 Juan Pedro Navarro wife, Julianna_ daughter, Maria |
 Dove and Pigeon Shooting |
 Luxury Accommodations Unique Mountain Shangri-La First Class Service |
| TRIP REPORTS: |
Tom
Leland's Merlot Time in
Merlo |
John
Cornett's Merlo Trip
Report |
 High Volume Doves
|
Villa de Merlo
is located about 625 miles west of Buenos Aires
in the province of San Luis. It has a population of about 10,000. The
nearby mountains and the temperate climate make this a very nice place
just to relax or get out and see nature at its best. For the more
proactive traveler there also is golf, tennis and just about any sport
you choose.
 Our outfitter: Juan Pedro Navarro contracted to shoot
the Contara Valley fields. Shooting places vary as the birds come in to
feed, fly back to the roosting and watering areas. And there's hardly a
time that the shooting isn't
fast and furious. On our exploratory trip John Cornett and Ed
Kaltreider shot for a few hours each day but estimated that 2-1/2 to 5
cases a day
should
be the norm for those who want to shoot the full day. The big plus at
Santa
Barbara is that spot winged pigeons are mixed in with the doves and fly
over in large flocks. John and Ed averaged 6 to 12 pigeons an hour
(translating to 35-60 in a six hour shooting day) except for the one
morning
when they did some decoyed pigeon shooting with 150 plus pigeons
between
them in less than an hour and a half. Perdiz are available at extra
cost
and on a brief test, Ed experienced 22 flushes and 12 birds in just
over
an hour. Ed is a veteran Argentina hunter and agrees with me that the
shooting
at Merlo is among the best he has ever experienced.
Accommodations/Food: This is one of the truly unique aspects of the trip. Tata Inti is a beautiful complex with individual bedroom units featuring open deck views, single accommodations and jacuzzi in each room. The units surround a lush garden area with a small pond and swimming pool. Tata Inti is ideal for groups with spacious private bedrooms, fine dining and lounging areas where the group can gather for meals and relaxation, close personal touches by outstanding service and food personnel. Merlo is a mountain Shangri-La
made up mainly of retirement homes and vacation
homes, all nearly new and all brick with the amenities you would expect
in an expensive retirement community.
Accommodations are in a gated Country Club development, Chumamaya
is lush and well groomed with outstanding mountain views from each of
the homes. Group members are housed, two to three in a home, most often
with a private bedroom and bath and each with their own personal cook
and waiter to attend to their needs. Breakfast and lunch are prepared
to
order if guests want- in their own house. The main evening meal is
served
in a larger house where the entire group comes together after the
shooting
day. The food and wines were outstanding and plentiful. |
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Dove and Pigeon Hunting: Takes
place all over Valley Contara, San Luis
Province. One of the dove hunting areas is Santa Barbara, in an area of
more than 20,000 acres. Thousands of Doves and pigeons roost on the
7,500 acres that are under cultivation sorghum, milo, corn,
sunflower. The managers at Estancia Santa Barbara estimate that the
doves and pigeons caused more than half a million dollars in crop
damage last
year. 
