My Trip to Argentina and My Views
An Educational and Dove Hunting Trip in Argentina Feb. 2006 Pa
has a limit of 12 Doves per day. So you can imagine that this is
not where you will find me. I took my son Jamie and went to
Argentina where there is no limit. We were accompanied by
several friends from our Philadelphia Pa. area. We spent a week
on this trip. We were able to see some of this finest Dove
hunting areas in the world. There are millions of doves in this
region of Argentina near Cordoba. Over the last two decades,
Cordoba province has become synonymous with the phrase
"High-volume dove hunting." The region has a delightful climate
that allows grain crops such as corn, sorghum, wheat and peanuts
to flourish most of the year. This enormous food supply is
bordered and interspersed with density hillside roosting cover,
and the combination of food source and roost has produced a
population of Zenaida Auriculata estimated to be over 20 million
birds -- Argentina doves that do not migrate, reproduce up to
four times annually and provide literally year-round shooting.
These birds have been estimated to consume up to one third of
the grain crops in the area. Dove hunting in Argentina is an
activity that must be experienced rather than explained. Dove
and Pigeon are considered to be plague in the area, so there are
no bag limits or seasons for hunting them. One can only imagine
that when bird flu arrives in Argentina, how big and terrible
will the bird flu distrupt this ecosystem. I perdict that bird
flu will mutate first to humans in a form that is transmissable
from human to humnan in this area of the world. I believe that
the quantity of birds and their droppings will allow for the
transfer of the disease quickly in Argentina. After seeing the
vast numbers of wild birds and knowing that they will be present
with a large presence durring the harvesting of grain, a cross
contamination will likly result in this habitat.
With such vast numbers of birds present, hunters regularly use
two guns and a reloader to prevent barrel overheating, as they
may go through 1,000 ( a thousand) rounds in a morning. Because
of this last reason and the fact that they are considered a
plague, the local authorities have not established any bag
limits or special seasons for dove hunting.
This trip to Argentina also provided us with information and
ideas for on our ranchs and farms in the USA. Soils in Argentina
can grow good crops with little fertilizer and have fewer pest
and disease problems. Farm laborers work cheap, and chemical
costs are low. This will make our farms less competitive. There
is no doubt that Argentina has made great advances in ag
production and will be real competition to crops that are grown
on our farms. The lands around Cordoba that we visited are flat
and very fertile with a long growing season. There will be low
cost soil erosion controls needed. Easily making it a bread
basket for the world. We can be competitive. We can must expand
on our altnernative use for our American farmlands. We must
increase the recreational oportunities for our farms to help
them stay competitive. Our transportation infrastructure is much
better in the United States. Most roads outside the major urban
areas are poor quality dusty, potholed, and rough. Our farms
have easier access to capital for growth and markets for sales
and urban areas. Our markets are better and more established.
Our dollars is also more stable than the Argentine Pesos. This
gives us better funding advantages. I also suspect that American
Ag extension agencies and colleges are better and more available
to educate our rural population. Afterall, education is the real
key to our future in successful farm management and operations.