Hunting is done on foot, on horseback, by stalking or by waiting in blinds by salt blocks, in the company of experienced guides. These guides wear long woolen or alpaca ponchos, and cut very romantic figures. They are outstanding horsemen and stalkers. The terrain is rugged, alternating between open fields and dense forests, with deep ravines and steep valleys, and requires that a hunter be in at least fairly good shape. However, good four-wheel-drive vehicles can take a lot of the rigors out of the hunt for older or less fit hunters. This is strictly a fair-chase hunt; there are no enclosures.
The St. Antoine brothers maintain a high level of trophy quality by insisting that all stags must be at least eight years old to qualify as fair game, and they impose a heavy fine on hunters who disregard the guides' instructions and shoot stags under eight years of age. In point of fact, most stags taken are well over the eight-year minimum. They also maintain trophy quality by limiting the number of hunters, accepting only 15 a year. They have to turn away hunters most........(continued)
