I am exclusively a bowhunter and have been hunting in La Pampa Province in Argentina for years. This year I hunted a ranch that is relatively unknown to hunters from the US. The name of the ranch is La Mota, but it goes by Caza Pampa on the web, which roughly translates to: “He hunts the Pampas.” Until recently, they have catered primarily to European, Argentinean and other South American hunters and have typically hosted only a few hunters per season. The ranch is located about 1½ hours southwest of Santa Rosa and offers approximately 50,000 acres of free-range hunting for red stag and other game, and a 1,000-acre, high-fenced preserve where they breed exotics and offer trophy-fee hunting for gold medal animals.
Most hunting ranches in La Pampa Province are primarily working cattle ranches that also support populations of red deer. La Mota is different. Owner Luis Manganaro says the ranch is managed as a “dual-purpose” property for both cattle and game. The ranch only holds half the cattle it could easily support, with the rest of its carrying capacity set aside strictly for game. Manganaro has food plots planted everywhere, and I don’t mean just little five-acre plots. Every fire break and many large and small plots are planted with corn, sorghum, milo, alfalfa or high-protein native grasses to provide good nutrition year round, help the animals through the winter and promote good trophy development.
The hunts here are primarily spot-and-stalk conducted 1x1 by experienced guides. They also have many elevated box blinds, stands and ground blinds suitable for bow hunters. Hunters are transported to the field by 4wd vehicles. The guides all carry radios, which is handy if you chase an animal for miles and end up a long way from your drop off point.....
