South America Hunting: Where to Go and What to Hunt

South America hunting means, for most traveling hunters, Argentina. It is the continent's main destination for free range red stag and other big game, and for high volume dove, pigeon and duck shooting. Seasons are reversed from North America: the red stag roar is in March and April, and the best wingshooting runs through the southern fall and winter.

We are hunters and ranch owners in La Pampa, Argentina, and this is the overview we give friends who ask where to start.

What You Can Hunt in South America

Hunters come to this continent for two very different things.

• Big game. Red stag is the headline species. It was brought from Europe to Argentina in the early 1900s and has lived wild here for more than a century. Alongside it you will find water buffalo, blackbuck, fallow deer, axis deer, wild boar and other introduced species.

• Wingshooting. Doves, pigeons, ducks and perdiz, a native upland bird hunted over pointing dogs.

Argentina is the one country where both are well established with lodges, guides, and a clear process for visiting hunters to bring firearms and take trophies home. Hunting rules in other South American countries are different in every case and change over time, so check current regulations with a local outfitter before you plan anything there.

Why Argentina Is the Center of South America Hunting

• Space. Private ranches are measured in tens of thousands of acres. Poitahue Hunting Ranch offers free range hunting across more than 80,000 acres in La Pampa.

• Variety in one place. At our ranches a hunter can take a red stag and add species from a list of more than 13, then shoot doves and pigeons without changing lodges.

• Simple logistics. One overnight flight to Buenos Aires, a short connection, and you are at the lodge the same day. Gun permits are issued at the airport on arrival.

• Hospitality. Estancia lodges, open fire cooking and Argentine wine are part of the hunt.

Hunting Regions of Argentina

Region	Known for	Terrain
La Pampa	Free range red stag, water buffalo, blackbuck, fallow and axis deer, wild boar, pigeons and doves	Caldén forest and grassland
Northern Patagonia	Red stag in the mountains	Andes foothills, steppe, river valleys
Córdoba	High volume dove shooting	Hills and farmland
Buenos Aires and the northeast	Ducks, perdiz, some big game estates	Wetlands and farmland

La Pampa is where we hunt, and it is where red deer were first released in the country. The forest here lets you get close to roaring stags on foot, which is why it is also the region bowhunters choose.

South America Hunting Seasons

Everything is turned around from what you know at home.

Months	Southern season	Hunting at Poitahue
March and April	Fall	Red stag roar. Big game. Decoyed pigeons combined with big game.
May, June and July	Late fall and winter	Mixed bag with pigeons, perdiz and doves. Duck hunting options.

For a hunter from the United States or Canada this means a second season. You can hunt elk or whitetail in the fall and be stalking a roaring stag six months later.

The Big Game Species

• Red stag. A close relative of the elk, hunted during the roar when stags call day and night. See our red stag hunts and world class stags.

• Water buffalo. Heavy, tough animals hunted in thick brush. Brian "Pigman" Quaca took one with a bow at Poitahue, and you can watch the hunt in episode 1 of his water buffalo bowhunt.

• Blackbuck. A small, fast antelope of open country with spiral horns.

• Fallow deer and axis deer. Two deer species that combine well with a red stag hunt.

Travel: What to Expect

Hunters fly to Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires. From there, La Pampa is reached by a domestic flight to Santa Rosa or by our weekly charter, which takes about an hour and a half. The drive from the airport to the ranch takes another hour and a half.

Citizens of the United States, Canada and the European Union do not need a visa. Each hunter can bring up to two guns, with a permit fee of USD 100 per gun paid at the airport. Our guide to Argentina hunting trips explains each step.

How to Choose an Outfitter in South America

Distance makes it hard to check things for yourself, so choose carefully. Ask whether the hunting is free range, how many acres you will hunt, whether you get your own guide, and exactly what the price includes. We wrote two guides to help: how to choose a red stag lodge in Argentina and what hunting packages in Argentina include.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best country for hunting in South America?

Argentina is the main destination. It offers free range red stag and other big game, plus dove, pigeon, duck and perdiz shooting, with established lodges and a simple process for visiting hunters.

What animals can you hunt in Argentina?

Red stag, water buffalo, blackbuck, fallow deer, axis deer, wild boar and other big game species, plus doves, pigeons, ducks and perdiz.

When is hunting season in South America?

Seasons are reversed from North America. In Argentina the red stag roar is in March and April, and mixed bag wingshooting and duck hunting run from May through July.

Can I bring my own guns to Argentina?

Yes. Each hunter can bring up to two guns. The permit is issued at the airport on arrival and costs USD 100 per gun.

Is red stag native to South America?

No. Red deer were brought from Europe to Argentina in the early 1900s and have lived wild here for more than a century.

Start With a Conversation

Tell us what you would like to hunt and when you can travel. Contact us and you will be talking to the owners of the ranch.