I had bagged several teal species and a few Black-Headed Ducks, but we hadn’t seen a single Brazilian Teal. I was growing concerned about my final Argentine species. A cold snap just before I arrived had pushed them to warmer weather north of the estancia. After lunch we tried a small pond that I hadn’t hunted yet, hoping to get lucky number 13 and wrap up my time in Argentina. There was no shortage of ducks, but once again, not a single Brazilian Teal.
I kept thinking back to my North America Waterfowl Slam, and the struggles I experienced hunting bird number 42, the Fulvous Whistling Duck. I had to travel to four locations before I was able to find one. I couldn’t find a Fulvous Whistling Duck in Florida, Sonora, or Northern Culiacan. The weather had always pushed the species out of the area just before my arrival. While waiting in Northern Culiacan, I had called Sergio Sr. in Hermosillo and asked for his assistance. Sergio made the calls and found the species in abundance near Sinaloa, in southern Culiacan. A short flight later, I was in the middle of a lot of Fulvous Whistling Ducks, and number 42 was quickly in the bag.
That night at the estancia, I made a call to an Argentine outfitter that hosted us for an amazing big-game hunt earlier in the year. They have a duck lodge in the province of Entre Rios. The lodge is further north than the estancia I’d been hunting, and the weather was warmer. The outfitter said that there were many Brazilian Teal on the property, and even though they were “full up” with hunters, they would get me on the birds. They assured me that we’d find my Brazilian Teal. They suggested I catch a charter flight, and someone would meet me and take me on an afternoon hunt. I made the arrangements and booked a flight for the next morning.
Early in the morning on May 22, I was back in the first duck blind I had used at the estancia. I had a few hours before having to fly north to the next lodge, so I figured I’d make the most of my time there. The ducks were flying, and my limit was down in 90 minutes. We packed up and said goodbye to Maxie and the staff and left to catch my 11 a.m. flight.
I was greeted us at an Entre Rios airstrip and we drove the 20 minutes back to the lodge. We had lunch and discussed the afternoon hunt. This outfitter has a very nice setup and the owner is an exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly individual. If you’d like to book a big-game, dove, or waterfowl hunt or sit in one of the blinds with an expert guide calling in hundreds of birds, call or email WTA. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to book the hunt of a lifetime with one of their expert consultants!
We left the lodge and headed to a small pond at around 3 p.m. My goal was not to shoot a limit, but rather to take a single Brazilian Teal. The pond was surrounded by scrub brush in the middle of a cow pasture. As we drove up, about 30 Brazilian Teal lifted off. Needless to say, I was excited and felt good about the prospect of wrapping up my 13th species on this pond.
The Brazilian Teal, also known as the Brazilian Duck, is widely distributed in eastern South America. The drakes have red beaks and legs, and have a distinctive gray area on the side of their head and neck. The Brazilian Teal tend to travel farther north for warmer climates than most of the other South American species.
We set up on the shore of the small pond in a temporary blind. Fifteen minutes later, three Brazilian Teal hens came in—I dropped two. A minute later, a single drake came in and I got him. In less than 30 minutes I had number 13 of my South America Waterfowl Slam, and finished my targeted Argentine waterfowl species. Moving north from Buenos Aires Province to the Entre Rios Province was a good call and well worth it. I shot more Brazilian Teal and a couple of Speckled Teal before hitting my limit and packing up.
That evening at the lodge, with only a morning hunt remaining before the day’s afternoon flight home, we discussed ducks, good food, and good wine. What an amazing host and guide!
We decided to change things up for our morning hunt, so we switched from ducks to doves. There are millions of doves across Argentina and their numbers seriously damage agricultural operations and the country’s economy. I shot doves for one hour and my guide, using his counter, credited me with 114 hits. A pair of foxes were there to assist us during our hunt. They knew the drill, and the shotgun fire was like the ringing of a dinner bell. Justin and Lee filmed them eating doves. They were totally unconcerned with our presence, and didn’t even flinch at the barrage of shotgun fire.
Next up, they took me on a Perdiz hunt, which I had read about but never experienced. The Perdiz is a member of the tinamou family of upland birds that frequents short grasses. . They are plentiful in areas of Argentina. The English Pointer had us on the birds within a few minutes. Eight points! Eight Perdiz up and eight Perdiz down, and just like that, I had my daily bag limit. Could there be a South America Upland Slam in my future?
We returned to the lodge for lunch. I thanked everyone for their assistance and spectacular hospitality before driving to Buenos Aires and catching a redeye flight back to the USA. Next up? A trip to Peru to continue my quest for the South America Waterfowl Slam.
