Buenos Aires Argentina Hunting & Sightseeing
G'day friends and fellow hunters. I landed 4 days ago in Buenos Aires Argentina, and spent a day/night in a nearby Mall Hotel where I could get a feel to the country and its way of life.
I found out quickly the ATMs are ridiculously expensive and there were not to many banks around to convert foreign currency. Food was good steaks were tender and the wine was excellent although mostly in bottles not a glass but cheap.
The outfitter picked me up the next morning but was late. Better communication with head office could have prevented some issues. Translating to English does not mean you get to understand holiday traffic and location choices I discovered.
We made it to hunt camp by afternoon. The country reminded me of South Africa, Namibia and Malta. No hill country here!
308 was loaded and we searched for Blackbuck, the guide didn't speak English so the was a challenge most of the time in the field around camp we had the guides daughter translating in camp.
Tramping around looking for game with 3 is just too much especially when an area gets hunted a lot.
I prefer a bipod or tree rest myself rather that shooting sticks especially on smaller game at distance. Next morning I communicated before leaving the lodge how I wanted to hunt out-front rather than the 3 of us walking together spooking game at the last approach if you get my drift.
We spotted a great mature Blackbuck at 300 yards I made a sort stalk to cover trees and laid down for this longer short took aim and squeezed the rather heavy trigger and down he went.
Camp meals were very large and filling at all meals I think I gained a few pounds lol.
Next Morning we hunted Capybara which one of the worlds largest rodents and was successful on harvesting. The camp cooked was preparing it an hour later for supper. .17 caliber was used.
Next day was water buffalo with the 375 HH. Here's where things started to go wrong quickly.
First I wanted a gold medal size buff and was lead to believe there were many Mature Buffalo on the ranch. Much to my disappointment that was not true and this was the only bull on the ranch with 7-8 rather poor female or cow buffalo. The was pressure to shoot one the cows I could believe my ears. No was the answer WTF (excuse my language.)
After making it very very clear in Spanish or not "the bull or nothing" It was then I realized the Owner of the ranch was contently calling the guide on his cell phone to pressure more game be shot and to be done very quickly. I was starting to feel very uncomfortable with this now evolving shit show.
Next with little choice to hunt the only bull I loaded 3 of there rounds into there 375HH and closed the action well guess what it would not close and we couldn't eject the shell casing out of the action.
Back to camp to find a cleaning rod and yes the shell casing popped out but other shells fed into the action would not close as well and it was then I realized they were reloads and the cases had stretched and needed trimming. Lucky they has 6 or so new shells and they worked through the action correctly.
So many things raced through my mind that could have gone wrong with a dangerous game hunt and ammo that wont feed.
The buffalo was located bout 1/2 mile from the last location and down he went.
I had seen other game and had planned to pay and hunt a huge Axis deer I had seen the night before and another solid Blackbuck I had also spotted but then the there was some sort of argument between the guide and the owner on his cell phone.
The guide then tells me we are retuning to Buenos Aires later that evening. (2days earlier than planned)
Obviously the owner it a greedy old tyrant and this is definitely not some one I would recommend anyone hunt with. I brought this hunt at the GSOC convention in Vegas just before Covid19.
When you travel half ways around the world for a shit show and a greedy bastard how disappointed would you feel now. I just wanted to leave!
Caza & Safaris US booking agent picked me to take me back into Buenos Aires, he said he felt bad and offered me a night at a hotel they use in the city on them. He even helped check me in and said the first night is on them. Well come check out time I find they did not pay or leave details... yet another lie.
My time in Buenos Aires to sightsee and enjoy the rest of my time here what else can you do than learn from a very bad experience in a foreign country than move on but let my friends and follower's know what took place at CAZA & Safaris.
The guide, his daughter the translator and the ranch hand were great people and tried very hard to make the best of the problems but when you work for a tyrant you have to do what they want or risk getting fired.
