Source: www.fredericksburg.com
Date published: 8/31/2006
Note: Last week, we reported on Argentina's fantastic waterfowl
hunting. Today, we look at perdiz hunting, an often secondary
component of a South American doubleheader, and offer a
few suggestions for making a trip.
ARGENTINA IS NO secret when it comes to fabulous wingshooting.
Thousands of North American and European gunners travel
there annually for dove shoots that can number in the thousands
of birds daily.
According to Martin Azar, our English-speaking host from
J.J. Cacerias Hunting, dove shoots are as close to a sure
thing in Argentina. Combination hunts for ducks and geese
or ducks and perdiz, though, offer a diversity of grand
gunning opportunities.
Our morning duck hunts were exciting, usually wrapping
up by 9:30. Following a little relaxation, some lunch and
a nap, guides Lali Lopez and Orlando Zarate would arrive
at the estancia promptly at 3:30 p.m. to take us on afternoon
hunts for perdiz.
The scrubby pastures of the Esquina area abound with perdiz,
a bird looking somewhat like an oversized quail.
Perdiz tend to flush in singles or, at most, with two birds
close together. They fly fast and launch into various trajectories,
making for sporting shooting.
Afternoon highs pushed 80 degrees and mosquitoes were relentless
as we pushed through the thick fields. Cattle often followed
our movements, watching us with wary curiosity.
Tia, the English pointer Zarate and Lopez use to locate
and flush perdiz, is a dog that lives for the hunt. I looked
forward to greeting her every afternoon, although she probably
didn't understand much out of me except "Bueno Tia."
Half the fun of perdiz hunting was watching Tia maneuver
through the cover. With a unique style, she picked up a
bird's scent and locked on point, looking back for us to
make sure we saw that she was on to something. As winds
shifted or the bird moved, she got down low and slowly crawled
through the brush to better pinpoint the perdiz's location.
We flushed anywhere from a dozen to 20 perdiz over the
course of a 90-minute hunt each afternoon. Some birds would
flush ahead of the dog before we could get a shot. Other
times, Tia would be on point and as we advanced toward her
flanks, a second, unseen bird would unexpectedly flush almost
at our feet. That tends to get your attention.
Finding a downed bird in thick, scrubby cover can be challenging
and Tia's incredible nose was invaluable in recovering the
perdiz.
"Parakeetas" and pigeons were common sights flying
over the pastures. Various wading birds, some exceptionally
large, were usually seen whenever creeks ran through the
fields or portions of the pastures were flooded. We also
flushed one large bird that the guides called a "martinetta."
Ducks at daybreak with perdiz until sunset--and after a day
of exciting shooting action, you unwind with cold cerveza
or Argentinean wine. You can buy handmade Cuban cigars in
Argentina and I sampled a Montecristo along with a delicious
vino tinto (red wine) as the sun slipped down over the ponds
of the estancia on the last evening of the stay.
Lopez sipped warm herbal mate while Zarate joined me in
a glass or two on the patio. The century-old timbers framing
the porch warmed in the setting sun and in the courtyard
area, Pancho, the estancia's pet monkey, was climbing a
tree to grab a another mouthful of succulent buds.
I looked out over the water, warning myself that trip like
these could be addicting.
Trip tips
Buenos Aires: If you plan a hunt, try spending a couple
days experiencing Buenos Aires, Argentina's cosmopolitan
capital. With tree-lined avenues, spacious parks, and balconied
apartments and high-rises, it's comparable to many European
capitals.
One U.S. dollar trades for about three Argentine pesos.
Five years ago, it was a 1:1 ratio. Exchange only a few
dollars at the airport before departing and then use credit
cards or an ATM in Argentina to get the best exchange rates.
The country is a meat eater's dream. In one mainstream
restaurant, roasted Patagonia lamb for two with a tasty
beef carpaccio appetizer, dessert and bottle of good Argentinean
red wine barely cost $27--after tip! Steak dinners are a
few bucks. The locals are proud of their beef. Fine leather
jackets (I bought a bomber jacket for $150), cashmere and
angora sweaters, and many other products are real bargains.
Sunday afternoons feature street fairs with tango demonstrations
in the historic San Telmo district, somewhat reminiscent
of New Orleans' French Quarter, or near Recolata Cemetery,
a fascinating place with elaborate tombs of many presidents
and wealthy leaders of Argentine society. Evening tango
shows with meals are popular and the show at the El Viejo
Almacen was entertaining.
Unless you're conversant in Spanish, seek a hotel with
some English-speaking staff members. We stayed at the El
Conquistador and found the place comfortable and the staff
most hospitable.
Gear: Daytime temps in Northern Argentina can get warm.
Don't pack for a January Eastern Shore duck hunt. South
of Buenos Aires, mornings can be brisk. Check long-range
forecasts for hunt areas and bring clothing you can layer.
If you want birds for taxidermy, get about a 50-quart cooler
and put a duffle bag in it on the trip down. Fill the duffle
with hunting gear and the cooler with frozen birds for the
trip home. Get a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service form 3-177
to log all ducks you're bringing back. You will get inspected
at U.S. customs. The USDA takes your cooler, seals it and
sends it (billing your credit card) to a taxidermist approved
for receiving foreign ducks.
Line up taxidermy details before the trip. Any birds brought
back to eat must be thoroughly cleaned with one wing left
on. Bring bug spray or lotion. Mosquitoes can be bad if
the weather warms.
Expenses: A three-to-four day waterfowl and perdiz hunt
typically ranges from $1,200 to $2,400, usually depending
on how many frills you desire in camp. A bar with single
malt scotches is a priority to some; it's not to me. Roundtrip
airfare to Buenos Aires and in-country airfare to Santa
Fe was about $950. After the flights, we had another 220-mile
drive to the estancia. Some ground transfers can cost $50-75.
Shells are $9-$10 a box. Shotgun rented for $40/day. Bringing
and registering your own costs $70, plus any excess baggage
charges. In-country flights have low weight limits for luggage.
Plan on about $75 daily in tips for guides, cooks, housekeepers.
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.
