IF VIRGINIA'S SWELTERING summer heat and
humidity tend to get you down, cool down by heading south--way
south. It is winter in Argentina, and while temperatures may
be cooler, the wingshooting in this large South American country
heats up any morning.
Three things drove me to punch this ticket: 20-plus years
of reading about Argentina's incredible waterfowl, dove
and perdiz (partridge) hunting; last year's unbelievably
lousy Virginia waterfowl hunting season; and wondering what
a ballyhooed bird flu pandemic might do to opportunities
to travel to wingshooting destinations.
Many Virginians, including some from the greater Fredericksburg
region make frequent pilgrimages to Argentina for dove hunting.
I have never had an inclination to shoot up to 1,000 birds
a day, nor do my shoulder or wallet desire the pounding
they would take from firing and buying about 50-100 boxes
of shot shells a day. However, the opportunity to take up
to 30 ducks in a morning's hunt followed by an afternoon
of perdiz hunting over pointers seemed action aplenty for
a three-day adventure.
The overnight flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires took
about nine hours. We arrived in Argentina wondering if the
country was deserted. It turns out Argentina was playing
the Netherlands in the World Cup soccer tournament in Germany
that day and, with minimal exceptions, not much moves when
futbol is on a television screen.
Late-June temperatures were unseasonably high for the Argentine
winter, with morning lows around 60 degrees and afternoon
highs pushing 80.
"Blue-birdy" days like this in Virginia almost
guarantee you're better off grabbing a fishing pole instead
of duck hunting. To Martin Azar, our English-speaking host
from J.J. Cacerias Hunting, the conditions were, indeed,
less than favorable, and he seemed worried hunting could
be a little slow. His ideal Argentina winter morning has
temperatures in the low 40s with a little overcast and slight
breeze.
We were based out of La Morena Lodge, near Esquina in the
Corrientes Province of Argentina. Esquina's southern latitude
almost mirrors the northern positions of Houston or Austin,
albeit considerably more easterly. The area does resemble
south Texas or what I would imagine Southwest Louisiana
would look like if extended another hundred miles or so
into the Gulf of Mexico.
The communities and countryside seem akin to many parts
of Mexico. Cattle and horses are everywhere, seemingly roaming
free along dirt roads or in flooded pastures and drainages,
often nuzzling beneath the watery pastures for juicy food.
Guides Orlando Zarate and Lali Lopez spoke little English
and I little Spanish, but we seemed to get by. Both men
enjoyed drinking warm herbal "mate" through a
metal straw with a strainer at the end. They said the drink,
similar to a tea, gave them an energy boost.
They load duck decoys, all the morning's shotgun shells,
a machete and fresh greenery limbs for the day's blind on
their body for the pre-dawn walk in chest-waders toward
the lagoon or lake where the hunt will occur. Blinds are
often constructed daily.
Up to 11 different species of ducks were available. We
bagged a mix of birds the first day as we hunted near Arroyo
Sarandicito. We took teal--primarily beautiful silver and
ringed teal (locally called cappuchino and Franciscano,
respectively)--and Brazilian ducks with bright red legs
and bills and brilliant, iridescent green atop their wings.
Rosy-billed pochards, big ducks related to the canvasback
family and about the size of mallards, provided most daily
shooting opportunities. Prized for their table quality,
this species' drakes are mostly black and white with a prominent
rose-colored bill. Hens are a sandy brown.
We hunted a different area each day. Besides teal and rosy-bills,
I took one pair of a beautiful bird called a white-faced
tree duck, a unique-looking bird with shimmering hues of
rust, bronze and copper in its feathers and a unique band
of white around its head.
Both Lopez and Zarate carry several calls, including a
teal whistle and a call similar to one used for mallards.
To reach out to rosy-bills, though, they use their mouth,
executing a loud, tongue-vibrating deep sound like a "gggrrrrr,
ggrrrrr" or "llllrrrr" against the back of
their teeth. By day three, I was trying the call myself.
Dozens of empty red shot shells bobbed in the water at
our feet while downed birds floated all around us outside
our tight blind of freshly cut greenery. The guides don't
use dogs; there'd be no time and the water is typically
very shallow.
For a usually frustrated North American Atlantic Flyway
duck hunter, the target-rich environment spurred a near
constant adrenaline high. I recall Orlando dumping 12-gauge
shells into my jacket while telling me, "Tranquilo.
Tranquilo, amigo."
"Relax. Be patient," he was saying. Prudent advice,
but relaxing came difficult when more patos (Spanish for
ducks) than I'd ever seen were pouring into the small, shallow
lake where we were hiding.
Azar said we saw an average number of birds on the hunt.
We rated collecting 25-30 ducks each morning as a tad higher
than average. Rarely did more than a few minutes pass without
seeing ducks and there were at least two 30-minute windows
during the typical two-hour hunt where shooting opportunities
were phenomenal. Azar noted he annually hosted some professional
shooters from Italy who often limit out within 30 minutes.
The ducks are put to good use. Late in each morning's duck
hunt, it wasn't unusual to see a gaucho (the Argentine term
for a cowboy) arrive on horseback to watch the action. Usually
a few birds were left with these ranch hands. Lopez also
stopped at various dwellings near the ranches, sharing the
day's bounty with families of meager means.
Along with great memories of a fantastic hunt, we brought
several ducks home--some destined for the smoker, some for
the taxidermist.
Next week: Perdiz hunting and Argentina trip tips.
KEN PERROTTE can be reached at The Free Lance-Star, 616
Amelia Street, Fredericksburg, Va. 22401; by fax at 373-8455;
or e-mail at
Email: outdoors@freelancestar.com.
Date published: 8/24/2006
Source: http://fredericksburg.com
