Argentina Hunting Trips: How to Plan Yours
Updated: 1 day ago
An Argentina hunting trip is a week of free range big game hunting in the opposite season to North America, usually built around a 6 night stay at a private ranch. Most hunters fly overnight to Buenos Aires, connect to La Pampa, and hunt red stag during the roar in March and April, often adding other species or wingshooting at the same lodge.
We have hosted hunters at Poitahue Hunting Ranch in La Pampa for 20 years. This guide answers the questions we get every week from hunters planning their first trip: when to come, how to get here, what to bring, and what a hunting day really looks like.
Why Hunters Travel to Argentina
Three reasons come up in almost every conversation we have with a first-time guest.
The seasons are reversed. Our fall is your spring. The red stag roar happens in March and April, when most seasons in the United States and Canada are closed.
Free range hunting on big country. At Poitahue we hunt more than 80,000 acres of natural, untamed land in La Pampa. Stags are hunted spot and stalk, on foot, with one guide per hunter.
Several species in one trip. Besides red stag, our ranches hold water buffalo, blackbuck, fallow deer, axis deer and more, plus wingshooting for doves and pigeons at the same location.
La Pampa also has history on its side. This is the province where red deer were first released in Argentina in the early 1900s, and the herds have lived wild in the caldén forest ever since.
When to Go: Argentina Hunting Trips by Season
Months | What we hunt | Good to know |
March and April | Red stag during the roar, plus other big game. Decoyed pigeons combine easily with big game. | The most requested dates of the year. Book early. |
May, June and July | Mixed bag wingshooting with pigeons, perdiz and doves. Duck hunting options. | Cool, dry winter weather. |
Other months | Custom programs combining big game, wingshooting and fishing. | Ask us what is available for your dates. |
If red stag is your main goal, plan around the roar. Stags are vocal, they move in daylight, and you can locate them by sound before you ever see them. You can read more about the hunt itself on our red stag hunts page.
How to Get to La Pampa
The trip is simpler than most people expect.
Fly to Buenos Aires. Book your international flight to Ezeiza International Airport (EZE). Schedule it to arrive early in the morning.
Connect to La Pampa. You have two options: an Aerolineas Argentinas domestic flight to Santa Rosa (RSA), or our weekly charter flight that connects Buenos Aires with La Pampa. The charter leaves after midday and lands about an hour and a half later.
Drive to the ranch. We meet you at the airport and drive you to the lodge. The drive takes about an hour and a half.
On the way home, the charter leaves La Pampa in the afternoon and arrives at Ezeiza in the late afternoon. If you are not staying a night in Buenos Aires, book a departure close to midnight.
Passports, Visas and Gun Permits
Citizens of the United States, Canada and the European Union do not need a visa to enter Argentina. Your passport must be valid for six months after the last day of your trip.
Bringing your own rifle is straightforward. The permit is issued when you arrive at the airport. Each hunter can bring up to two guns, and each gun pays a permit fee of USD 100 at the airport. If you prefer to travel light, rifle and shotgun rental is available at the lodge.
Our F.A.Q. page covers entry formalities in more detail, and we send a complete pre-trip guide to every hunter who books.
What a Hunting Day Looks Like
Our standard red stag program is 6 nights and 5 1/2 hunting days. Every hunter has a personal guide, and the hunting is spot and stalk on foot. During the roar, mornings and evenings are spent moving toward roaring stags and glassing the openings in the forest. Midday is for lunch and rest at the lodge.
The lodge is a comfortable estancia style house with double occupancy rooms and private bathrooms. We serve four meals a day, with Argentine wines, local beers and local spirits included.
Bowhunters are welcome. Poitahue is managed and run by bowhunters, and we have hosted Gus Congemi, Joe Thomas and Brian "Pigman" Quaca on archery hunts. See our bowhunting program for details.
What Is Included in the Trip
Our programs include lodging, meals and drinks, ground transportation between Santa Rosa airport and the ranch, professional guides, trackers, bare skull trophy preparation, assistance with trophy export, and all local taxes and service charges.
Not included: international and domestic flights, the charter flight, hunting licenses, gun rental, ammunition, dip and pack, trophy export and airfreight, and gratuities.
How Far Ahead to Book
The roar lasts only a few weeks and each guide takes one hunter, so the number of places is limited by nature. Most of our guests reserve their dates a year ahead. Groups that want the whole lodge should plan even earlier.
If your dates are flexible, tell us. We sometimes have openings from cancellations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best month for a hunting trip to Argentina?
For red stag, March and April, during the roar. For mixed bag wingshooting and ducks, May through July.
Do I need a visa to hunt in Argentina?
Citizens of the United States, Canada and the European Union do not need a visa. Your passport must be valid for six months after the last day of your trip.
Can I bring my own rifle to Argentina?
Yes. The permit is issued at the airport when you arrive. Each hunter can bring up to two guns, and each gun pays a permit fee of USD 100.
How long is a typical Argentina hunting trip?
Our standard red stag program is 6 nights and 5 1/2 hunting days. Trophy stag programs run 3 to 5 hunting days.
Can I combine big game and wingshooting on the same trip?
Yes. Decoyed pigeons combine easily with big game in March and April, and we offer dove and pigeon sessions as an add-on to our red stag programs.
Plan Your Trip With the Owners
Tell us what you want to hunt and when, and we will answer with available dates and a program built for your group. Contact us and you will be talking directly to the people who run the ranch.
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