This illustrious lodge in Argentina offers beautiful scenery and a dove hunting experience to remember.

Los Ombues Lodge in Argentina is perched on a hill overlooking 37,000 acres of prime bird hunting land in the rich floodplain of the Parana River, with another 120,000 acres under lease for shooting. 20 million eared doves roost in native woodlands, an abundance of ducks inhabit marshes that rival anything in the world, and perdiz (partridge) rise over dogs in the rolling grassland.

Carlos Sanchez built the lodge for bird hunting and everything about it reflects his passion for the sport and an understanding of what makes a high quality shooting experience. Dove and duck hunts are on the property, close to the lodge; every bit of equipment – vehicles, boats, rental guns – is perfectly maintained; and the staff is organized to keep things running smoothly. After a day of memorable shooting, you sink into a comfortable chair at the lodge among a dozen other shooters.

Extensions
Argentina is a beautiful country and Orvis Travel will be glad to organize a few extra days there for you before or after your shooting trip. Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan city with excellent hotels, restaurants and music, and Iguassu Falls is a short flight from Buenos Aires and worth an extra day or two to visit the falls and adjacent forest preserve. Wine country, Mendoza, is also worth a couple days extension to enjoy the wineries and surroundings.

Let your Orvis Travel trip coordinator know you’re interested in an extension and they will design a custom itinerary to suit your schedule.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
(800) 547-4322/(802) 362-8790 fax: (802) 362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

Sample Itinerary
Four bird shooting days, four nights at Los Ombues

Day 1 - Buenos Aires
Arrive in the morning, where you are met at the airport and assisted with your guns and baggage.

You have the option of going straight to the lodge, a four to five hour drive, or spending a few days in Buenos Aires. The choice is yours, but we recommend at least a day in the city. Buenos Aires is one of the most interesting cities in South America and it’s well worth spending a few days exploring it. With wide boulevards for walking, excellent restaurants and lively nightlife that lasts until dawn, it’s sometimes called the “Paris of Latin America.” The music and restaurant scene is among the best anywhere, and Orvis Travel will gladly arrange a visit of a few days so you can get to know “B.A.”, as it’s commonly called.

Forget your preconceptions about South American cities. B.A. is clean, well laid out for walking, and as safe as any large city in the United States.

The hotels are well run, and one of the best in the world, The Alvear Palace, is a favorite with Orvis guests. Located in an upscale neighborhood near the city center, some of the best steakhouses in Argentina are around the corner in the Recoleta area.

If you prefer to go straight to Los Ombues and bypass Buenos Aires, an overland transfer from the airport takes about five hours. A charter flight can be arranged from the domestic or international airports in Buenos Aires directly to Los Ombues, or in some cases to Parana. Direct flights to Los Ombues take about an hour. Flights to Parana also take about one hour, followed by a one-hour land transfer to the lodge.

Flights within Argentina, hotels or sightseeing in Buenos Aires are not included in the trip price. Orvis Travel can take care of these arrangements for you and will quote a price based on prevailing rates.

Arrive at Los Ombues Lodge, unpack and have lunch. In the afternoon you will go bird shooting with your guides. There is shooting very close to the lodge, and you won’t spend a lot of time in transit.

Days 2 through 4 - Los Ombues
After an early breakfast, leave the hunting lodge around 7:30am with your shooting assistants and drive to your shooting area, where the guide helps you pick out the best locations.

If you are shooting May-August for mixed bag, you will normally shoot ducks early in the day and most likely take your limit. Perdiz shooting normally follows a little later in the morning, with dove last.

If you are shooting for dove at other times of the year, October through April, you will go into the field after breakfast, and shoot all morning until the lunchtime break. The break lasts long enough to have a good meal and rest your arm, before resuming shooting for the afternoon. This is high volume shooting, so the mid-day break is appreciated. You’re usually back in the lodge around 5:00 pm.

There is also some golden dorado fishing on the property. So, if you like, you can include some fishing as well. It’s not unusual for someone to take their limit of ducks and perdiz early in the day, then take a break for some dorado fishing before going out for dove later. You will need to bring your own fishing gear for the dorado. Any outfit you would normally use for bass fishing will suffice, but you will need some wire bite-guards to keep the fish from biting through your leader.

Day 5 - Morning shoot, airport transfer, flights home
Shoot in the morning, then return to Buenos Aires International Airport (EZE) after lunch. International flights typically depart EZE in the evening, so there is plenty of time to enjoy a final half-day of shooting before leaving.

If you want to avoid the four to five-hour drive, a flight may be arranged to either the international airport or the domestic airport.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
(800) 547-4322/(802) 362-8790 fax: (802) 362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

Activities
The eared dove is the primary reason shooters come to Argentina to hunt and they are so numerous that the local farmers consider them pests. Approximately 16 million dove inhabit the area around Los Ombues. The hunting challenges shooters of all skill levels. Beginners will enjoy the incredible number of birds, while advanced shooters can pick and choose their shots opting to take only the most difficult shots or practice their most challenging swings. Non-Stop dove shooting can be had throughout the day but the early morning and late afternoon and evening hours are best. There are no limits on dove in Argentina, and the season is open year-round. Skilled shooters should expect to shoot 3-5 cases of shells each day.

For shooters that enjoy diversity, you can take in a classic perdiz hunt. The perdiz lives in nearby grain-fields and offers classic upland shooting over dogs specially trained to follow the scent of running birds rather than stay on point. This makes for exciting flushes and challenging shooting. Similar to and approximately the size of a quail, the perdiz is a wonderful bird to hunt.

Duck hunting at Los Ombues is a real treat. A 10-minute boat trip from the lodge will put you in the midst of a duck-hunting wonderland. On an average day’s shoot over decoys, you may expect a mixed bag which can include brown pintail, white cheeked pintail, cinnamon teal, speckled teal, ringed teal, silver teal, southern widgeon, red shoveler, tree ducks and the popular rosy billed pochard. To put it simply, the number of ducks and the quality of shooting is unmatched anywhere.

Driving time from the lodge to the shooting fields is approximately 5 to 15 minutes. Sometimes you literally walk right out of the lodge to shoot.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
(800) 547-4322/(802) 362-8790 fax: (802) 362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

The Hunting Lodge
Los Ombues Lodge, sitting on a bluff overlooking the vast fields and wetlands, is a beautiful 12,000 sq. ft red brick and yellow stucco building constructed in authentic Argentine style. The lounge and dining room look out across an endless expanse of the Delta and the viewer may see half a dozen blinds just a little over half a mile away through the panoramic windows.

The lodge has nine spacious two bedded bedrooms with private bathrooms, a mudroom for removing and drying boots and clothing, a gun cleaning room, a large dining room, an ultra modern kitchen and a large living room with overstuffed chairs and sofas arranged around a fire place. The walls are adorned with mounted ducks and paintings of hunting scenes. Food and wines are of gourmet quality.

Los Ombues has recently added a state of the art workout room with sauna and a hot tub on the deck next to the pool for their guests' comfort.

It also has most of the other facilities that any businessman may need while being abroad, such as telephone, fax machine, and PC.

For operating in the field, there are four 4x4 vehicles. Eight John boats with Go-devil engines provide quick access to the marsh. During the hunt every guest has a field assistant who will be either picking and counting the dove you shoot, calling and picking up the ducks you hunt in the blind or handling the dogs for the perdiz shoot. For convenience and safety every car, boat and guide has a VHF two-way radio for immediate contact with the lodge.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
(800) 547-4322/(802) 362-8790 fax: (802) 362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

Argentina Bird Hunting Season

Dove Hunting - all year long, no bag limit ("dove-only" shoots are not available during the mixed-bag season)
Duck Hunting - May - mid August, limit - 20 per person per day
Perdiz Hunting - May - mid August, limit 7 per person per day

2011/2012 Pricing

• $5160 - 4 day Mixed Bag - duck-perdiz-dove, 4 days shooting (3 full days and two half days),4 nights lodging
• $3870 - 3 day Mixed Bag - duck-perdiz-dove, 3 days shooting (2 full days and two half days), 3 nights lodging
  
  
• $600/night Single supplement – mixed bag shoots
• $900/night Non-shooter


• $2300 - Dove Shoot - 3 or 4 days shooting (two to eighteen shooters, no extra charge for the fourth day of shooting)
  
  
• $850 Single supplement – dove shoots
• $1500 Non-shooter, sharing a room/Dove Shoots

“Shooting days” - you shoot ½ day on arrival and departure days. Four shooting days means you have three full days of shooting plus two half days. Three hunting days equals 2 full days and two half days.

Transfers
Orvis Travel will arrange your transfers to Los Ombues.

Transfers from Buenos Aires to the lodge are either overland or by charter airplane, and they can be done directly from the international airport on arrival or from a hotel in Buenos Aires if you stay overnight in the city. The drive takes about five hours. The flight takes about 90 minutes directly to the lodge landing strip.

Transfer cost by vehicle
Rates are per person, one way

$296: 2-5 people
$200: 6-14 people
$490: 1 person

Transfer cost by charter aircraft
Air charter costs start at approximately $2500 per airplane one way from Buenos Aires or back. A Beechcraft King Air E-90 is around $5200 one way, and holds 4-5 passengers. We will quote you a firm price for the transfers based on party size, aircraft and exchange rate.

Included: Deluxe accommodations with all meals, beer, and wine; guided shooting each day

Not Included: International Flights between the U.S. and Argentina, hotels and transfers in Buenos Aires, transfers to and from Los Ombues from Buenos Aires, 12 or 20 gauge ammunition (about $13-$17 per box, depending on season ) – please request 28 or 410 ga. well ahead of scheduled trip, gun Permit, gun rental (Beretta and Benelli shotguns can be rented for approximately $60 per day), hunting license (approximately $100 per person, payable at the lodge), gratuities - the lodge manager will collect $100 per person/per day to distribute to the lodge staff and field gun assistants.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
(800) 547-4322/(802) 362-8790 fax: (802) 362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com