La Pampa a Heaven for hunters

In 1970, the pampean hunter Héctor Severino López obtained the legendary trophy for a Red Deer whose official score was 237.05 points (national record for more than two decades). Today the trophy is displayed in the Tourism Administration of La Pampa Province.

During the ’99 season, approximately 30 years after the record of López, another local hunter, Luis Alday, reached the 2nd. place in the Pampean Ranking, with a trophy won in an open country, whose official score was 225.90 points

The puma, or American lion is a coveted trophy. The chase require expert guides. There is a large number of pumas in La Pampa Province and, as it is a great predator of cattle and sheep, hunting is permitted during the most part of the year

Another international attraction is the wild boar hunting. In La Pampa Province it is hunted with firearms, and there are some who hunt it in a “knife fight”, helped by a pack of dog, for which expertness and bravery is needed. Tournaments are permanently held under these two modalities. The great number of specimens and its excellent reproduction make it possible to hunt them all the year long.

Sport Hunting: Red Deer
The practice of big game and game hunting is regulated by rules that tend to preserve the wild fauna allowing the activity only with certain animals and in specific times of the year.
The Natural Resources Direction publishes the calendar where time for hunting, animals allowed, vacancy and closed season are detailed. For this activity a hunting permission is required and is given by the official Organism and with the owner of the country authorization.
The practice of fishing is also regulated by the law that preserves wild fauna, establishing the requirements, characteristics and ways that this activity has to be attached to.

INFORMATION: Natural Resources Direction located at Government’s House, 3rd floor. Telephone: (02954) 43-3010/20, inter-office number 306 or 328. Fax: 42-3610 / 43-3282. Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Postal Code (6300).

RED DEER
Today, the Red Deer is as attractive as a good “Dorado” fish from the litoral coast, a southern trout or the best small shark from the Atlantic coast. More so, since competition may be open for a National or International trophy, as the case may be. For these reasons it is appropriate to know more about this representative of La Pampa : the Cervus Elaphus or Red Deer.
The origin : Brought into the country by Pedro O. Luro at the beginning of the century, the Red Deer, native animals from the Carpathian mounts, were acclimatized in what today is known as Parque Luro; from where some of them were later taken to Neuquén. Following the death of Luro and consequently with the abandoning of his great domain in La Pampa; the deer and wild boars living there escaped, spreading through the woods areas of the province; becoming adapted to a wide extension of land.Nowadays they are a highly esteemed trophy in big game hunting.
Deer are most active in the late hours of the evening, at night and early in the morning. The fully grown males form small tribes while the old ones live alone until breeding season comes, when they approach the other herds. Their self preservation instinct makes them very cautious and wary. Their sight, smell and hearing senses are highly developed. The bellow is the male’s powerful call to fight, as a preliminary step to love among deer. Deer have adapted perfectly to local climate and to living in these woods. They share the territory with another foreign species : the European Wild Boar; and with local species such as the puma, the fox, etc., considered as big game and game; which make of La Pampa a heaven for hunters.
The Hunt : Deer hunting season starts every year by mid march; and has a previously established number of specimens allowed to be caught by each hunter in one season as well as a minimum established number of points or candles in each antler. Hunting is done by prying or by stalking. In the first case, full moon nights are advantageously used by the hunter in his wait by the deer trails, as he camouflages himself hiding where the wind blows contrary to the expected place of appearance of the deer. Stalking instead, requires the tracking of the animal recognizing its trails or following its bellows, whose short intervals between bellows guide the hunter in his tracks. The hunter must have a good knowledge and ability to go in the woods.
Trophies : The point system established to qualify for the National ranking requires a minimum of 190 points, utilizing a formula adopted by the “Federación Argentina de Caza Mayor”, which is the organization that does the measurements. The trophy is made up of the skull with its corresponding antlers; and the points are granted through the use of a table where the length of the antlers and of the candles or points is taken into account, as well as the circumference of the “rosetas” and of the antlers, the weight of the antlers, their separation and the amount of “candles” on each antler. Points are granted as well for beauty, color, shine and the shape of the “candles” and crown. Point penalties are applied when ugly factors appear.

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