Near Cordoba. His group (5 guys) killed thousands every day they were there. I've heard similar stories from everyone who has been.

How on earth can the population sustain that type of impact? If numbers are that high, are there no natural predators? Just wondering. I know I would enjoy Argentina, but shooting that many doves seems wasteful IMO. Are the birds shot donated to locals or just tossed? I've always heard they are considered vermin there.

Don't want to make it seem like am knocking anyone for doing this, btw. More curious from an ecological standpoint about the hunting impact on the species.

[This message has been edited by Apache (edited 2/18/2014 5:47p).]

I would consider that ludicrously wasteful, even if you are eating lots and lots of them.

100 yes, but at a point, you are converting animals, living things, into mere target practice, and I don't consider that an ethical treatment for a living thing.

My understanding is there hasn't been an ecological impact and they wreck the agricultural economy.

Not positive that's the reason, just the way I understand it. If there's a person willing to pay for it, they will continue to sell these hunts

They are considered a pest species. Native or not,I don't know

So who draws the line on wasteful and necessary from a moral, ecological and economical standpoint?

I think most here would be all for the killing of every feral hog in TX. I am not seeing much difference here if they are an agricultural pest.

Are y'all actually believing he killed 1000? No way your shoulder takes that abuse.

These are eared doves, relatives of the morning dove. Estimated population is between 20-35 million in northern Argentina alone. While they can be agricultural pests, in fact they mostly eat ground seed in non-agricultural areas. Funny thing is, the farmers produce tons of seed and corn specifically to help feed the large population. They seem to be resilient to the mass hunts unlike the passenger pigeon which had an even larger population than these doves.

It's kind of funny really. They justify the hunt because of agricultural concerns, but in turn, intentionally feed the birds tons of grain to keep the population up. I guess so they can continue the hints.

If he shot for eight straight hours that's more than one every thirty seconds. That doesn't take into account gar mouthing, loading, drinking, peeing, eating or missing.

Wasnt jetch going down there for a dove hunt

Many hunts in Argentina outfit you with a "secretary" and 2 or more shotguns. The shooting gets hot and heavy and the secretary stays busy unloading and loading your guns and handing them back to you ready to shoot. Sort of like a golf caddy on steroids and a whole lot of adrenalin

[This message has been edited by picadillo (edited 2/18/2014 7:47p).]

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Are y'all actually believing he killed 1000? No way your shoulder takes that abuse.

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An old boss of mine killed somewhere around 4500 in a day there before. He had a fancy plaque in his office showing the number. They wear some sort of gel formed shoulder pad thingy. Or something like that. As was mentioned, he had a rotation of multiple people constantly reloading and handing him multiple rifles.

1000 in a day isnt uncommon there. At least from firsthand experiences ive been told.

[This message has been edited by Burroak (edited 2/18/2014 8:00p).]

1000 birds is easily doable in a day. Imagine the best 30 minutes of dove flight you've ever experienced in Texas and have that same flight continue all day.....that is Argentina.

I've been three times, and will go again in August. I don't shoot 1000 a day, moer like 450-500. Shooting 1000 requires too much work - I like to smoke cigars, drink beer and cut up with my buddies.

[This message has been edited by MAROON (edited 2/18/2014 8:10p).]

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Wasnt jetch going down there for a dove hunt

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In June. Can't wait

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An old boss of mine killed somewhere around 4500 in a day

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Come on...............


One time at band camp.


I've kinda got a buzz on right now so I don't trust my pen/paper towel Llano public school math. But isnt't that something like 8 or 10 birds a minute for 8 hours straight?

[This message has been edited by FSGuide (edited 2/18/2014 8:05p).]

I realize how it sounds. He had a plaque in his office that said it, as well as the story go with it.

I dont know how true it is, but I have no reason to not believe him. And he goes pretty much every year.

[This message has been edited by Burroak (edited 2/18/2014 8:15p).]

Also, remember that if you draw a feather on a bird in Argentina they count it as a kill?

The established record in one day is something like 10,500 birds.

[This message has been edited by MAROON (edited 2/18/2014 8:19p).]

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Come on...............


One time at band camp.


I've kinda got a buzz on right now so I don't trust my pen/paper towel Llano public school math. But isnt't that something like 8 or 10 birds a minute for 8 hours straight?

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I think you're forgetting that the days are twice as long that far south.

I've seen where they have clubs, 1k 5k etc, where you get on a plaque at the camp house.

This guy is from Houston, over 10k
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gXeeuQEgQiE

Seems wasteful.
Let us know how he likes his new rotator cuff.

This has officially been added to my bucket list.

10,000 in a day using a 12 hr day is like shooting every 4 seconds for 12 straight hours
with no break at all

I bet you hit a lot of doubles or better on those hunts.

Pointless.

But you god damned not better kill a nasty feral cat ****ting in your garden and kids sandbox.

It's been 4-5 years since my last trip but I've shot ducks, dove, and pigeon in Argentina. The stories about 1-5k clubs/plaques are true. I'm an O/U guy so
I took my 28 ga Beretta on my dove trip w my 20 as back-up. Made the 1k club one day no problem.

Yes part of your daily hunt cost covers a bird boy who loads your gun (just drops shells in an O/U) and counts dead birds and shells. Told my guy to only count dead birds not feathers. With a 28 ga there is almost no felt recoil so when you shoot for 8 hours straight with a few brakes for food/water and to let your barrels cool, you can shoot 1k shooting doubles non-stop with an O/U. The indigenous bird population down there is impressive. Even w these stories, the overall hunting pressure is low compared to the US, as virtually no locals can afford to hunt. Argentina is also a big country with lots of rural farming and ranching and great dove habitat. The best lodges lease out the biggest flyways and the sky is black with birds sun up to sunset. Definitely put it on your bucket list. Give me a few years for my little ones to get bigger and would love to go again w anyone interested. Would be awesome to make that trip w a group of Ags.

The fanatical guys that shoot 4-5k in a day usually run 2 bird boys and 2 20 ga SA's. Remember no plugs down there and some hunters install extended mags. So while the shooter is running through the 7-8 rounds in one SA, the other bird boy is loading the second SA. So yes in a span of a minute or so in that setting you can easily shoot 15-16 rounds. If you shoot 7 birds a minute for 12 hrs in a single day, that's how you get on the 5k plaque. I watched a shooter w a SA make the 2 k club the day I hit 1k w my O/U. You can't shoot that many rounds continuously through one O/U bc you'll melt the barrels. Saw that happen on a trip as well.

I'm going to hold off on wading into the ethics debate on what's excessive hunting and whether it's helpful to the locals and bird population.

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An old boss of mine killed somewhere around 4500 in a day there before. He had a fancy plaque in his office showing the number. They wear some sort of gel formed shoulder pad thingy. Or something like that. As was mentioned, he had a rotation of multiple people constantly reloading and handing him multiple rifles.

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What's that much more impressive to me is that he did it with multiple rifles - not shotguns!

^^^^^^Truly impressive!

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he had a rotation of multiple people constantly reloading and handing him multiple rifles.

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I'm more impressed he was shooting them with a rifle. That's some fine shooting!

1 -2k bird days are actually quite common. The dove population is seemingly infinite with a number of 20-30M dove roosts in Cordoba Province alone. That's not counting Entre Rios, Salta, Tucuman, Santiago del Estero, etc...

Basically, not many natural predators and they reproduce 3-4 x per year unlike our dove, so the population continues to grow. i've never shot for records, but one memorable afternoon shoot on a ridgeline I dropped 750+ with a sweet little 28ga Silver Pigeon. I highly recommend !

If you keep telling yourself it's true long enough I guess you'll believe anything.

Exactly.

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An old boss of mine killed somewhere around 4500 in a day there before. He had a fancy plaque in his office showing the number. They wear some sort of gel formed shoulder pad thingy. Or something like that. As was mentioned, he had a rotation of multiple people constantly reloading and handing him multiple rifles.

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What's that much more impressive to me is that he did it with multiple rifles - not shotguns!

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[This message has been edited by Burroak (edited 2/19/2014 6:09a).]

I've killed many more than 1,000 ants with some gasoline in my back yard in East Texas.

I think it's pointless.

For those who have been, do you pretty much set up in one spot for the day or do you have to move around throughout the day?