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Dove hunting tips

Dove hunting tips for hunting in South America do not differ much from the normal dove hunting tactics used throughout the rest of the world. Like most successful hunting—pre-trip scouting, planning, and preparations stack the deck in your favor of having a great day in the field. Those hunters that skip the pre-hunt prep leave their results to chance.

Fortunately, great dove hunting outfitters in Argentina have done the scouting and legwork for you prior to the hunt. The best thing that you can do for yourself is to have the discipline to read all of the outfitters pre trip instructions carefully, bring exactly which items are recommended for a successful hunt, and by all means ask questions if you are unsure of anything. There are no dumb questions on international wingshooting trips. However, you will feel dumb if your fail to prepare properly and end up not being able to enjoy, or complete your hunt because of your error.

If I had to think of the most common example of a lack of preparedness on a dove hunt that ending up causing a less than enjoyable trip for the client it would be the following: note: Name is changed to protect the privacy of this hunter…One of our guests, lets call him Kevin, did not take the time to read his paperwork carefully for his Uruguay dove hunt.

In bold type at the bottom of the gun form—just above where he signed his name, it warned the client that the guns that are listed on this form, up to three, are the only guns that the permit that we would be arranging for him would cover. In bold type, and in italics, it stated that if he wishes to substitute a different gun, or guns, that he must complete another form and submit it to our office within ten business days of the date of his arrival.

Kevin either did not read this at all, forgot it, or decided that an exception would be made for him upon arrival, and brought none of the three guns he had listed previously. He instead showed up with two very expensive double guns that were valued at over $15,000 each, only to have them confiscated by customs upon arrival.

Even though Uruguay has arguably the most lenient gun entry policy of any Latin American hunting destination, the permits are issued, signed, and notarized in a government office that is located over an hour from the airport. They can’t be reissued on the spot to reflect the new serial numbers, make, and model of Kevin’s expensive shotguns.

Only making things worse, it was Saturday. No one would be able to do anything to get him a new permit until Monday morning. Customs had no choice but to confiscate the guns until a legal permit could be obtained, or until he left the country.

Even though he was not thrilled about it, after we assured Kevin that we would get his guns for him on Monday, he was able to relax into a great dove shoot using a lodge gun. A new gun permit was issued on Monday morning, and a great outfitter was able to convince customs to release the guns and it was delivered to the lodge in time for the PM shoot.

Kevin was embarrassed, and swore that next time he would read the pre trip documents more carefully to avoid such a nerve wracking and expensive ordeal—the new permit and delivery of these fine double guns cost him $470.

So if you want a great dove hunting tip, here it is: familiarize yourself with all of the applicable laws for the country that you are hunting in. Also, when you return home, don’t forget to put the plug back in your gun. You would not make the first person that forgot, and was surprised by a game warden on an opening day spot check.