ARGENTINA: Just Got Back From Hunting Argentina!

[migrabill]

I had booked a Red Stag and Blackbuck hunt in La Pampa Argentina with El Pampa Hunting Ranch. We were to hunt March 13, 14, 15, 16 and the morning of the 17th. My package included a Trophy Red Stag and a Blackbuck. The outfitter considers a Red Stag with over 10 points and/or a "crown" on at least one side.
The night we pulled into camp, Thursday the 12th, the camp was experiencing a tornado. It ripped the roof off the building where all the guides slept, and the whole town lost power. For the rest of the time there the guides had to work around the clock as, in addition to guiding us, they had to repair their dwelling. The outfitter also made sure he had backup generator power so that our experience was not lacking.
On the first day of our hunt, the 13th, we had to cancel the morning hunt as the storm was not quite done passing through yet. The weather definitely had a negative impact on the impending roar. After Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I had zero animals down. But then... the roar turned on (BIG TIME!) and my finish was ridiculous. In the last 24 hours I dropped 3 animals! On the morning of Monday the 16th I dropped my trophy Red Stag. I got him at 7:11 in the morning, hence I named him "Craps". He was a 6X5 with a crown on his left side. That same afternoon I threw my attention to the blackbucks and managed to drop a nice dark one in the early afternoon. So on the last full day I dropped both my package animals. I still had the next morning to hunt before we flew out. The roar was on and chasing these stags during the roar was so much fun I decided I would add a Management stag to my take if we found a good one. Well... find a good one we did. On St. Patrick's day morning, I dropped a 4X3 who was 36 inches wide! A great old Management stag to take.
We had 7 guys in camp. Every single hunter managed to harvest every animal in their package plus some! The outfitter managed a 100% success rate, on free range land, while still having to do repairs to the lodge. Their commitment was extraordinary.

 

[tay50]

Nice animals, congrats, I've been trying to talk some guys into going, but they won't go because of the issues / expense of shipping of trophies back home. maybe one day?

 

[Mekaniks]

Excellent! Congratulations

Are you bringing back the trophy? If so, will you keep us up to date on the import / export process?

 

[gillettehunter]

Congrats on a successful hunt. I, too would be interested in your trophy import process and how long it ends up taking.
Bruce

 

[coreydb]

Great hunt in spite of the disaster. You definitely had a "combo hunt"....caught up between Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz and Evita...."Don't Cry for Me Argentina" Glad you were not only safe but successful. Out of all the outfitters in that country, your story sold me on going with your outfitter and no one else. What an advertisement for them!

 

[migrabill]

Excellent! Congratulations

Are you bringing back the trophy? If so, will you keep us up to date on the import / export process?

I certainly will. I too am concerned. The outfitter assures me all that is in the past Alan expect a 12-14 month turn around time on trophies. I will believe it when I see it.

 

[jimbo1972]

I had booked a Red Stag and Blackbuck hunt in La Pampa Argentina with El Pampa Hunting Ranch. We were to hunt March 13, 14, 15, 16 and the morning of the 17th. My package included a Trophy Red Stag and a Blackbuck. The outfitter considers a Red Stag with over 10 points and/or a "crown" on at least one side.
The night we pulled into camp, Thursday the 12th, the camp was experiencing a tornado. It ripped the roof off the building where all the guides slept, and the whole town lost power. For the rest of the time there the guides had to work around the clock as, in addition to guiding us, they had to repair their dwelling. The outfitter also made sure he had backup generator power so that our experience was not lacking.
On the first day of our hunt, the 13th, we had to cancel the morning hunt as the storm was not quite done passing through yet. The weather definitely had a negative impact on the impending roar. After Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I had zero animals down. But then... the roar turned on (BIG TIME!) and my finish was ridiculous. In the last 24 hours I dropped 3 animals! On the morning of Monday the 16th I dropped my trophy Red Stag. I got him at 7:11 in the morning, hence I named him "Craps". He was a 6X5 with a crown on his left side. That same afternoon I threw my attention to the blackbucks and managed to drop a nice dark one in the early afternoon. So on the last full day I dropped both my package animals. I still had the next morning to hunt before we flew out. The roar was on and chasing these stags during the roar was so much fun I decided I would add a Management stag to my take if we found a good one. Well... find a good one we did. On St. Patrick's day morning, I dropped a 4X3 who was 36 inches wide! A great old Management stag to take.
We had 7 guys in camp. Every single hunter managed to harvest every animal in their package plus some! The outfitter managed a 100% success rate, on free range land, while still having to do repairs to the lodge. Their commitment was extraordinary.

View attachment 754021
View attachment 754022
View attachment 754023

Great job! I leave for La Pampa next Sunday the 29th. Hope I am as successful as you except I hope the weather is better.

 

[DukeS]

Very nice trophies what a great trip. I'm hoping to put something together myself.

I’m planning a hunting trip to La Pampa this November and need some advice on putting a great itinerary together. Red stag won't be available since it's outside the roar, so my current plan is to combine a couple of days of dove hunting with a hunt for other deer species (e.g., Axis or Fallow).
I have a few questions and am hoping to get some suggestions from the group:
1. Traveling with a Non-Hunting Fiancée
I'm taking my fiancée with me. She's Colombian and speaks fluent Spanish, so the language barrier won't be an issue. She absolutely loves the outdoors but isn't keen on the hunting itself. Do you guys think she will be entertained enough for a few days at a typical lodge? I think she would really enjoy horseback riding and sightseeing while I am out hunting.
2. Management Animals
We don't have a ton of room for big shoulder mounts anymore. I’m wondering if taking management animals (instead of massive trophies) would be a good choice? Are outfitters generally accommodating when it comes to booking a management-only hunt?
3. Duration and Additional Activities
We have a couple of weeks to spend in Argentina. What is the right amount of time to spend in La Pampa, and what else is there to do in the area? I would love suggestions on balancing the hunt with other local attractions.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations, outfitter contacts, or general insights you can share!

 

[migrabill]

Very nice trophies what a great trip. I'm hoping to put something together myself.

I’m planning a hunting trip to La Pampa this November and need some advice on putting a great itinerary together. Red stag won't be available since it's outside the roar, so my current plan is to combine a couple of days of dove hunting with a hunt for other deer species (e.g., Axis or Fallow).
I have a few questions and am hoping to get some suggestions from the group:
1. Traveling with a Non-Hunting Fiancée
I'm taking my fiancée with me. She's Colombian and speaks fluent Spanish, so the language barrier won't be an issue. She absolutely loves the outdoors but isn't keen on the hunting itself. Do you guys think she will be entertained enough for a few days at a typical lodge? I think she would really enjoy horseback riding and sightseeing while I am out hunting.
2. Management Animals
We don't have a ton of room for big shoulder mounts anymore. I’m wondering if taking management animals (instead of massive trophies) would be a good choice? Are outfitters generally accommodating when it comes to booking a management-only hunt?
3. Duration and Additional Activities
We have a couple of weeks to spend in Argentina. What is the right amount of time to spend in La Pampa, and what else is there to do in the area? I would love suggestions on balancing the hunt with other local attractions.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations, outfitter contacts, or general insights you can share!

Duke -
First the easy one. I hunted in La Pampa myself. It is absolutely gorgeous, but... there is NOTHING near it. We are talking an hour from a red light. The lodge was nice and it had a swimming pool. Your Fiancee will probably love just doing some hiking around the area, but there is really nothing to do. Great wine! The Malbec is off the hook.
As far as other animals all of these Argentina ranches have the free range part and than they have a fenced or an "estate" part. Inside the estates are water buffalo, a variety of sheep (the 4 horns are cool looking), boars, fallows, axis, etc There is no lack of animals to shoot. I considered getting a 4 horn for a euro mount - that would look cool - but I got my 2nd Red Stage the very last evening and there was no time left.

 

[DukeS]

Duke -
First the easy one. I hunted in La Pampa myself. It is absolutely gorgeous, but... there is NOTHING near it. We are talking an hour from a red light. The lodge was nice and it had a swimming pool. Your Fiancee will probably love just doing some hiking around the area, but there is really nothing to do. Great wine! The Malbec is off the hook.
As far as other animals all of these Argentina ranches have the free range part and than they have a fenced or an "estate" part. Inside the estates are water buffalo, a variety of sheep (the 4 horns are cool looking), boars, fallows, axis, etc There is no lack of animals to shoot. I considered getting a 4 horn for a euro mount - that would look cool - but I got my 2nd Red Stage the very last evening and there was no time left.

Thanks, that's great information. I was hoping she could maybe go horseback riding one day, maybe on some kind of picture taking safari tour. I was hoping that Victorica or Santa Rosa were close enough. Obviously not. Luckily she does love time at the pool.

I am planning to do some dove hunting as well. Maybe I would be better served to go up to Cordova and settle for some Dove hunting. I do really like the idea of hunting an axis during its rut and a black buck.

 

[jimbo1972]

Very nice trophies what a great trip. I'm hoping to put something together myself.

I’m planning a hunting trip to La Pampa this November and need some advice on putting a great itinerary together. Red stag won't be available since it's outside the roar, so my current plan is to combine a couple of days of dove hunting with a hunt for other deer species (e.g., Axis or Fallow).
I have a few questions and am hoping to get some suggestions from the group:
1. Traveling with a Non-Hunting Fiancée
I'm taking my fiancée with me. She's Colombian and speaks fluent Spanish, so the language barrier won't be an issue. She absolutely loves the outdoors but isn't keen on the hunting itself. Do you guys think she will be entertained enough for a few days at a typical lodge? I think she would really enjoy horseback riding and sightseeing while I am out hunting.
2. Management Animals
We don't have a ton of room for big shoulder mounts anymore. I’m wondering if taking management animals (instead of massive trophies) would be a good choice? Are outfitters generally accommodating when it comes to booking a management-only hunt?
3. Duration and Additional Activities
We have a couple of weeks to spend in Argentina. What is the right amount of time to spend in La Pampa, and what else is there to do in the area? I would love suggestions on balancing the hunt with other local attractions.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations, outfitter contacts, or general insights you can share!

I don’t know about hunting in November. It will be miserably hot during that time.
If your fiancé likes relaxing she will love it. Nothing to do but hang out, drink wine and hunt.
That time of year would be great for visiting southern Argentina with Ushuaia being the most popular.

 

[DukeS]

I don’t know about hunting in November. It will be miserably hot during that time.
If your fiancé likes relaxing she will love it. Nothing to do but hang out, drink wine and hunt.
That time of year would be great for visiting southern Argentina with Ushuaia being the most popular.

Jimbo,
When you say miserably hot what are we talking about? Reading highs in the mid '80s? Any ideas of hunting and or fishing in southern Argentina as an alternative as I haven't booked anything yet? Thanks

 

[jimbo1972]

Jimbo,
When you say miserably hot what are we talking about? Reading highs in the mid '80s? Any ideas of hunting and or fishing in southern Argentina as an alternative as I haven't booked anything yet? Thanks

It’s my understanding temps over 100 is common. Temps for the first few days of my hunt was over 90. Not fun. But verify that I am correct

 

[DukeS]

It’s my understanding temps over 100 is common. Temps for the first few days of my hunt was over 90. Not fun. But verify that I am correct

Thanks I appreciate that. I'm going to check it again because I thought it was going to be a little more temperate than that. Thank you again for your input.