Andino Hunt Property
Seven Years of succesful management
Though many years have passed, it still feels like only yesterday that we took over our red stag hunting property. There were countless ravines, mountains, highlands, and wetlands to be explored and mapped for the future.
We knew the property had been poorly managed in previous years, so we spent the first year doing nothing but fieldwork and observation of the resident deer, and analyzing the stags that came down from higher elevations in the spring for the roar. Our conclusion that first year was that as few as 10 stags and only 30 hinds (females) resided on the land, but we knew that with a conservative approach and dedicated management, nature would replenish and improve the genetic foundations of the herd. Our goal was to restore a solid population of stags in the 170 to 190 CIC scoring range, so we decided not to hunt the property for the first couple of years to allow the stags to fully mature and the population of breeding hinds to grow.
We took advantage of those first few years to build trails, walk, and ride the land nearly every day, developing an intimate knowledge of every corner, mountain pass, and ravine where animals moved and sheltered and building a solid hunting strategy for years to come.
The first 3-4 years proved fruitful and we could see evidence of recovery in the sheer numbers of animals. Many migrant stags began to find shelter on the property, and with good genetic management, the population of both good quality stags and breeding females steadily grew.
We were approaching our goals coming into the 2020 season when the pandemic hit, which only extended the period of no-hunting or taking of trophy stags, with the exception of managing the genetics. The result has been not only the full recovery, but a total transformation of the deer herd on our property. It is now a paradise for trophy quality stags that we never imagined possible.
As our 2023 season has come to a close, our clients have taken 25 trophy class stags, which is a sustainable harvest ceiling to maintain a healthy population. We have been amazed by the size of the stags, with the smallest scoring 180 CIC points (equal to the largest animals taken on many neighboring properties), and 2 record-class stags that scored in the range of 220 and 240 CIC points. The largest would have been a new Argentina national record stag, though we haven’t officially registered it in the books.
If you are considering a hunt for a trophy red stag, we have 30,000 acres of free range paradise waiting for you. We still have a few dates remaining for the 2024 season, so give us a call to plan your own trophy hunt in the wilds of Patagonia!
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Contact us for more information about our hunting programs in Northern Patagonia.