|
SPECIES The two upland game species we hunt in northern Patagonia are the California Valley Quail and the Cordilleran Silver Snipe. These birds have picked their habitat at the foothills of the Andes where there is warm shelter and water near by provided by the large number of springs at the base of surrounding hills. Both birds live close to each other, Quail on the dry ground where they have their nests under big thorn bushes and the Snipe tend to nest in the lush irrigated hayfields in the lower valleys as well as riverbanks and springs. QUAIL The hunting season for upland birds is three months long; from May 1 st through August 1 st . the daily limit per hunter for Quail is 9. We set out for morning hunts at 9 am and 3 pm for evening hunts, locate the coveys which are usually very large and have a two dog team in action, a Labrador retriever to flush the coveys and retrieve the birds and an English pointer to locate and point singles. We take two guns per guide so you plan your shots in advance depending on left or right flights. SNIPE The season for snipe is the same, and the daily limit per hunter is 5. Schedules for morning and evening hunts are the same. Snipe hunting is done in wet terrain, usually flooded fields and springs where most of the work is done by the pointers, while the lab stays at heel, due to the fact that these birds don’t covey and are found in singles or doubles. The pointer covers large areas in the shape of a circle and gradually works towards the guns and then get on point, now you can expect to find 3 or 4 birds in the same area which will get up and fly very fast in irregular directions and heights, making this bird such challenging sport. It is not uncommon to see the lab retrieve while the pointer is already on a second or third bird making it a very exiting sight. EQUIPMENT & CLOTHING The most popular gauges for Quail and Snipe are 20 and 28 although we have people who favor a good old 12 gauge. We recommend you wear field pants and leather hunting boots and a shirt plus a light wind stopper fleece on top to walk through the field, mornings and late evenings are usually chilly therefore you might need a light jacket. For Snipe you will need Wellington boots or hip waders due to the wet terrain you will be walking on. We strongly suggest you bring flare hats and vests on these hunts for safety. |
|
P.O. box 98 (8370) San Martin de los Andes - Neuquén - Patagonia Argentina - Phone/Fax: 0054-2972-428270 - info@patagoniahunts.com