Patagonia Red Stag QQT

Experience some of the best free-range Red Stag archery and rifle hunting in Patagonia. The 270-square-mile Estancia Quemquemtreu in northern Patagonia, Argentina welcomes 5 hunters per week for trophy and cull Red Stag hunting programs of a lifetime. Few ranches in Argentina are this large, and even fewer can match the number of deer that hunters typically see within sight of the lodge or after only a short drive during the March–April season. The animals on this ranch have been carefully managed for years, and success rates are excellent.

With an 11-mile archery-only riparian valley and mid- to upper-class Safari Club International (SCI) scoring stags taken weekly, demand is extremely high. The short season is often fully booked 11 months in advance, so hunters serious about securing a week at this ranch should contact us well before April 1. If we do not have you on our waitlist by mid-April, there is usually little chance of securing a prime mid-season week.

The Collón Curá River borders Quemquemtreu, giving hunters the option to add trout fishing before or after their hunt. The fall brings great hopper fishing as well as large migratory Brown Trout that push upstream to spawn. The Collón Curá is reminiscent of Montana’s Yellowstone River in both character and productivity — and it has been a favorite of ours and our angling clientele since 2003.

“There is simply no better place for free-range Red Stag hunting than in Patagonia, Argentina — not even New Zealand.” — renowned hunting writer and television host, Craig Boddington

Estancia Quemquemtreu is located south of Junín de los Andes, Argentina, on 173,000 acres of private ranchland bordered by the Andes, two rivers, and adjacent ranches. The hunting lodge is modest and comfortable — wood floors, woven rugs, a fireplace, and rooms that feel lived in rather than designed. The sophistication here is in the land, the food, and the people. Five stag hunters are accommodated in single rooms, each with a private bath. Six hunters are possible if 2 share a room. Quemquemtreu’s trout fishing guests have their own dedicated fishing lodge adjacent to the hunting lodge. Wi-Fi is available in the lodges, but there is no cell signal.

Before dinner, enjoy cocktails and hunting stories by the fireplace and self-serve bar. Family-style meals feature organic meats, homemade pastas and breads, and a variety of vegetables and salads. Meals, lodging, and service reflect the rhythms of ranch life — warm and authentic rather than formal.

A unique feature of Quemquemtreu is its 100-year-old hydroelectric turbine — an extraordinary piece of English engineering that still powers the entire compound. Water from the Quemquemtreu Stream is diverted through the system, then flows past the lodges, irrigating the gardens before rejoining the stream.

From early March to mid-April, stags can be heard roaring day and night throughout the Quemquemtreu Stream valley, in the side canyons, and even from inside the lodge. Red Stag hunting at Estancia Quemquemtreu is entirely fair chase, with no supplemental feed, no fences, and no natural barriers restricting game movement on the property.

With 5 guides and 5 hunters, guiding is 1×1.  Six hunters are possible when 2 agree to share a guide and a room.  After breakfast, each hunter and guide heads out at sunrise and returns to the lodge around 11:00 a.m. for lunch and a siesta before returning to the field at 4:00 p.m. QQT’s bilingual guides have their favorite areas to glass and hunt, or they simply follow the roars. In such a target-rich environment, hunters will pass up many stags, relying on the guide, who makes the final decision about which animals can be taken. Wild boar can be taken at any time.

Bow hunters enjoy an 11-mile archery-only section within the Quemquemtreu Stream valley. Two bow-only sections are within walking distance of the lodge. Much of this riparian valley is flat, with bushes, willow trees, and clumps of small timber that allow for close encounters. When a shootable stag is located, the guides always try to call him in closer, which works about 50% of the time. Bow shots are typically 40 to 50 yards, and all archers have plenty of opportunities to fill their quota in 5 days.

Rifle hunters access a massive amount of territory ranging from open, rolling hills and canyons to creek valleys. Most shots are between 150 and 250 yards. Rifle hunters are guaranteed opportunities to take an SCI-scoring Red Stag.

Hunters choose between a Trophy Hunt or Management Hunt. A Trophy Hunt includes 1 stag with 12 or more points, plus 1 Management Stag. A Management Hunt includes 4 Management Stags. Regardless of the chosen package, hunters may add additional stags or hunt wild boar at any time.

The rut parallels the highly anticipated fall fishing season on the Collón Curá River, which borders the ranch. The river is at its finest in March and April — large migratory Brown Trout are pushing upstream to spawn and hopper fishing can be exceptional. Adding days on the water transforms this into a true Patagonia Cast & Blast experience. Ask us about combining your hunt with guided trout fishing on the Collón Curá.

PATAGONIA RED STAG HUNTING at ESTANCIA QUEMQUEMTREU 
(6 nights/5 days hunting)

Day 1:    Arrive Buenos Aires (EZE). Transfer to the domestic airport (AEP) and fly to San Martin (CPC.) Guides will pick you up and transfer you 1hour and 20 minutes to the ranch. Practice with your weapon before cocktails and dinner.

Day 2-6:    Five days Patagonia free range Red Stag hunting.

Day 7:    Check out, transfer back to the San Martin Airport for your flight to Buenos Aires and home.

Rate: $10,800/Trophy or Management hunter
Included: 6 nights lodging and 5 days guided hunting, all meals, open bar, laundry service, rifles & ammo, wade fishing the Collon Cura River, Wi-Fi and transfers between the San Martin airports and the ranch.
Not included: Air travel and related costs, tags ($100/stag), additional trophy ($3500), additional cull ($2000), shipping heads to Buenos Aires ($350-$800), trophy head export certificates and international freight ($1000-$2500),  suggested gratuities ($80-$120/day/hunter for guides and staff), optional float fishing the Collon Cura River ($600/day), extra animals, recommended travel insurance and services in Buenos Aires.

With over 26 years organizing trips in exclusively Chile and Argentina, we make travel planning efficient and worry free. We’ll give you the domestic flights you need for your lodge dates and our travel team ensures your international flights connect smoothly. If preferred, we’ll even have our team in Buenos Aires meet you when you land.

• After an easy overnight flight, anglers land at the Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), transfer 45 minutes to the Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery Domestic Airport (AEP) and fly 2 hours south to San Martin (CPC.) Four hours minimum is required between your international and domestic flights in Buenos Aires.
• Anglers are picked up at the San Martin Airport and driven 1 hour and 20 minutes to Red Stag Ranch
• Anglers are dropped off at the San Martin Airport for their flight back to Buenos Aires and home.