ARGENTINA
MORE THAN JUST A DOVE HUNT By Geoff Emery Photography by Julio Aguilo
I
had one request for my bird boy as he led me to the field edge that first afternoon in Córdoba, Argentina, “Barto, let me know when I hit 15 doves”. After all, this is the legal limit back home in Virginia, and it can take all afternoon to reach it there. I wanted to time how long it would take me here, in the dove hunting capital of the world. Barto handed me a loaded Benelli and told me it was time to rock-n-roll. Dove were everywhere, and almost immediately, my shots were off and I was having difficulty connecting. I wondered if I would even shoot 15 by the end of the day. After what seemed like forever, Barto FINALLY told me that I had reached 15. I was shocked to learn it had taken only 6 minutes and 45 seconds! All I could think was, “wait until the guys back home hear about this!” My father and grandfather introduced me to the joys of wing shooting as a child. I was hooked and could not get enough. Even if I was not hunting, my mind was always in the field (still is). There was a collection of books and magazines on the bookshelves in our living room. I would sit there for hours reading every word and waiting for Opening Day. It was here that I first read an article about dove shooting in Argentina. I was in disbelief
44 | SPRING 2022
of the stories of doves filling the sky, and I resolved to see it for myself one day. While this trip had always been at the back of my mind, it took over 40 years to get there. Clay Williamson, an old Army buddy, and I contacted Pablo Aguilo with Pointer Outfitters. We booked our trip and were bound for Argentina. We took a two-day Buenos Aires layover en route, then arrived in Cordoba Province for the longawaited hunt. I had dreamt about this hunt for 40
