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Have you ever had an “amor escondido,” a secret or hidden love, an unrequited passion that you could fulfill only in your dreams? If that’s the case, I have something that may soothe your aching heart.
Escondido Lodge is the latest offering in Alex and Zeke Hayes’ stable of “best in class” bird shooting locations in Argentina’s world-renowned Cordoba Province. It will turn any fantasy you may have about bird shooting into a reality with some of the finest dove and pigeon hunting you can find anywhere in the world.
Operated in partnership with the Badra family, pioneers in pigeon shooting in the area with 20 years of experience, Escondido Lodge is located just beyond the Sierras de Cordoba in the western side of the province, the largest irrigated area in Argentina. The region features thousands of acres dotted with irrigation pivots, watering fields of peanuts, soybeans, and corn. It all adds up to what amounts to a giant feeding station for migrating pigeons and the huge number of resident eared dove.
A recent Argentina Game and Natural Resources study estimates the dove population in the area to be upwards of 32 million. To help ensure the long-term success of the dove populations, H&H Outfitters now own or control over 20,000 acres of the best land in the prime roosting areas of the province. These wooded areas feature the bird’s preferred roosting tree, the Piquillin, and along with an abundance of natural streams, provide ideal habitat for the reproduction of dove.
In addition, H&H plants crops exclusively for dove on their land using no till methods that provide consistent and plentiful grain for the birds. By practicing good game management, H&H are the only outfitters in the area that can offer excellent shooting throughout the year.
The pigeon season runs from the last week in March to the first week in August. The dove season runs year-round.
Escondido is hardly what is often kindly described as a “rustic” lodge. It is, instead, a beautifully appointed, boutique hotel with tasteful yet very comfortable furnishings, perfect for sitting back and enjoying a drink after the hunt followed by a sumptuous dinner with some of Argentina’s famed Malbec wine. The staff at the lodge is committed to excellent service and, with typically a dozen or so guests on hand, can provide a large measure of personal attention. Get used to being pampered!
The lodge has eight spacious and beautifully appointed bedrooms with private bathrooms. Four of the bedrooms were added to the lodge last year and the main lodge was fully renovated in 2018.
What I’ve always particularly enjoyed at any of the H&H lodges is the refined nature and unhurried pace of the hunt each day. There’s no mad dash into the early morning darkness with half a cup of lukewarm coffee to go.
Breakfast begins at 7:30 with a bountiful continental selection along with a variety of egg dishes and, my favorite, a delectable French Toast with a fruit compote. Then, it’s off – not in an old school bus as is the usual case – but in an air-conditioned Mercedes van to the day’s shooting grounds, anywhere from 10 to 50 minutes away.
A close relative to our mourning dove, the eared dove (palomas dorados) differs in having a shorter tail and a larger wingspan, making these South American cousins the “jet fighters” of the dove family. Their speed, coupled with their ability to jink, jive and abruptly change direction when they flare, give even the most seasoned wing shooter a run for the money.
These resident dove travel along a flyway from the fields and then back to their roosts. Typically, you’ll hunt the same area on a given day, shooting doves traveling in one direction in the morning and then the opposite direction in the afternoon. Hunting is done from butts constructed of nearby vegetation and positioned to face the incoming flight.
The pigeon in the area are spot-winged pigeon, a large and hard flying bird that features brown and white dappling on the wings. These feathers contrast with the bird’s overall blue-gray body and tails that are tipped with gray or black.
Pigeons are shot from blinds using both stationery and motion decoys. As birds are shot, they serve as additional decoys encouraging more and more birds to swoop in. The agricultural fields around Escondido hold large number of pigeon in the area but it is notably the peanut fields that provide “the candy” that makes the lodge’s shooting fields a true “pigeon heaven” and among the most productive in the province. While larger than the eared dove, these spot-wing pigeon are tricky flyers and can put on some real speed when they are spooked.
While there is no limit on dove, there is a limit of 200 pigeons per person, per day. During the pigeon season, the lodge normally tries to split the time between pigeon and dove hunting. It’s an interesting change up that allows you to compare and contrast the challenges each of these sporting birds present.
Once at your shooting butt or blind, you’ll be introduced to your bird boy, an experienced guide really, who will serve as your loader, spotter, and all-around helper. He’ll bring along a seat, cooler full of cold drinks and plenty of ammo. You’ll need all three during the day!
You’re welcome to bring your own shotgun(s) to Argentina, but I’ve always opted to select a pair of the lodge’s 20- or 28-gauge Benelli auto loaders. With the plug out, you have a five-shot capacity and, no matter how fast I’ve shot, my bird boy always had the other Benelli loaded and ready to go. These smoothbores are shot a lot – typically more than a 1000 rounds a day – but they are also very well maintained. I experienced no problems with my Benelli guns or with the South American brand shotshells we were using.
At noon it’s time for lunch and your group will head back to the van for a short trip to a shady grove of trees. This is no tuna sandwich and a bag of Cheetos lunch, but a traditional Argentine asado (barbecue). I gathered around the wood fired grill and watched the staff prepare our multicourse meal: pork sausage followed by pork tenderloin and then a melt-in-your mouth rump steak complemented with garden fresh salads. Fresh strawberries topped off with crème fraiche capped off our midday repast. Cots and pillows are provided for a post-lunch siesta.
At Escondido, there is also the option of heading back to the lodge for lunch and a nap in air-conditioned comfort.
It’s back to the butts at 2 p.m. and the afternoon flight is often even more abundant than in the morning. With doves flying every which way but loose, it’s easy to let your eyes wander from one bird to the next especially when one or more crosses your initial target. No different than when a covey of bobwhite flush from underfoot, you must pick and then continue to focus on a single dove through the shot. When the shooting gets hot, you’ll find birds traveling in multiple directions relative to your butt. Unless you’re nimble enough to dance around and constantly change your foot position, I suggest that you set up for a certain shot – overhead or left to right, for example – and stay with that position for a while. It’s a lot less tiring and will enhance your shooting skills from various angles, from overhead and quartering to crossing both left to right and right to left.
At 6p.m. it’s time to head back to the lodge. My favorite indulgence is a professional massage, which your shoulders and arms will thank you for!
After a cocktail or two and an array of delectable hors d’oeuvres, it’s time for dinner, with a fabulous steak, the typical entrée. The best beef in Argentina comes from cows that graze on the amazing grass of Las Pampas. The result is a leaner, more flavorful and healthier – no antibiotics or hormones – beef. Argentine beef is cut to highlight one consistent texture which means it will cook evenly and help ensure an exceptionally tender steak. The most common cooking technique is Asado which is a slower method than barbecuing and gives the meat a hint of smoky flavor. Add a little chimichurri sauce and a glass or two of the country’s famed Malbec – more on the wine later – and you have the perfect meal to set you up for the next day’s hunt!
One of the key advantages of hunting at the Escondido lodge is that you don’t have to lug a lot of gear on what is a typically three-day hunt. I would recommend a shooting vest with a gel pad insert, a few pairs of shooting gloves, shooting glasses with a variety of lend covers and top-notch hearing protection. I love ESP’s top-of-the-line model, the Apex, which allows you to hear and speak in normal conversational tones while also providing exceptional protection from the noise of a shotgun blast.
Camo clothing is fine, but earth-tone shirts and pants work as well. With a moderate temperature year-round, a light fleece jacket is all you’ll need to take the chill off in the morning and evening.
With no long treks through the fields, hunting at Escondido is a perfect family adventure, a great couple’s getaway and an ideal “hunting buddies” time out. I’ve had many a hunt wiped out by bad weather and lack of game. At Escondido it’s a virtual lock that you’ll enjoy fabulous gunning along with wonderful hospitality.
Another great advantage of hunting at Escondido lodge is that you’ll be in a perfect place to head out and enjoy some of the other great sporting and cultural opportunities offered by Argentina.
As a starting point, I suggest several days in Buenos Aires after you fly in, or before you leave. The city has managed to preserve its centuries old architecture and traditions including its tree-lined center and large in-city parks reminiscent of Paris.
In the downtown core, the Plaza de Mayo is the traditional focus of the city’s entertainment and cultural activities and an ideal place to begin your explorations. Among the most visited sites is the presidential palace, the Casa Rosada. This Italianate building also houses a museum that includes an impressive collection of art and artifacts dating back as far as colonial times when Spain ruled much of the South American continent.
Be sure to also visit the Colon Theater. With its Italian marble staircases and mosaics to French stained glass, the Colon is one of the world’s premier opera houses and has hosted great opera singers from around the world.
To get a great feel for the city, head over to San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood in Buenos Aires. It has a small-town atmosphere in a big city, especially the San Telmo market, which beyond its stalls of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, includes great restaurants and multiple shops.
And what visit to Argentina would be complete without dropping by the National Tango Academy on the Avenida de Mayo. After your tour, head next door Buenos Aires oldest café which is considered the “heart” of tango in the city.
Especially if you are a wine lover, you may wish to head over to the city of Mendoza, the capital of the province of the same name. Located on the eastern side of the Andes, the region around Mendoza is the largest wine-producing area in South America and has become a growing enotourism destination for exploring the regions’ hundreds of wineries.
Notably, Argentina’s famed Malbec wines originate from Mendoza’s high-altitude wine districts in the foothills of the Andes. Vintner Nicolas Zapata is considered the pioneer of high-altitude growing and was the first to plant a Malbec vineyard at 5,000 feet above sea level.
A waypoint between Cordoba and Mendoza, is the charming town of Villa de Merlo whose settlement began at the end of the 18th century with a colonial district that includes the chapel of Nuestra Senora del Rosario a national monument and one of the oldest buildings in Argentina. Be sure not to miss “El Algarrobo Abuelo” (the grandfather carob tree) which is more than a thousand years old and has some branches that now touch the ground.
Villa de Merlo is also famous for its micro-climate, dry air and more than 300 days of sunshine. The town is popular with Argentinians but somewhat off-the-beaten-track for international travelers, adding to its overall charm and authenticity.
If you would like to add to your sporting adventure after your stay at Escondido, Argentine’s Patagonia region, encompassing the vast southernmost tip of South America, attracts fly anglers from around the world who head to the region’s many great rivers to chase for brown and rainbow trout.
What I like most about fishing in the region – beyond the extraordinary size of the fish – is the uncrowded waters. A lodge I fished a few years ago had six guests and we had access to 17-miles of private water that flowed through the estancia.
H&H Outfitters now have their own air charter service that can fly you to the lodge, 30 minutes from Cordoba and 2 hours and 30 minutes from Buenos Aires. Their charter service is, of course, available to fly you to other destinations in Argentina.
Owned and operated by Alex and Zeke Hayes, H&H Outfitters have built an enviable 30-year reputation highlighted by consistently great shooting together with luxurious accommodations and best-in-class service. Alex and Zeke invite you to take a virtual tour of Escondido Lodge at hyh.com.ar or call toll free at (800)-259-4181.
Rest assured that, like the love of your life, you will never forget your stay at Escondido Lodge.