Estancia Chacu is located in the Salta region of Argentina. The Salta province is one of the best kept secrets for high volume dove shooting in Argentina. It is centrally located in South America and has been named the Dove Hunting Mecca of the world. With drives to the fields generally around 15- 25 minutes, you will quickly be on the birds.
Accommodations
Luxury lodge accommodations are in 12 double-occupancy rooms with private baths. There are Mountain views making a picturesque setting. Chacu was just opened in 2007 and so is one of the newest lodges in the area, but offers the charm of the country estancias with modern comfort and conveniences and shaded patios, gardens, fountains. There is a great room with comfortable seating in which to relax and trade stories of the day’s shooting and /or fishing experiences. There are 2 swimming pools for guests. Your dining experience will be uniquely Argentine. Breakfast, lunch, and the typical Argentine gourmet dinner, which is served with fine wines from Salta, plus scrumptious desserts are something to look forward to. Soft drinks and beer are available throughout your stay and a welcome drink is served when you arrive at the lodge.
Getting There
A direct international flight from the U.S. into Buenos Aires is available usually an overnight flight.. Then take a connecting flight with an in-country airline to Salta City Airport where you will be met by Chacu staff who will take you to the lodge, approximately a 90 minute ride..
Wingshooting
Predictions are that Salta Province will soon overtake Cordoba as the dove shooting capital of the world. Only one outfitter holds the permit for the entire state, and there are three times the numbers of birds as Cordoba, Salta is the new Mecca of dove shooting. There are estimated to be 100 million doves in the province? It is not unusual to bring down 1000 birds in a day.
The typical day:
6:30 Breakfast
7:00 Getting to the hunting area.
11:30 Break for Lunch and Siesta
2:00 Go back to the hunting area.
6.00 Return to the Lodge to refresh yourself
8:00 Appetizers and socializing followed by Dinner.
Angling for Dorado
Dorado fishing at Chacu Lodge is done wading into the pristine mountain streams or smaller rivers that flow into the Salta region. Chacu has excellent fly rods and reels available for rent but anglers will need to bring flies. The Golden Dorado (a distant cousin of the Salmon) is elusive and quite an acrobat. It is a true test of the fiber of the angler. Fishing is an option at Chacu Lodge. Drives to the fishing areas range from 10 minutes to 40 minutes, depending on where anglers are accommodated and which river is being accessed.
Keep in mind that Dorados are very temperature sensitive, and during the bird hunting season, they may turn off and on with the weather. If the temperature drops 15 – 20 degrees the dorado back off feeding, and fishing will get tough. One might only catch two or three fish all day. Warmer days make for more aggressive fish and better numbers of hookups. Fishing is best early (April/May) and late (September/November) in the season when the weather is warmer.
Fishing-only groups will stay at Chacu or another estancia the arrival night, then transfer over to the San Fernando lodge, which is located very close to much of the fishing.
