Argentina - Team Hitch photoz and stories

[Hitch]

Notice: Photos with the copyright 2008 Hitch mark are the property of John Hitchcock. Any unauthorized use of any of these photos is prohibited.

The trip was pure magic from start to finish and Dani arrived just before we did, Pablo picked us all up and we toured the city with a very lovely young lady as our guide and experienced life in Buenos Aries, everything from Gucci to bum shacks to a little rubbing with a taxi that got in our way. I'll save those photos for later.

The first day hunting was on a farm pond with the sun at my back, but only a little bit of sun as it stayed very overcast for most of the day.

But everyone started off wonderfully. I collected three specimens the first day, including a Chilöe Wigeon which I shot with the camera first, and then with the gun.

He's going on the wall if everything goes well with customs and fish and game at Atlanta.

As you can see though in the photos Giovanni didn’t let us use George’s decoys from the South American collection. Giovanni would have nothing of it.
Here are a few which reside safely at La Gringa

The first morning started off in grande fashion with everyone having a great time.

 

[Hitch]

I'll go ahead and put up a group shot around the dinner table. Everyone is from duckboats, although 2 are lurkers so just to have everyone know the names and the faces, I have a very nice shot of everyone well represented here. From left to right you have myself, then Scott Swartley, my good friend from Florida, then Dani of course, then Giovanni our host at La Gringa, then Tom Scholberg, Jim Woodman (Woody), and Pete McMiller.

 

[jim Williams]

Glad to see ya made it back! Hope Dani makes it home soon. can't wait to see the rest of the pictures and stories!

 

[george w]

Really nice shots of the cuchara and overo---O am going to stop leaving dekes there if he doesn't let at least you and dani use them a few times!!!
Glad you all had a good trip and that Giovanni is finally back at La Gringa, now that Milt has finally gotten back home!
Best bets for flights that are consistent are Continental and United!!!!

 

[Pete McMiller]

George,

We flew Delta down and back. I hadn't been on Delta in many years and was pleasantly surprised. We were on time or early for most of the flights and a little late on the Atlanta-EZE flight on the way down.

Unfortunately we never got to hunt with Giovanni. From the discussions that he and I had, I think he is going to get a few 28 ga's for Perdiz. He didn't say what kind though. Apparently no problem getting 28 ga ammo.

Pete

 

[george w]

Pete, the 28 may b4e just th3 I T thing for perdiz--Do you remember what dogs you hunted over? Bob and I got to play with two new ones, and one of the setters pointed every #^#$&@% sparrow and wren on the pampas, while ignoring the perdiz, or, so it seemed!!
Glad you newbies had a great time and hipe you can get down for many more--Hey, did you do any night hunting for hare or viscacha?

 

[Hitch]

The clouds prevailed over the clear blue sky for most of our lighted hours in the southern hemisphere. But the second day did manage a modest portion of morning light as the fog split into wisps amongst the reeds of the lagoon.

The Wigeon are most animated and vocal in flight, and their flight patterns were as dramatic as their chatter. Flocks were most often very disorganized, and even on occasion you could hear their wings slap when birds collide.

The cattle roam free throughout the lagoon and keep the birds moving. You could go to any pasture in the area and find the same vegetation in the small ponds fed by rain. It’s most interesting to see the natural reeds and scapes propagate in the water, and the only disruption being that from the cattle. I would be content with this at home.

I hunted on this morning with Dani in a raised blind with the light at our back, reeds surrounding a small opening just the right size for duck shooting.

The grebes were busy, as were the coots.

And the ducks too…

Dani took a nice Cinnamon Teal and a very nice Red Shoveler.

 

[Hitch]

The little Speckled Teal were the ones most apt to decoy this morning…

 

[Hitch]

The White Cheek Whistlers joined in the morning action at the big Lagoon. In flight they look and sound familiar to those of us from Florida, sounding off much like the Fulvous Whistlers, and appearing indistinguishable in flight until they get close enough for one to see the white cheek plumage.

Dani took a very nice one in our pot hole…

And Pete took a beautiful mature example…

The lagoon was once someone’s home…

..likely having some water year round, except maybe in long drought periods, and it was large enough and deep enough for the guides to prefer use of boats.

 

[Pete McMiller]

George,

I hunted over Michael (black and white Brittany) two different days and a Drathour (sp) named Sasha - she hated amradillo. The others hunted over one of the setters a couple of days. There are ten dogs so obviously we didn't hunt over all of them in ten days. I don't remember that either of the dogs ever lied to us. If they pointed it was either a Perdiz or "had been" a Perdiz that was on the run and we eventually caught up to it.

Yes, the 28 would IMHO be the perfect gun for the Perdiz. Giovanni hunts them with a 32 ga. hammer SxS. I didn't get a chance to see it as it was at the gunsmith getting a new hammer spring installed.

We had a chance on the last night to hunt Liavre (rabbit/hare) with the trucks with roll bars and lights but I was just beat and had a bit of stomach difficulties so had to pass. Ticked me off because I was really looking forward to it. Are viscacha the praire dogs? Seems I remember that word associated with them.

 

[george w]

viscacha are a LARGE version of chinchilla---VERY nocturnal--one of the guys with us managed a prone shot with the 22--man, with all of the pies in the fields, i doubt if i would have laid down--
Interesting, and you probably noted this---when a cow goes down, due to viscacha or armadillo holes, they are not moved--When we did the night viscacha thing, we encountered some of the burrows surrounded by bleached bones, leading me to remark that these critters may, indeed, be really carnivores, similar to pirhana, but on the pampa! hehehheheh--You hadda been there!!!
Sasha is a super dog!! We did note that the little buggers had a tendancy to migrate ahead of the dogs!!

 

[Tom Scholberg]

George, I have to agree with Pete about the honesty of the dogs. I personally hunted over Bliky, Lady, Masha (Marsha?) and Dick. None of them seemed to "lie" just sometimes had a runner. The move to smaller guages for the Perdiz is a great move I.M.H.O. also. Interesting that Giovani would bring that up to abunch of us small gauge shooters without knowing that we were. I would probably go for an O/U 20 for everything there. Just getting to lazy and old to carry all that ammo ;-) and the heavy gun. Thanks to Hitch for putting the pics up, I still wrestle with sizing small enough to post. Any word from Dani yet??

 

[wis boz]

Thanks Hitch for a great series of pictures. What was the daytime temp?
wis boz

 

[Pete McMiller]

Hi Boz,

Here is a site for the weather of that area: http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/87649.html

In a nut-shell, the daytime temps were in the 40's and 50's I think and never got cold enough at night to have ice. I never looked at a thermometer the whole trip but I think the night time temps were likely in the upper 30's or low 40's. One day hunting Perdiz the sun was out and it got quite warm like in the 60's. I wore long underwear the whole week and usually a heavy wools sweater while duck hunting though the last day I had on two wool sweaters because of the cold wind. On top of the sweaters I had a gortex windbreaker camo coat.

All in all very pleasant weather.

Pete

 

[Hitch]

Dani called me at about 1300, was still on for a flight out of Buenos Ares at 1430 today, so since I haven't heard from her again, she's probably in the air over the Amazon about now.

Oh and I'm only on day 2 of the photos so there's 4 more days of photos left Wiz...stay tuned!!

Hitch

 

[Pete McMiller]

Hitch, just curious, how many do you have to go through? My guess would be about 2.5k

I trust your dogs were as glad to see you as Otto was. He still hasn't left my side. Oh and, he KNEW I had gone hunting. I let him smell my clothes and the look on his face said it all. I felt like crawling into a hole. The good news was, he forgave me in about 30 seconds

Pete

 

[Hitch]

Mine won't leave me out of their sight. And the smell of "other dogs" on my close, I got the look too. Czar, my Springer, is up wrapped around my back on the chair, has his front paws and his head on my lap as I type this. It is nice to come home to the dogs. Remember what I told you. If I ever find me a women as happy to see me when I come home each day as the boys are, and if I miss her and look forward to seeing her each time I come home, as much as I do these dogs, I may just have to...nope, not gonna...well maybe

I have just over 1800 photos.

Hitch

Here are a couple from Saturday evening, Scott and Dani roasting their pads, the bird boys relaxing and did anyone mention how great the food is?

 

[Tom Scholberg]

Funny you should mention the dogs- Mine visibly grew and changed. He is almost a year old and you know how fast they change then. Both guys have not let me out of their sight or nose since I got back. Booker doesn't know "hunting" yet but believe you me he knew something GOOOD was going on. He slept on my hunting clothes before I left and I think Charlie let him in on the secret. I guess Deb got shorted on a full nights sleep several nights with all the fuss over every little noise. When I got home I found the windows that I am going to install to offset the trip cost are here already so I can get 'er done real soon. Got everything cleaned up and put away for the next trip and almost rested up. Back to the couch now for a bit. Keep the pics comming Hitch and thanks again for all.

 

[Ed L.]

Great pics as always Hitch!! Looks like you guys...and girl had a great hunt. Thanks for sharing.

Ed L.

 

[JMiller]

Hitch have you talked to DB again? Its late Sat and I still havent heard from her and was wondering if she got back to the states or if she's still stuck down there...

(laughs) she'll pay hell on monday but she ain't getting sympathy from me.
Glad you all had a good time.... the clock is now ticking on my (hopeful) trip...

James