Our son in law is a native of Cordoba, Argentina so we have journeyed south of the equator several times on behalf of he and our daughter for different reasons. This trip was simply the bribe my wife dangled to get me to accompany my daughter way down south for a few days. It worked! If you have never ventured to Argentina to experience a high volume dove shoot you have definitely missed the train. My first trip had been a real learning experience. I had decided that on one of the days I would attempt to shoot over a thousand of these flying rats. This sounds simple to those that have been there but to the layman it seems like a real task. Now that I have met this milestone I can attest that it is truly an undertaking. It may be easier for some but for a guy who shoots roughly 70% it requires a little work. With this landmark behind me I was especially ready to enjoy this trip.

We had booked our trip through Jim Riley at Link’s Wild Safaris. If you aren’t familiar with their operation, and you like to hunt any time and any place, you must give Jim a call. From the normal Western game hunts in the United States to animals I have never heard of in countries I can’t pronounce, they do it all. Jim hooked us up with Pablo Aguiló from Pointer Outfitters. Pablo has been in the business for many years and runs a tight ship when it comes to service. His lodge staff is wonderful with unbelievable service with a smile, but where they really shine is in the field. All of Pablo’s guides are seasoned professionals that not only know how to set you up for success but can also help with your shooting if you give them the opportunity. Lastly and I will go out on a limb and say, the food in the field is second to none. I have never been served such wonderful meats, from chicken to pork, of course culminating in beef filet better than 95% of the restaurants in the world can cook in a controlled environment. His cook Federico cooks with local wood and some coal right next to your hunting area. Fantastic.

As I said earlier, I had checked the block of destroying my body and as many doves as possible in a day, so for this trip I wanted to have a more relaxed time. Getting psyched to shoot big numbers is fun, but enjoying a slower journey with my wife this go around was even better. I decided to only shoot 500 rounds the first morning, starting slow, which translated to dove shooter talk means I didn’t hit as many as I wanted to but by lunch I was cruising along getting much more consistent hits. Argentina is a great place to hone your wing shooting skill set it has definitely made Pheasant hunting in my native South Dakota more enjoyable. So after knocking the rust off with 500 rounds we headed to a cool spot in the shade, prepared with white table clothes, wine for those that partake, and plenty of trash talking and wonderful eats. After lunch we fell in on the already prepared hammocks for the time-honored siesta. No matter if Elk hunting or Dove hunting this is one of my favorite parts of the hunt. Swinging in the cool breeze of Argentina is one of the nicest naps you will ever have. If you aren’t into the siesta you are welcome to hang around until the doves start flying fast for the afternoon hunt.

For the afternoon I banged another 500 rounds and called it a day. As previously stated, my wife was accompanying me and we wanted to go sit in the shade and enjoy the beautiful weather. This is the perfect hunt to bring your family with, my wife hunts with me a lot, not shooting but cooking what I harvest. She really enjoys the dove trips because everything is so much more laid back than any other hunting you will do. To go along with that she gets to stay in the sweet digs and enjoy being treated like a queen by Pablo’s staff. I am telling you they simply spoil you while you are under their watchful eye. Every need is met quickly and with a smile. If you have kids that like to bird hunt this is an excellent way to get them completely hooked.

After the guides had cleaned the area of spent cartridge debris and dove carcasses we headed back to La Loma Lodge to be greeted by Pablo’s staff, their service is just unbelievable. Cool towels to take a layer of dust off and cold drinks of your choice. The fire is always burning and of course the stories are great after a day of dove extermination.

For the evening meals at La Loma, everyone joins Pablo in the formal dining room of the lodge for great food and discussions of my favorite subjects, politics and religion. All kidding aside the boys who joined us from Texas are cut from the same leather as my wife and I so it was head nods all around. Larry and Kelly Roach are both from the Dallas area and great guys to hunt and share a fire with. We had never met but after the first day I felt like I had known these gentlemen for years. Hunting camps around the world always seem to attract great people with similar life stories.

If you have never hunted Argentina I would tell you it is a must, but get your expectations and goals aligned with reality. If you are a first timer I would go with the intent of enjoying the ride. You may want to set limits as far as how much ammo you want to plow through because this has two negative effects on the hunt. First your shoulder is going to take more abuse which can cause inexperienced hunters to shoot even worse or have to skip days because they are getting sensitive to recoil. The other down side is cost. Ammunition isn’t cheap in Argentina so set limits so you don’t get surprised when the housekeeper comes calling with your shotshell bill. For me I believe quality over quantity is the key, if you are a two to three thousand bird a day kind of guy, get out the checkbook and enjoy the ride. You won’t run out of doves or ammunition.

Day two we were up and at ‘em early to polish off home cooked eggs and strong coffee then back to the dove blind. The second day was even better than the first with the birds coming in fast but consistent. It was a blast. It was a little slower due to winds so I only cracked off 350 rounds, but I would save the rest for the afternoon shooting frenzy.

The afternoon was incredible with birds coming in from all angles at all speeds. This allowed me to test my now honed sky rat eradication skills. It was a success. My field guide, Tata was right there cheering me on with quotes such as, “asta la vista baby.” Even in Argentina there are lots of Terminator fans. When all was said and done we saved several boxes for a late afternoon competition. My wife and I pack down to the truck and after a short drive were standing in the shade with Larry and Kelly, ready to see the skills of our guides. They did not disappoint. It is really fun to watch shooters that can shoot, it is even more rewarding to watch those same shooters mentor the younger and less experienced shooters. With many laughs and even a shot shell reloaded with dove feathers for special effect it was a great way to culminate the Argentinian Dove Shooting Extravaganza.

There are a couple administrative hurdles to jump before your trip, but with the right outfitter this will all be taken into consideration. Call Link’s Wild Safaris, they are truly the experts and make getting paperwork such as the Reciprocity Fee squared away so your trip doesn’t end before it starts. There are probably cheaper routes to go, but in the case of Argentina you get what you pay for so use the best and you won’t be disappointed.