Only a few hours by car from the majestic Andes and southern Bolivia and framed by the picturesque, tree-covered Centinela Mountains, Salta's 620,000-acre Anta valley produces bountiful yields of soybeans, corn, peanuts and wheat. Due to its northerly location (closer to the equator) the region enjoys a delightful climate that changes little throughout the year. Progressive farming techniques, including active crop rotation and no-till planting, ensure that tons of waste beans and corn remain available to hungry hordes of doves and pigeons. This grain production is surrounded and interspersed with the forest of the Gran Chaco, which covers northern Argentina, southern Bolivia and eastern Paraguay, providing an environment in which the populations of spot-winged and picazuro pigeons and eared doves flourish to incredible numbers. The millions of voracious doves actually prevent the farmers from producing sunflowers and milo!
Shooting takes place in a variety of settings-one day hunters may be positioned in the midst of a huge roost, the next around the perimeter of a harvested grain field, the next down in the river bottom or over a waterhole. Depending on the conditions, guests have the option of pigeon hunting-pass shooting or using decoys.
Of course, all of this shooting is broken up midday for a wonderful lunch at the estancia or more often, with a classic Argentine field lunch-an asado of grilled steaks, sausages, ribs, robust wines, salads and fresh breads, followed by some rest and relaxation and then a return to the field.
Todays traveling sportsman has access to almost the entire world to satisfy his adventurous outdoors spirit. Argentina, perhaps more than any other single country, is able to satisfy the most demanding of international bird hunters, big game hunters and the trout fishermen alike.
Argentina has an area of almost 4 million sq kilometers with only 37 million people.
The birds and wild game flourish in the many different habitats found throughout the country. From the semitropical areas of Salta in the North, to the vast windswept acerage in the South, and many marshlands, the sportsman will encounter endless oppotunities to enjoy the best of hunts for many different species of game - geese in the South; doves in Cordoba or Salta, ducks and upland birds in the wonderful Pampas; or the finest of trout fishing in Patagonia to the wild big game.
The hunting seasons in Argentina are the reverse of those in the US, so the best time to hunt in Argentina is when your favorite seasons at home are closed. Hunters will also enjoy the liberal bag limits in Argentina.
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