I’ve had the great fortune of living and hunting from one hemispherical extreme to the other, Alaska in the north, to Patagonia Argentina in the south; and the game animals that continue to draw my fascination are the large deer. In Argentina, it’s the Red Stag; with massive antlers that crown at the top, bristling with ivory tips. They spend most of the year in bachelor herds high in the Andes, and migrate to the fertile valleys for just a few weeks each year in late summer to engage in combat and stake their genetic claim in the world during The Roar.   

One of the best places in Argentina to hunt the Red Stag is Estancia Alicura; located in northern Patagonia and easily reached with connecting flights from Buenos Aires to San Carlos de Bariloche. Alicura is a world-class destination lodge with close to 200,000 acres of private land, and 40,000 acres dedicated to hunting trophy class Stags and wild Boar. In early April I met up with a new friend, David Craven from California, to pursue stags across the Andean hills; he with custom fitted rifle and me with a Nikon camera. We were welcomed to the lodge by Manager, Danny Guillen, and his staff with an extravagant opening night Asado and had a chance to get acquainted with our professional guides for the coming week, Pedro Gonzalez and Paco Rodriguez. The guides at Alicura take great care in getting to know their clients, their interests, their physical abilities, and their shooting skills. They want to insure that you have the experience of a lifetime; and knowing these things will make your hunt more enjoyable and successful. 

A rifle chambered in 30.06, .270, 7mm Mag, or any of the 300 Magnum calibers is ideal for Red Stag; and Alicura has a selection of fine rifles on hand if you choose not to bring your own. David spent his first morning at the rifle range, testing his custom rifle and preparing for the afternoon hunt. Perhaps as an omen of coming good fortune, as he settled in to fire his second test round, an 11 point stag that would qualify on most people’s trophy list, peeked over a ridge, barely 100 meters directly behind his paper target! We were all staring with open mouths at the irony. The young stag had a small group of hinds hidden back in a shallow draw that he was determined not to leave, regardless of the muzzle blast racket coming from the rifle range, but he soon vanished into the dense Andean brush. Pedro patiently assisted with the sighting process until he and David were comfortable with the accuracy of the rifle and David’s effective shooting range; both of which would come into play in the coming days. 

This part of Patagonia resembles high desert mesa, covered in knee-to-waist high brush, thorns, and rocky earth; interspersed with valleys thick with green grass and poplar trees, that funnel natural spring water. If you find a stag that suits you in the open mesa, be prepared for a long stalk on your hands and knees (definitely bring elbow and knee pads with you), and it wouldn’t hurt to get comfortable shooting from a kneeling position with a pair of shooting sticks. Making a stalk in the valleys is a bit easier due to the available cover. On the first day of his hunt, David and Pedro found the stag he was looking for; but it would take three consecutive days of stalking, some good decision making, and a little luck to bring it together.  

During each of the first two days, they made stalks on a fine stag; but he was in the company of a large group of hinds which made it considerably more difficult. More eyes and noses equal less opportunity, or a considerably longer shot. To his credit, David’s only interest was in taking a stag cleanly with one well placed shot; and he was patient. Given that the hinds tend to be territorial, the stag was easily located again the second day, but again, the wind, terrain, and the wary nature of the hinds prevented him from reaching his optimal range. They left before daybreak on day three and located the same stag, but as the wind shifted to their back, Pedro’s fear about the waning Roar came to fruition; the stag bolted from the hinds and departed with great haste. They climbed a nearby ridge, and Pedro found him with a spotting scope, heading across the mesa towards the high country and the company of his amigos for the winter. But just as they had resigned themselves to thinking this trophy stag was long gone; the bachelor stumbled into four more lonely hinds in the upper mesa. Pedro calculated almost one and a half miles of ground between them and the stag, and most of it desert mesa; he turned to David and said, “He might sit still for a few hours or only 5 minutes, but this will be our only chance”. Pedro quickly plotted a course that would take them behind and above the stag. 

David had physically prepared himself for just this type of hunt, and he wasn’t going to lose this stag for lack of effort. For the next 5 hours, he and Pedro stalked, tested the wind, shifted their angle of attack, and covered nearly 3 miles to close within 120 meters of the stag. When they finally reached a clear vantage point, the brush made it impossible to shoot either prone or kneeling; and standing straight up would have ended the game. Pedro thought quickly, and improvised a shooting brace with his arm at just the right height, and David made the most of his one-and-only chance at this stag. It was a beautiful, mature animal with 14 points and twin forks in the crown; and perhaps made more special by the dedication and resilience needed to stalk him for three days to get one chance. At the lodge that evening, fresh venison back straps were prepared by the chef at Alicura to celebrate a successful hunt, and the story telling and fine wine tasting continued until late in the evening. 

For David, this was a memorable adventure that continued for several more days. In David’s own words, “It's more important for me to hunt animals than it is to shoot animals.  I'd much prefer to make a few good stalks during a week of hunting without being able to make a kill than to shoot a deer just after climbing out of a truck. So when choosing a destination I asked the people at Estancia Alicura this question. ‘If I take a stag early in my week will I be able to continue stalking stags without shooting, just to get as close as I can?  And will my guide be willing to do this with the same enthusiasm he would have if we had not yet taken a trophy?’ The answer I received was "you bet" and they weren't kidding!  My guide Pedro and I took a stag on the third day of a six day hunt. And we hunted hard for the next three days, making just as many approaches as we had made during the first three days. Not only was I doing what I love most about hunting, I was doubling the number of opportunities I had to learn more about stalking from a master of the craft. Pedro enjoyed teaching me, and he would do the same for anyone that really wanted to learn.” – David Craven 

As for my own hunting adventure with a camera, let’s just say it was full of excitement. My friend and expert guide, Paco, was kind enough to dress in his archery hunting camo and lead me into the midst of Lions. Which is exactly what roaring red stags sound like when you’re only rock throwing distant away. For more details and photos; visit the feature article, “The Roar”.

The staff at Alicura are seasoned professionals that can assist with information on travel, equipment and licensing needs, personal firearms importation, trophy exportation, and any special needs to make your stag hunting dreams a reality. First class lodging, gourmet meals, experienced guides, and the abundant natural resources of Patagonia make Estancia Alicura a premier destination, and an unforgettable experience. For information on experiencing a world class stag hunt for yourself at Alicura, just drop us an email at: . 

Saludos, 

Memo Stephens

 

Send this article to your favorite Social Network page

Facebook Google Bookmarks Reddit Twitter Livejournal Newsvine Digg