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Thread: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

  1. #31
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    who did you go with to go shoot doves?

  2. #32
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    The dove and big game hunting was all done at Anuritay Ranch. Paco Pizzaro is the founder and owner of the lodge. It is one of the biggest in Argentina. His name is in the record books many many times.
    Quote Originally Posted by hunter1947 View Post
    Unions and beacon is what I fry the liver in with a coating of flower on the liver ,,I eat the tong,,the hart,, its very good eating......

  3. #33
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    Thanks for bringing life back to this site!
    There is always a lull between hunting seasons and although we have been entertained with politics and such,this is the kind of threads we all hope for.
    Great story so far and I will tune in for more!
    and if they dont come soon,I will grab a sack of beer and head over for a first hand story of your experience.
    Glad to hear you had such a good time!
    now on with the show!
    Last edited by Blainer; 05-10-2011 at 10:02 PM.

  4. #34
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    looks like a ton of fun.
    Not sure it was fair chase shooting a ram that had soooo much of it's vision blocked by horn though
    Good on ya. hope to see more pics.
    CARNIVOROUS MAXIMUS

  5. #35
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    Good write up there, Dave.. I can't wait for more..

  6. #36
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    Been waiting impatiently for this for a while,, looks like you guys had a absolute blast!!!!!!!

    Look forward to the rest
    BH

  7. #37
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    Continued....

    6:30 came early, and in the breaking dawn we lit up the sky with plenty of shots! The sky was gray and the masses of doves weren’t flying as they were supposed to because of this. But it was still a good shoot and many a dove fell from the sky. Back to the ranch house for a breakfast of eggs and very salty bacon. As interesting as the bacon was the first day, I found the end of my like for it and its saltiness and put an end to this breakfast order from now on.

    After breakfast we were out looking for wild boar. A few different varieties of pigs roam freely on this property. Wild boar, Russian boar, white lipped and collared peccary. The peccary at the moment are kind of on hold. Another province has decided to not cooperate and allow them to be brought into that province of Argentina. That province is Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, even though legal to hunt and export from the country, I can’t ship them from Argentina as they have to go through the capital city. There are 5 big game animals, all native to Argentina, and unfortunately Cougar falls on this list. Even though they haven’t been able to export cougars for 18 months, I have chosen to put out the bait for one, just for the experience and hopefully there won’t be too much longer of a wait before they are cleared to leave. In December they talked with BA and were told it would be changed shortly. So if I do get a cougar, it will be a while possibly before I see it at home. Even though we have cougar back home and a good friend of mine has hounds, I have chosen to take one here as they are cheap and I get to hunt them with a spear. This brings me to the next part of my tale. Spears.

    The entrails of the rams on the previous day were hung about 4 feet up in the trees and the bait was set. The piglets and the foxes wouldn’t get to taste these, only the big boar hogs. They stand on their back legs and reach high to taste the fresh fly ridden sheep guts. The strategy is to attract the hogs and then let the dogs do the work. Cougars only take live bait so that is an entirely different hunt. For hogs, the gauchos race out with the dogs in tow and check the baits. Sure enough, the radio on the jeep crackled as the gauchos screamed ahead of us. They had a pig surrounded with the dogs barking on each side. Unlike some pig hunts, the dogs here only surround and stop the pig. They don’t latch on and hold the hog or animal. They don’t wear protection and learn quickly to stay out of reach of the massive head swinging razor sharp tusks. The gauchos circled to stop the pig and the boar attacked them! The pig charged and the horse wasn’t quick enough. The blood flowed from a deep gash in the rear flank of the horse. Down the white leg the blood ran red and the pig had a fire and a fresh taste of blood in its mouth. As we arrived to the crazed boar we parked the jeep and it was decided Stewart would take this first one. With a 44 magnum lever action rifle.

    As Stewart jumped from the truck following Paco things got very interesting. Three seconds into this hunt Stewart pointed the mares leg 44 magnum rifle and there was a boom! then and as fast as it could have happened the mad pig dropped not more than 2 feet from Stewarts feet. He jumped back and the smoke cleared as the blood flowed freely from the skull of the Pig. After the ringing in my ears stopped (still standing on the truck looking over Stewarts shoulder) I started to soak in what had happened. The literally wild boar charged straight for Stewart as he left the truck and before he could pull the hammer back on the Winchester Paco whipped out his revolver and saved Stewarts bacon! It took a while to soak in, but my hands started trembling and I literally tasted fear in my mouth. That was way closer than even I had realized. In the three seconds, faster than I could have imagined, Stewart was nearly wounded, possibly mortally. This is why we have PH’s. Professional hunters, it all seems so easy, but when things get crazy, problems are solved. This time the problem solver was a 357 magnum handgun. The solid entered the brain and exited next to the giant cohunes of this massive 300 pound swine. I caught my breath and basked in frightening thoughts of using a spear on a boar like this.

    However Cory was up next. Her hands shook as she thought of the possible consequences. I was definitely concerned, but somehow felt confident after standing next to a man like Paco. He would be able to stop most any problems, even if it was close. Then….the radio crackled…..

    Paco, Paco, hurry! Hurry! A boar! We raced toward the gauchos and there was fear in Cory’s widened eyes. After 3 seconds of pushing her off the truck she grabbed the 44 magnum Winchester and headed towards the popping jaws of her hog. I followed her, somehow trusting she would protect me with nothing but a video camera in my hand. With cordura chaps to stop the tearing thorns on every tree and bush she headed into the thick bush after Paco, following the bark of the three dogs. Unsure of what might happen my video camera shook in my hand. I have been scared plenty of times in my life, heck I live for the next adrenaline rush, but I had just witnessed a man being charged and stopped at less than 2 feet by a handgun; I was heading into an unknown place.

    Luckily the ginger boar was staying still. Unlike other hunts with dogs for pigs these dogs are just ordinary dogs. Just strays in the city, taken in by Paco to see if they can hunt. And these mutts hunt well. Staying just outside of the razor sharp teeth they bark and chase the tail of the pigs.

    Cory lined up her open sight magnum and with one shot the pig fell. Shortly followed by the sound of Paco’s insurance policy. As they hugged, the boar took off! It ran 50 yards before sitting again, and 1 minute later, chasing it through the thorns, Cory lined up on it again. This time it fell for good. Thump! It was all over. A perfect spine shot in the neck. Pulling the great beast from the bush we admired the size and sharpness of the mandibles of this animal. And with that, it was my turn.

    One of the reasons I was so eager to head south was spear hunting; legal in Canada, yet not often, if ever done at home. The spears made by the Cold Steel Company were re touched that morning and glistened in the 28 degree heat. The blade, 4 inches wide, double edged, and 15 inches long, were followed by a 6 foot wooden 1 ½ inch thick handle.

    The strategy is to surround the pig with the dogs and finding an open side. Then one on one I attack the pig holding tight on the shaft, always pointing at the pigs head. Should and when it charges, you don’t stab but hold your ground and keep the pigs razor sharp tusks away from your person using the tip of the spear as a branding iron for its face. When you find your choice armpit on the pig you don’t just stab away, you charge the pig with your entire weight and holding the spear run the pig through to the stopper, imbedding the massive blade into the heart/lungs and push the pig off its feet, hopefully immobilizing it. Of course this is a best case scenario. Usually the pig moves before you get your perfect placement, and as it feels and see’s the charge of the spear, the pig doesn’t hold still for too long, slashing and swinging its Crest white smiley teeth towards its attacker….Me.

    The adrenaline began to surge as the engine roared on the 1970s jeep/dodge truck. The smell of diesel plumes in the air as we charged forward in the open topped truck. From up top we saw the gauchos circling and saw the grey tan wiry hair of the boar surrounded by the dogs. It was go time! I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. All I knew about this spear hunting was that it was possible and that it was incredibly dangerous. Cougars often run when attempted spearing, pigs almost always fight. As we dismounted the truck I was handed my weapon. Man vs. boar with nothing but a sharp stick. Two of them actually. Paco was backing me up with only a spear. No guns were drawn. We headed into the thick thorny cover following the sound of the clacking jaws of a 350 pound brute.
    Quote Originally Posted by hunter1947 View Post
    Unions and beacon is what I fry the liver in with a coating of flower on the liver ,,I eat the tong,,the hart,, its very good eating......

  8. #38
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -

    I lined it up and readied, as we closed the distance I stayed in front hoping everything would go to plan. Ten feet down to two feet, no problems. Pig was seated and snapping its jaws, hearing the clack of it sharpening its bottom 4 inch tusk against its top teeth. I closed the distance and at one foot away Paco’s words were “Stick it!” But the pig was too fast and a squeal came as it ran, chasing a dog! We backed out of the thorn bush the easy way and went around the backside of this clump of bush to get a better angle and closer to the pig.

    Using the traditional bush cutting machete we cut our way into the rather upset boar. At a few feet away this time I wove my spear between the inch thick trees. Finding my spot perfectly in the pit of the arm I thrust with all my 230lb force forward deep into the heart and lungs of the pig, pushing and pushing the pig pawed the ground trying to mortally wound me as I was him, he wanted to kill me just as much as I did him. Five seconds which felt like five minutes later he tipped over and we ran through an opening in the brush to put one more insurance policy into his heart. As he lie on his side squealing I gave it one deep push into the heart and then when I thought I couldn’t go any deeper I put both hands on the blunt end of the spear and sunk the tip deeper, up and into the spine of the boar. The dogs jumped in and bit at the boar hog claiming the true victory as much theirs as it was mine.

    The whole thing was over in ten seconds or less. A new feeling came over me and I wondered no more what it would be like. It was done. It was as effective as any bullet, and faster than an arrow death. It was an absolutely incredible experience. With the right tools, this is madness, yet somehow controlled, all at the same time. I felt a calm sense of primal relief. It is just so hands on and so intense, yet somehow I felt I was on a more even playing field with the animal.

    As I jumped back onto our transport my 58 year old friends face lit up as we had one pig left in our package. He hadn’t really killed a boar yet as his was shot in self defense by the guide, so he decided all in that moment to take the last pig. He saw the excitement in my eyes and wanted it all for his own. We pressed on following slowly behind the horses in our chariot waiting and hoping for one more shout from the gauchos.

    As we passed by a creek we heard their cries and saw the pig. I wished him luck as Stewart grabbed his spear and headed towards the action. Following with the video camera I watched as three of them with spears made their way like line backers, shoulders down heading towards the last and final pig for the day. At three feet from the pig I heard the call for charge! And I watched as Stewart’s spear sunk deep into the shoulder of the pig, followed quickly by the thrust of two more spears. The pig twisted and ran ten feet only to be stuck again and held as the spears sunk deeper into the chest of the adrenaline filled dying boar. As it was held fighting, the 357 stopper was handed to Stewart’s left hand. With one arm wrapped around the spear and the other clenching a magnum the shot was placed between the eyes and the boar suddenly stopped. Wow. It was as incredible as mine. I will relive it in my thoughts for some time. We were wide open in the middle of a field, it was man versus beast. It just doesn’t get any more primal than this.

    After we got back to the ranch, sleep came over me in a wave and Cory and I crashed out for 2 hours. Only to be woken by the tapping of a shotgun on the door of our bedroom. Wake uuuuuu-uup! I rolled out of bed readying for another amazing evening of dove hunting. And amazing hardly describes it! The doves are an absolute plague to the farmers, just as rats are to them back home. Except they are not in the hundreds, they are in the billions. In one night you should have at least 3000 doves easily within shooting distance and probably five times that amount seen. You are placed on a 20 yard wide path somewhere deep in the thorny dove country. The doves appear in groups of two to fifteen for about four seconds total as they fly over your improvised yet brutal landing strip.

    Then the doves begin to fall. It’s so insane as the doves return to their roost that you really don’t have time to reload even. Many hunters here who are here just for the wing hunting take two guns. They empty one berretta; swap it with the guide for a freshly filled gun, and as fast as you can pull the trigger the bird’s fall, if….you do your job. My work tonight consisted of helping farmers in a poor country, rid their fields of pestilence. As the tap of birds shut off my guide asked us all to come around and check the thumb clicker in his left hand which he hadn’t had time to look at for all the constant reloading he was doing. 491 birds went down tonight. Eight hundred and some shots were fired. An incredible evening and all I have to show for it is a really burned thumb as I grabbed the gun like some kind of hero attempting to prove my excellence shooting left handed I really scorched my thumb on the nearly red and unbelievably hot barrel. These guns are incredible and really go the distance. I honestly don’t think many others would stand the test of constant fire breathing down the barrel for 2 plus hours straight.

    As I write this both of my shoulders can barely lift a cold beer to my lips. Not from the pounding of the gun on my shoulder as one might think, as I am wearing magnum level shoulder recoil strap on pad on my right shoulder, but from lifting the gun up and up again and again for so many shots. Tomorrow morning comes early so I will bid you adieu for now and hit the sack. If you ever get a chance to go on a dove hunt, take it. I will be back for sure, its indescribable on paper just how big a smile is on your face for so long. Probably the most fun a hunter could ever have in one day.

    To be continued....









    Quote Originally Posted by hunter1947 View Post
    Unions and beacon is what I fry the liver in with a coating of flower on the liver ,,I eat the tong,,the hart,, its very good eating......

  9. #39
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -









    Quote Originally Posted by hunter1947 View Post
    Unions and beacon is what I fry the liver in with a coating of flower on the liver ,,I eat the tong,,the hart,, its very good eating......

  10. #40
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    Re: HUNTING ARGENTINA - Spears, Arrows and Bullets -









    Quote Originally Posted by hunter1947 View Post
    Unions and beacon is what I fry the liver in with a coating of flower on the liver ,,I eat the tong,,the hart,, its very good eating......

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