbuck I’m sure I can pick him out. We drive around spotting others but none are shooters. We glass the reeds spotting antler tips or a head but that’s all you can see. I see this is going to be a little tougher hunt than I expected! I want the big one and hope we see him again. We drive maybe a mile following the contours of the sea of reeds hoping to spot deer. As we come around the end of the reeds and start back on the opposite side I spot a buck on the edge. I point and Peter says shoot. But the buck moves and I can’t find him in the scope, seconds later not even with my Binoculars. Dang this is not gonna be easy and I was starting to wish I had been quicker earlier. We get out of the truck and prepare an ambush but unlike the Blackbuck it doesn’t work. Fortunately when they come to pick us up they spotted another group. I hope it has the big one as we are heading back in the direction of the first group and the Estancia. Sure enough it is them and at 500 yds we get ready driving slowly in their direction. At 200 plus I ready for the shot as their are several smaller bucks and does, but the big one is obvious. They are staring at us with heads up. I lower a little from the white patch on his neck and hope for no deflection from the reeds and touch off the 300 Win- mag. He drops at the shot. Broken neck!!. We drive up and no doubt it’s the big one we saw som 2 hours earlier. Everyone is smiling especially the gaucho guide who new of this buck and now had a great chunk of meat! It’s another beauty, I couldn’t be happier.
We head back for lunch. Rocket prepares a fantastic steak , sausage and appetizer of cheese, bruschetta, peanuts, chips. I have wine and we eat “Mucho”.
The hunt is over for this leg of the trip. We drive to a hotel near the domestic airport. I will leave their tomorrow for Bariloche. I am leaving my trophies to be picked up when I return for a feature hunt. MG Hunting offers hunts at four other lodges. The main lodge in Santa Rosa offers all the big game species where I will be hunting when I return. Buffalo and stag hopefully in the near future. Ducks in Pehuajo, Doves and pigeons in Córdoba. Rocket has been a guide for Marcelo Gil for 17 years and now continues with Peter Gil and his brothers. I want to thank “Redleg” from this site for all his information. He was absolutely correct when he said “ I was in good hands” with MG Hunting! Anyone looking for a quick add on hunt I would definitely recommend this hunt!!! Their is no reason not to be hunting in Argentina. Entrance and Exiting the country is a snap! Don’t delay going as I spoke with a dozen hunters when leaving and they all experienced great hunts.

02F48FE9-3A26-4E61-A93E-F2EAD51EF612.jpeg
03AD33B8-77C1-4EA0-8D8E-D9D214C5A509.jpeg
B0DB89C0-5E4D-4496-87C5-47F773AD7DA1.jpeg
6D9777DF-14F2-4196-83AD-2E965036026B.jpeg
97DE53B0-330B-4BC6-8BEB-A1A8CA053041.jpeg
B4FF062D-889B-4603-8596-CB294A18759B.jpeg
B2D40753-5510-4437-AF0F-F0BCC7C0A6AD.jpeg
3E85B4C2-5B2B-4D31-8E42-FB24F5B0E910.jpeg
E127AB3F-F022-4314-BEE7-FB59B5214C29.jpeg
18EB5B47-C2F6-4520-A3C4-8C243136B4C2.jpeg
2C9D2FFA-561C-456E-A934-0144F96488BF.jpeg
88ED1284-961E-453D-86BB-7E16C9B90084.jpeg
 
Giday Matt. Excellent intro/hunt report. Welcome to the A H forums
 
I wish I had fast enough internet to load all the photos. Hunting blackbuck in Argentina is a hunt that interests me. Thanks for report.
 
Send me your email on a PM and I’ll send you the pics. No problem!
 
Nice animals. Sounds like a great if fast hunt. Good shooting. Congrats
Bruce
 
Send me your email on a PM and I’ll send you the pics. No problem!
Appreciate the offer, but I’ll be able to see them once AH moves them to media
 
I just got back from an outstanding two week hunt in Argentina. My first hunt was with Peter Gil and Rocket for Blackbuck and Axis deer. @MG Hunting is a longtime outfitter in Argentina and Marcelo Gill was a world class shotgunner who unfortunately passed in November. His sons have takin over the business and he would be proud of the continued world class hunting they offer.
The customs agent looked at my passport and Migration paper and I was of to baggage claim in five minutes. Easiest entrance ever. Grabbed my bags and walked out to see Rocket - I’ve never met him but just new in his attire it had to be him and it was! Peter was waiting in car and off we went for the day and half hunt.
On the drive out to the hunting area about a 2 hour drive south and west of Buenos Aires, Peter explained the the 10k acre ranch that they normally hunt was about 80% under water, so we would be hunting a different ranch. The ranch under water is near the town of General Bragano which many record book heads have been shot and I was slightly concerned as the reports I read were from that ranch. Well being an old time outfitter Peter said they had another ranch nearby that was not underwater and I need not worry. This turned out to be so true! We stopped and picked up some bread in a really small town and then off to the Estancia.
Upon arrival I changed clothes and met the Gaucho and a young man and his father who coordinate hunts with the local ranchers. The ranch was a series of giant open pastures and large checks of corn. We soon spotted a band of Blackbuck and the stalk was on walking in side the adjacent corn field. After a 10 minute walk we spotted the heard but they had moved and were way to far off in the open field-500yards with no cover. Back to the truck and off again. From a wind mill the ranch guide climbed up and spotted a group a kilometer away. We drove a bit and the walked through native grass trying to close the distance. We bumped into and unscrew heard of several does but not one buck. The rut was on so it was likely a buck was nearby, but after 5 minutes we moved on toward the two different small bands that contained bucks. We came to a cut field of corn and the one band that contained 3 or 4 bucks that were fighting some 400 yds distant. We crouched and walked towards a fence line that offered the only cover with a small brush. The last 50 yds we crawled and holy crap it was exhausting. When we got to the fence line the band had moved off 350 yds - no shot for me. I’m good to maybe 250 on these small animals. I was using Peter’s 300 Win- mag with a Z-8 Swarovski so felt confident. We decided to have lunch a retry them again in the afternoon. I had arrived at 7:40 on the United Flight from Houston and had slept 5 hours of the 10 hour flight so felt great. Appetizer was salted peanuts and chips with a cold coke. Never tasted better. Rocket Cooked up a great steak and with some salad we had a great lunch. The Gauchos cooked a pig on a spit and I had a slice of pork and all good. Wine or beer were available but I figured I’d wait to celebrate later.
Back into the field and the plan was to wait in the Corn with the rifle on my Bog Pod shooting sticks set up for a kneeling shot. They would drive around with the truck and hopefully they would move towards us. Rocket was hoping this would work- as I told him how much fun it would be to crawl all day through the cut corn! We laughed. The band showed up at 350 yds. Their was one really good one that was by far the best buck of the bunch. They milled around and it was a beautiful site in the lush pasture. Now would they go straight or turn left and funnel towards us as their was a small passage way of native cover between the two the two large pastures and the adjacent corn fields. Suddenly a doe showed from our right. We let her pass and she went into the corn. I raised to stretch my legs slowly but spooked a buck that was trailing her. He dashed into the corn not spooking the other band. Suddenly the other band starting running towards us Rocket asked”you on the big one”, yes know doubt which one! He stopped suddenly at a 100 yds and the 300 barked. A direct hit on the point of the shoulder. Buck ran 40 yds and collapsed. What a beauty! Hand shakes and smiles all around. We headed back to Estancia for lunch. Rocket cooked up a steak on the coals. Peter readied the table with appetizers Sausage, cheese, chips and peanuts. A glass of wine. Lunch was fantastic and all from an ice chest. We pack up and head to the town of Chascomus- which has the largest lagoon in Argentina -a nice hotel next to the lagoon where we will spend the night and have a great pasta dinner and an excellent breakfast the following morning.The following day we head to another Estancia that has Axis deer. His father and son team meet us at hotel and 30 minutes later we’re at Estancia gate and we meet the Guacho guide who knows ranch. Peter will ride in truck as Rocket goes to look around in another truck. This ranch has no corn but has a maize of a native reed that courses it way like a continual slough of reed winding towards the west. It is so thick that it can hide a cow at 40 yds at ground level. Normally I don’t shoot from the truck but it is obviously very probable this is going to be the case at this ranch. We soon spot a band but I cannot get a shot off before they disappear. I am now convinced my only shot will be from the truck so I get my daypack out and rest on hood. Peter says the big one we saw is the biggest one the Gaucho knows of and like the Blackbuck I’m sure I can pick him out. We drive around spotting others but none are shooters. We glass the reeds spotting antler tips or a head but that’s all you can see. I see this is going to be a little tougher hunt than I expected! I want the big one and hope we see him again. We drive maybe a mile following the contours of the sea of reeds hoping to spot deer. As we come around the end of the reeds and start back on the opposite side I spot a buck on the edge. I point and Peter says shoot. But the buck moves and I can’t find him in the scope, seconds later not even with my Binoculars. Dang this is not gonna be easy and I was starting to wish I had been quicker earlier. We get out of the truck and prepare an ambush but unlike the Blackbuck it doesn’t work. Fortunately when they come to pick us up they spotted another group. I hope it has the big one as we are heading back in the direction of the first group and the Estancia. Sure enough it is them and at 500 yds we get ready driving slowly in their direction. At 200 plus I ready for the shot as their are several smaller bucks and does, but the big one is obvious. They are staring at us with heads up. I lower a little from the white patch on his neck and hope for no deflection from the reeds and touch off the 300 Win- mag. He drops at the shot. Broken neck!!. We drive up and no doubt it’s the big one we saw som 2 hours earlier. Everyone is smiling especially the gaucho guide who new of this buck and now had a great chunk of meat! It’s another beauty, I couldn’t be happier.
We head back for lunch. Rocket prepares a fantastic steak , sausage and appetizer of cheese, bruschetta, peanuts, chips. I have wine and we eat “Mucho”.
The hunt is over for this leg of the trip. We drive to a hotel near the domestic airport. I will leave their tomorrow for Bariloche. I am leaving my trophies to be picked up when I return for a feature hunt. MG Hunting offers hunts at four other lodges. The main lodge in Santa Rosa offers all the big game species where I will be hunting when I return. Buffalo and stag hopefully in the near future. Ducks in Pehuajo, Doves and pigeons in Córdoba. Rocket has been a guide for Marcelo Gil for 17 years and now continues with Peter Gil and his brothers. I want to thank “Redleg” from this site for all his information. He was absolutely correct when he said “ I was in good hands” with MG Hunting! Anyone looking for a quick add on hunt I would definitely recommend this hunt!!! Their is no reason not to be hunting in Argentina. Entrance and Exiting the country is a snap! Don’t delay going as I spoke with a dozen hunters when leaving and they all experienced great hunts.

View attachment 469987View attachment 469988View attachment 469989View attachment 469992View attachment 469994View attachment 469995View attachment 469996View attachment 469997View attachment 469998View attachment 469999View attachment 470000View attachment 470001
That is a fine axis, but that is one hell of a blackbuck! Congratulations.
 
Congratulations with that great blackbuck and fine axis deer! Thanks for sharing!
 
Hi Matt.......happy to see you made it back well.......
Thanks for this great hunting report and it was our pleasure to had the opportunity to guide you in a part of your Argentinian hunt......
We will see you again for sure......
 
Congratulations Matt. Those are great trophies and memories you have with MG.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,623
Messages
1,131,329
Members
92,676
Latest member
RooseveltM
 

 

 

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

Impact shots from the last hunt

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top