Los Crestones Lodge, located in the province of Buenos Aires, just 85 minutes from the Ezeiza International airport, is named after the Rosy Billed Pochard-Argentina’s most distinctive and sought-after duck. Set in mature parkland on the banks of the Salado River, this traditional Estancia is surrounded by 60 hectares of well preserved natural woodland and fertile countryside.
Los Crestones has created a unique opportunity where travelling Wing shooters have the chance to shoot a range of quarry and enjoy an authentic mixed bag hunt, supported by excellent staff and outstanding dogs. Discerning guests can enjoy a combination of epic decoyed Duck hunting, targeting all thirteen species that populate the region, Doves and Pidgeons at the nearby roosts or Perdiz over pointing dogs. For those who appreciate hunting behind well-trained dogs, this destination is special. The expert guides at the lodge have been breeding and training pedigree dogs for years, and they are a joy to see in the fields and marshes.
With all these things combined, and with all David Denies programmes, it’s easy to see why Los Crestones Lodge is such a popular destination amongst the shooting community, and it’s ideal for those travelling guns who seek a variety of spectacular Wing shooting in South America.
The topography at Los Crestone is as vast and varied as the species you can encounter and covers over sixty hectares of natural woodland, featuring four distinct landscapes.
The first landscape is simply known as the countryside. This is a productive agricultural area and is home to large livestock numbers; the site is vast, and the land home to grown Wheat, Corn, Sunflowers, Sorghum, and Soybeans. These farming operations run throughout the hunting season and are a magnet for all manner of different species.
The Park is the second landscape and was designed more than a century ago but updated in the early 2000’s. This area is brimming with all manner of both native and exotic flora and fauna for travelling guns to explore. The local arboretum, punctuated with fruit trees and a lagoon, is a botanical interpretive centre.
The mighty Saldado river zigzags through the Pampa and is the third different landscape. Home to many birds, including Herons, Cigueñas, Flamingos, and Spoonbills, it also features Otters, Capybara, and Trout.
Finally, the woodland, which spans over fifty hectares, is home to numerous large native trees emblematic of the region. These include strains like Talas, Sombras De Toro, Ombúes, and Saúcos y Coronillos. It’s also home to an impressive collection of birds, including Zorzales, Calandrias, and Picazurros, plus Deer and the endangered Butterfly.
On most mornings at Los Crestones Lodge, the main target is Ducks, shooting over decoys in nearby ponds. After a hearty breakfast, with everything from waffles to eggs benedict, the guides will ensure you’re well situated and ready to shoot as the morning light develops and the mist rises. Decoys are always set out and ready for the hunter’s arrival.
The shooting commences from double dry blinds or large sunken ‘bucket blinds’ or platform pallet blinds, depending on the topography of that day’s shoot. While the blinds are dry and comfortable, getting to them requires that shooter to bring waders which will also help with wind and weather protection in the Argentine winter.
A guide and an experienced retriever will accompany you for the duration of the shoot; the guide will be on hand to call and spot the Ducks while the dog ensures all birds are collected. On a typical mornings Duck shooting, it’s possible to encounter nearly all thirteen species that inhabit the region.
Once the morning’s Duck shoot is over, hunters typically return to the lodge for some lunch and a siesta before heading out again in the afternoon. The afternoon schedule can vary greatly; however, a popular shoot targets the rich pastures just a stone’s throw from the lodge for Perdiz. Here the experienced guides will work with their team of Pointers, usually English Pointers, German Shorthairs, and Brittanys, to provide the best sport possible. Walking for Perdiz is easy; the land is generally flat, making it perfect for almost any hunter.
Other afternoons it’s possible to enjoy a few hours of wild Pigeon or Dove shooting; however, please remember that when Dove shooing Los Crestone is not Córdoba. You will, nonetheless, enjoy boxes and boxes of action each afternoon!
To find out more about the wing shooting In Argentina at Los Crestone Lodge, visit our YouTube channel.
In this area of Argentina, known as the central lowlands or wet pampas, there are thirteen common species of Ducks that travelling guns can expect to encounter. Most all whistle, except for the Pochard, which purrs, or burrs like the Canvasback.
Red Shoveler
The Red Shoveler gets found in southern South America, Argentina, southern Peru, southern Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Southern Brazil, and Chile. In winter, the southernmost birds migrate north to Brazil and Peru. The Red Shoveler is cinnamon in colour with dark spots, a grey head and neck and a large dark spatula-shaped bill.
Southern Wigeon
The Wigeon is one of three species of in the dabbling duck genus Anas. Unlike other wigeons, the sexes appear similar, and pairs are monogamous. This bird has a metallic green head and a grey bill with a black tip. Its breast is barred black-and-white, and its sides are orange-brown. It has white cheeks, a white forehead, and white on its wings. These ducks get found in southern South America on freshwater lakes, marshes, lagoons, and slow-flowing rivers.
Cinnamon Teal
The Cinnamon Teal is a small reddish dabbling duck found in western North and South America; the Adult males have a cinnamon-red head, a brown back, red eyes, and a dark bill. In contrast, adult females have mottled brown bodies, a pale brown head, brown eyes, and a grey bill. They are similar in appearance to female Blue-winged Teals; however, their overall colour is more prosperous, and the lore spot, eye line, and eye-ring are less distinct. Their bill is also longer and flatter.
White Cheeked Pintail
The White Cheeked Pintail or Bahama Pintail (Anas Bahamensis) is a dabbling duck of the Caribbean, South America, and the Galápagos Islands. A court jester of South American Ducks, it features a bright, showy costume. Their overall colour is cinnamon, but the body features a creamy white trim that extends from low on the throat to the base of a red bill, all edged in turquoise iridescence. Wings are blackish, with a green speculum that contrasts with the red bill.
Black-headed Duck
The Black-headed Duck of South America resembles a typical diving duck, the product of convergent evolution in the ancestors of the stiff tailed ducks. Males have blackheads and mantles and paler flanks and bellies. Females are light brown overall. They inhabit swamps, lakes, and marshes and dabble on water plants and insects. The females lay eggs in the nests of other birds, earning them the nickname “Cuckoo Duck.”
Ringed Teal
The Ringed Teal is a small duck found in South American forests. Males and females remain colourful throughout the year, lacking an eclipse plumage. The drake has a rich chestnut back, pale grey flanks, and a salmon-coloured breast with black speckles. A black band runs from the top of its head down to the nape. Females have an olive-brownish back with the head blotched and striated in white, with pencilled barring on a pale chest and belly.
You can also expect to encounter the Speckled Teal, Yellow-Billed Pintail, Rosey-Billed Pochard, White-Faced Whistling Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck and Silver Teal.
In true David Denies Wing shooting tradition, Los Crestones is a classic Argentinean Estancia that has been strategically renovated to include all the creature comforts that guests have expected while still maintaining the traditional architecture and country charm. There are eight single bedrooms, each with a private en-suite bathroom.
Los Crestones Lodge lies on a sophisticated and luxurious compound situated on 60 hectares of preserved natural woodlands. Its architecture and history merge with the beauty of its unique natural surroundings on the banks of the Salado River. The Lodge offers comfort and a fantastic atmosphere given by the combination of design and functionality.
The Lodge accommodates a maximum of ten hunters and three non-hunters. There are thirteen spacious and elegantly appointed bedrooms equipped with the latest designer furniture, soft cotton bed linen and private bathrooms.
The usual amenities include: telephone, internet access and satellite TV, maid and laundry service, a masseuse, and the gift shop offers local artwork and crafts, logo wear and accessories.
At Los Crestones Lodge, they take your dining experiences seriously, and they strive to make every meal as fantastic as every trip to the field. They offer a la carte dining to our shooting guests. Their kitchens come to life through the use of fresh and regionally representative meats and produce. Combining these elements creates delicious flavours and varied textures that harbour hidden stories and package traditions on each plate. A top-notch team of experienced national and international chefs, trained in both classic and avant-garde culinary techniques, execute your food.
Meals at the Lodge are hearty and meant for a hunter’s appetite. Breakfast is “order off the menu”, featuring everything from omelettes to waffles, complete with locally-grown coffee – sure to get your motor running and keep your trigger finger warm.
Their legendary field lunches at Los Crestones are all about Asado-style cooking. Lunch is served al fresco in the hunting area each day, featuring various meats, like grilled Duck appetizers, Duck burgers, short ribs, lamb and chicken.
The evening meal is a celebration of fine dining in a casual setting, and it is a chance for their house chefs to shine. Again, options are a la carte, so if you enjoy their famous beef and wish to enjoy a steak each evening, they’ll happily grill one to order. But if you’d like to be a bit more adventurous and want to try Risotto with calamari ink or grilled trout with tomato puree, then we encourage you to sample their speciality dishes.
Finally, there are the desserts, with each day bringing a new creation, from flan to local delights such ad dulce de leche, plus fruit, homemade ice creams, and pies.
Their lunch and dinner menus get paired with some of Argentina’s and the world’s best wines from Bodega Catena Zapata. They feel that the food they present and their wines should mirror the sporting opportunities on offer and be the very best available. Their wines boast many accolades from the wine community, and a Bodega Catena Zapata wine recently received a “number four in the world” icon ranking from Wine Advocate. These are truly great wines that hold a special place in their culture, and the Lodge is proud to serve them.
For either travelling non-hunters or hunters who don’t wish to shoot on every session, you can explore the thousands of stunning acres of the surrounding countryside on either foot or by horseback, and the guides can take you to the best sightseeing spots. For more subtle activities, the lodge offers a massage room for the ultimate relaxation, a swimming pool and a fire pit for those lazy evenings catching up with stories told and a drink in your hand.
For your convenience, the Lodge also offers free high-speed wireless access. So you can check e-mails or send bragging photos to your friends, family and fellow hunters back home.
The below itinerary is flexible should you require additional shooting days or additional free days to explore; we can tailor this itinerary to suit you personally. Feel free to talk to our travel consultants who can explain all options available.
Depart Any international Airport (See Details)
Arrive Buenos Aires
After you have picked up your luggage and cleared customs a Sportquest Holidays representative will be waiting to transfer you to Los Crestones Lodge. The transfer time is around 2 hours). You will spend the rest of the time relaxing after the long journey. Note: subject to you arriving at the lodge in time, there is the possibility of a first evening shoot. Afternoon hunts at Los Crestones can include walk-up perdiz shooting with a kennel of German Shorthairs, English pointers, vizsla and Brittany spaniels. On other afternoons, guests might opt for more duck hunting or pigeons over decoys or passing doves.
Overnight Accommodation: Los Crestones Lodge (Twin room) F/B
After a hearty breakfast, shoot ducks over decoys in nearby ponds, lakes and slews. While we suggest the use of waders, you will be shooting from dry sunken “bucket” blinds, pit blinds or platform-pallet blinds. Accordingly, each pair of shooters will be accompanied by a guide with an experienced retriever at his side. Following the morning flights, you will generally return to the estancia for an Argentine-style lunch and a well-deserved siesta. Each morning guests will shoot Ducks, but on one morning you have the option to shoot Perdiz. Each afternoon guests will shoot Dove, but one afternoon you will have the choice to shoot Pigeons or Perdiz.
Overnight Accommodation: Los Crestones Lodge (Twin room) F/B
In the morning our staff will transport you back to Buenos Aires.
Depart Buenos Aires
Arrive Home
The season runs from January-October.
Season: May to end of July
Peak: May to July
Season: May to end of July
Peak: June to July
Season: January to October
Peak: May to July
Gun Licence (approx $65 pp per day)
Gun Hire (approx $95 pp per day)
Shells (approx $19 per box)
Remember that Sportquest Holidays' services are completely FREE! When you book a trip with Sportquest Holidays, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge and flights independently.
| From | To | Duration | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/05/2024 | 31/05/2024 | 8 | £10,344 | Enquire Now |
| 01/06/2024 | 30/06/2024 | 8 | £10,344 | Enquire Now |
| 01/07/2024 | 31/07/2024 | 8 | £10,344 | Enquire Now |
| 01/05/2025 | 31/05/2025 | 8 | £10,746 | Enquire Now |
| 01/06/2025 | 30/06/2025 | 8 | £10,746 | Enquire Now |
| 01/07/2025 | 31/07/2025 | 8 | £10,746 | Enquire Now |
Prices are based on two adults sharing transfers, shooting and accommodation (unless otherwise stated) and are correct at the time of going to press. Subject to time of year or date and currency fluctuations, these prices may fluctuate slightly due to flight price increases or fuel surcharge.
Excellent! Two many words can go in this box but I will emphasize how amazed I was at the volume of the hunting and the quality of the service, Bravo
Thank you taking the time to comment and review all the services it is very much appreciated.
What can one say apart from
The hunting was as good as I expected, but the lodge was much better than I had expected.
Thank you for your comments and review we can live with that all day every day.
Very impressive. This was my first time in argentina to shoot and it exceeded my expectations by a very long way.
Thank you to everyone involved.
Ron thank you for your feedback and review, see you again soon we all hope.
Very good. I will return.
Special recognition to claudio who made each of us feel special.
Thank you
We will pass on your comments to all the staff.
See you again soon we hope.
My only comments are as follows:
The entire experience was first rate.
The staff went above and beyond to make my stay a memorable one.
Love to come back soon.
Richard, we are more than happy with those comments.
A huge thank you from all the staff.
Every aspect of our stay was well thought out and performed with ease.
Meals were Gourmet. New Los Crestones lodge is spectacular.
Guides as always do a great job.
No option but have to keep returning.
Robert, we are sure you will be very welcome to return. Thanks for the comments.
Awesome first two days of duck hunting. Sebastian,Magdalena, Patricia.
The guides and staff were excellent, thank you to everyone.
Thank you for your destination review and comments very much appreciated.
Wonderful, loved every minute of it. Bravo!!
Atmosphere is perfect, single rooms fantastic.
Very professional staff, do not change anything please.
We will not change a thing see you again.
Great atmosphere and professional staff.
Great time, but difficult to return home.
Thank you for your comments very my appreciated
Regards
We enjoyed very much our stay and hope to come back soon.
Guides were outstanding, the shooting was simply first class.
I do not normally bother doing reviews but this time I was compelled to give feedback as it is well deserved.
Thank you for your comments and taking the time very much appreciated
Regards
Great Experience!
Argentina is truly the most fascinating place to hunt ducks in the world!!
God bless the country and the wonderful people at Los Crestones who make it all possible.
Thank you for your comments and amazing words very much appreciated
Regards
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