The short answer is YES!
There are many reasons why Argentina is known for the best wing shooting in the world.
The primary reason why hunting is so good in Argentina is because of the abundance of agriculture, primarily grain crops.
Agriculture is so prolific due to rich, dark soils, excellent climate, adequate rainfall with excellent irrigation methods, and over 300,000 square miles of highly productive farmable land. For a point of reference, the agricultural region of Argentina is larger than the entire country of France and Portugal combined. Another reference point to demonstrate the immense mass of farmable land is that the agricultural region is larger than Texas and Ohio Combined!
Of course, the wildlife, especially the birds, love all the grain. They have a constant food source in the agricultural reason as no matter what time of year, there are fields under harvest and fields being planted.
It’s impossible to accurately predict the number of doves in the country of Argentina, however, some experts guess the number to be around 200 Million doves throughout the agricultural region. Over the years, the plethora of doves learned there is no need to migrate as the essentials for life (food, water, shelter) are all within a few miles of their roosts. Because there is no need to migrate, the dove in Argentina has turned into baby-making machines!
The best duck hunting in the world also takes place in Argentina. The immense agricultural lands are addressed above, so the only thing left for the ducks in the water. WELL…. Argentina has several of the largest river systems in South America. The Parana and the Uruguay rivers run north to south and form in Brazil. The rivers run from Brazil and terminate into the Rio de la Plata just above Buenos Aires. The rivers themselves are not the habitat for the ducks, but their tributaries create thousands of canals, marshes, lagoons, and ponds. It is these water holes that the ducks call home. The province of Entre Rios (direct translation is “Between Two Rivers”) finds the best duck hunting in the country. South of Buenos Aires in the Pampa region, which is low lying and flat areas. The rains and floods create a beautiful system of ponds and marshes, and exceptional duck hunting can be found here as well.
Pigeons are the next commonly hunted species. Like the dove, they require grain crops, which, discussed above, Argentina has plenty of. There are 2 common pigeon species in Argentina, the Spot Wing pigeon, and the Picazuro. Spotted Wing pigeons are more abundant and are the most hunted, although it’s common to have some mix of Picazuro pigeons fly with the spotted wing. While the number of pigeons can’t possibly equal the staggering number of doves, the pigeon population in the agricultural regions is estimated at around 15 million.
Pigeon hunting is one of the most fun hunts in Argentina as they are hunted over decoys.
Most that have hunted pigeons equate a decoyed pigeon hunt to a high-volume duck hunt.
Last but not least is Perdiz hunting. Perdiz is frequently hunted as part of a mixed bag hunt, with duck hunting in the morning and perdiz in the afternoon. Perdiz is effectively an upland game bird hunted over pointers. They chose the same fields in the same agricultural areas as the dove, pigeon, and ducks. While perdiz hunting is a low-volume hunt, the true enjoyment is watching the dogs work and being in the country with a shotgun in your hand.
There is no place on earth that, in one day, you hunt 4 species of birds while staying at the same lodge and never driving more than 45 minutes in any direction to hunt.
The wing shooting opportunities in Argentina are second to NONE!
Reach out to Southern Outfitting for more information and begin planning your wing shooting trip to Argentina!