Free Range Red Stag on 80,000 Acres: How We Hunt the Caldén Forest
Updated: 5 days ago
A free range red stag hunt at Poitahue Hunting Ranch is a spot and stalk hunt on foot, with one guide per hunter, across more than 80,000 acres of natural, untamed land in La Pampa, Argentina. There are no fences holding the stags in and no feeders bringing them out. You hunt them the way they live: in the caldén forest, the open plains and the edges between them.
This guide explains what the country looks like, how a hunting day works, how the terrain changes the shot, and what we look for in a stag before we let you take it.
What Free Range Means at Poitahue
Free range is a word that gets used loosely. Here is what it means on our ranch.
Big, open country. More than 80,000 acres of free range land, with stags that move freely across it.
Wild herds. La Pampa is where red deer were first released in Argentina in the early 1900s. The herds have lived wild in this forest for more than a century.
Fair chase. Spot and stalk on foot. Your guide finds the stag, and the two of you close the distance together.
One guide per hunter. Every hunter has a personal hunting guide for the whole program, supported by trackers.
The Caldén Forest
The caldén is a native tree of central Argentina, and La Pampa holds some of the largest caldén woods left in the country. It grows in open stands, with grass, thorny shrubs and clearings in between. For a red stag, it is perfect country: cover to hide in during the day, open grass to feed in at first and last light.
For a hunter, it means two very different kinds of terrain on the same property. In the woods you hunt close and quiet. On the plains you glass from a distance and plan a long approach. Many stalks start in one and finish in the other.
A Day on a Free Range Hunt
Our standard free range program is 6 nights and 5 1/2 hunting days at our Estancia style lodge, for one free range red stag, the best you can take. A typical day during the roar looks like this:
Before first light. Coffee at the lodge, then out to listen. During the roar, stags are vocal at dawn, and your guide uses the sound to decide where to go.
Morning stalk. You move toward the roaring stags on foot, glassing clearings and the edges of the woods. This is where most stags are found.
Midday. Back to the lodge for lunch and rest. Stags bed down in the heat of the day, and so do we.
Afternoon and evening. Back out as the light drops and the stags start moving and roaring again.
Dinner. Four meals a day, Argentine wines and the stories of the day around the table.
If you want to add other species or a few hours of dove and pigeon shooting, the midday break is usually when it fits. See the options on our wingshooting page.
How the Terrain Changes the Shot
Terrain | How you hunt | Typical shot |
Caldén woods | Slow, quiet stalking toward a roaring stag | Close, usually between 50 and 100 meters |
Open plains | Glassing from a distance, long planned approach | Longer, up to about 300 meters |
That range of distances is why we ask rifle hunters to practice from field positions before the trip: off sticks, kneeling and sitting, at short and long range. Bowhunters get their own approach, because Poitahue is the only lodge in Argentina managed and run by pro bowhunters. Read more on our bowhunting page.
Judging a Stag in the Field
In free range country you rarely get a second look. Your guide will judge the stag fast, usually in thick cover and fading light, and tell you if it is the one. Trust that call. Our guides see these herds every season and know which stags are mature and which should be left to grow.
If your goal is a true trophy class stag, our world class stags program runs 3 to 5 hunting days for one trophy stag up to 340 SCI, with the option to upgrade to upper medal class stags.
What Is Included
Our free range program includes lodging in double occupancy rooms with private bathrooms, four meals a day, soft drinks, Argentine wines, local beers and spirits, your personal guide, trackers and cleaning staff, ground transportation between Santa Rosa airport and the ranch, bare skull trophy preparation, assistance to export your trophy, and all local taxes and service charges. The full list, and what is not included, is on our programs page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the red stag hunting at Poitahue really free range?
Yes. We hunt more than 80,000 acres of natural, untamed land in La Pampa. Stags move freely across the property and are hunted spot and stalk, on foot, with one guide per hunter.
How long is a free range red stag hunt?
Our free range program is 6 nights and 5 1/2 hunting days for one free range red stag, the best you can take.
What is the caldén forest?
The caldén is a native tree of central Argentina. Its open woods, mixed with grass and clearings, give red stags cover during the day and feeding areas at dawn and dusk, which shapes how every stalk is planned.
How far are the shots?
In the woods, shots are usually between 50 and 100 meters. On the open plains they can be longer, up to about 300 meters.
When is the best time to hunt free range red stag?
During the roar, in March and April. Stags are vocal and move in daylight, so you can locate them by sound before you see them.
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