Uruguay is one of those places that is almost never in the news. Stable, democratic countries seldom are. It's the smallest country in South America, tucked away between Argentina and Brazil, and usually overshadowed by its much larger neighbors. Uruguay is pro-American; it is safe; and it has no drug trafficking. For the last 10 years, Uruguay has offered excellent commercially organized bird shooting, but up until now no one has thought much about the country as a big game destination. Enter booking agent Dale Hedgepeth of Hedgepeth's Adventures in Hunting. Hedgepeth tells me he has thoroughly researched the big game possibilities in Uruguay. At the invitation of the Uruguayan Ministry of Tourism, he has made three exploratory hunts, and is now ready to offer hunts to the public. Species in the offing are Asiatic water buffalo, fallow deer, axis deer and wild boar.
What makes Uruguay such an interesting hunting destination is the fact that the country has virtually no hunting culture. The game has received little or no hunting pressure, and accordingly, Dale Hedgepeth says hunters going there early will likely take some exceptional trophies. That's particularly true as regards water buffalo, he says, and he has high trophy expectations for the other species too.
Water buffalo were imported into Uruguay about 20 years ago and released on an 18,000-acre ranch called El Tesoro de los Bufalos in the far north of the country where the habitat is perfect for them. It is a hot, swampy area with........(continued)
