Indeed, in most parts of Argentina, there is a “high season” and a “low season.”
I caution hunters interested in visiting Argentina for a dove hunt to not confuse dove populations with the high and low seasons.
Depending on the lodge and the area,, the high season is generally between March and September, and the low season is between October and February.
These seasons do not relate to dove populations but rather the demand on the lodges.
The high season is in higher demand for several reasons. First, the traditional starting date of duck season is May 1st, and the season runs through August in some provinces and through September in other provinces. Additionally, summer is upon us in the US, children, and grandchildren are out of school, and it is quite common for a father or grandfather to take their children hunting in the summer. For these reasons, there are more hunters in Argentina in these months and more demand for spaces at the respective lodges. In effect, a dove hunter competes with a duck hunter for a bed at the lodge and is also competing with many other dove hunters from the US.
The low season in the October-February range traditionally has fewer hunters. Again, we emphasize the reason for fewer hunters has nothing to do with the dove populations but rather the demand for rooms at the lodge.
Think about it this way. If you were to rent a house at the beach in the middle of July, you would expect heavy demand for the house you rent and higher rental prices than if you rented in April or October.
Many lodges offer low season pricing, typically 10-15% less than high season rates. An experienced outfitter like Southern Outfitting will always inform our clients of the rates in both seasons.
Finally, each dove shooting location, for various reasons, sets its own low and high season.
Check with Southern Outfitting to find out these seasons, lodge availability, and the best time to go!