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Red Stag Tupungato – Season 2023 Report

2023 Season Report at our Tupungato Ranch – World’s largest stags in the foothills of the Andes The 2023 season was our most successful season in terms of size and quality of stags harvested. We want to thank all the hunters that came our way from the US and Europe and had the pleasure of hunting with us. From the moment our hunters arrived, they were greeted by breathtaking mountain views and pristine hunting grounds, setting the stage for an unforgettable adventure. The weather conditions throughout the season were near perfect, with mild temperatures and winds that worked in our favor. The picturesque fall in the Andes mountains provided ideal conditions for spotting game and conducting successful stalks. In addition to the exceptional hunting, our guests enjoyed the comfort and warm hospitality of our ranch lodging and the attentive service provided by our staff. The culinary experience was a highlight, as our chef delighted everyone with delectable local gourmet meals paired with the finest wines Argentina has to offer. At our ranch, active engagement in habitat conservation and improvement initiatives remains a top priority, ensuring the preservation of the natural ecosystem. Additionally, the funds generated from our hunting activities are reinvested in conservation efforts, contributing to the overall health and biodiversity of the property and allowing us to provide our guests with an exclusive and sustainable hunting experience. The year 2023 marked our best year so far in terms of harvest success and trophy quality at Tupungato. We harvested a massive record stag of 634 SCI, a great accomplishment! This outstanding achievement can be attributed to the meticulous management practices implemented on the ranch, which included selective harvesting and the careful maintenance of a mature stag population during our last 25 years of herd management. All our 2023 hunters expressed […]

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Revel in the breathtaking vistas of Red Stag Patagonia's exquisite lakes, a paradise for nature lovers and peace seekers alike.

Estancia Lanín History

The history of the ranch dates back almost a century. Richard Hosking Trannack emigrated from Cornwall, England to Argentina in the latter part of the 19th century, along with his wife Marie and their six children. After a seven-year journey in nine large oxen and horse-driven carriages through 1,000 miles of hostile territory, they finally settled down in the area of Zapala, province of Neuquén. Sadly, Richard and Marie died just a few years after their arrival, so the two eldest sons, Thomas & Hughe Arturo took over the running of the Estancia. At the time, The Southern Railway “Ferrocarril Roca” was being built and Arturo was employed as the payroll master for the Southern Railway Company, a British company in charge of building the railway line between Bahía Blanca (Province of Buenos Aires) and the town of Zapala. His job entailed riding over the Andes on horseback to Chile every three-to-six months to collect the money to pay the salaries of the railway workers. In order to avoid possible stick-ups – yes, highway robbers were around at that time – Don Arturo would choose a different route each time.  On one of his crossings, he came across a beautiful stretch of land by Lake Huechulafquen. By fortune, he was able to establish contact with owners of all that land at the time and purchase this very unique property. Arturo and his wife lived in El Manzano year round, the original family home in Zapala,  and the ranch by the lake became their summer residence. At that time there was no bridge over the Chimehuin River (the outflow of Lake Huechulaufquen) so my grandparents and their 3 children would drive to the mouth of the River Chimehuin, leave their car (a 1921 FN) undercover, and then travel the last stage of […]

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two men looking for their hunt

Clothing tips for Red Stag Hunting in Argentina

Maybe the single most important item is a good pair of well broken in hunting/hiking boots. Firm ankle support is important due to the uneven terrain so they must be at least ankle-high. Don’t buy a brand-new pair of boots to come down hunting. Bring yourself a pair of older, broken-in boots if possible. If you are going to buy new ones, get them a couple of months before you plan to hunt and use them a lot during that time to properly break them in good. Nothing ruins your hunt as quickly as bad feet. Some excellent boot brands that we suggest are Kenetrek, Crispi, Zamberland, Asolo, Scarpa, La Sportiva, Lowa, etc. Without a doubt, a good hunting layer clothing system is the best way to go for a Stag hunt in South America, similar to what you would use for an Elk hunt in the American west. For most of the season, a light system works the best; maybe with a few added items, so you can layer, in case of some rougher weather. My personal choices are merino base layer pants and top, a light hunting pants, a slim dawn vest, and a light jacket. In case the weather gets colder, I also carry a medium to heavy hoody dawn jacket in my pack. I highly recommend bringing good quality, non-bulky items that will fit with no problem in a day pack, so you can shed them out during the day and put them back on later if it gets colder. For late-season a heavier pants would be better, also the heavy down jacket is a must. For rifle hunts, plain, earth-toned colors will work as well as camo. For archery hunting, I would suggest having at least the uppers in camo, as it helps to break up […]

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Discover the allure of the wild as deer roam freely, embodying the spirit of Red Stag Patagonia's commitment to authentic wildlife encounters.

100% Success

by Dave Mellum Every hunter has his definition of “Successful” so let me give you mine. To me, “success” isn’t the harvesting of the game. To me, success isn’t measured by the size or number of trophies I hang on the wall. Doing so is nice, and I do everything I can to take the game I came for, but that’s merely “icing on the cake”. For over 50 years I’ve hunted big game everywhere from Alaska, to New Zealand, Africa, South America and many locations in between. Over the years I’ve eaten many a tag and left many a freezer empty. However some of my most “successful” hunts didn’t involve the firing of a single shot nor the nocking of a single arrow. So how do I define a successful hunt?  Let me tell you. Success to me is experiencing beautiful new environments, watching abundant numbers of game in their natural habitat, sharing a well planned campsite or beautiful lodge with other hunters, listening to and learning from an experienced guide, having a guide who listens to me, looking forward to the evening’s meal and sharing the day’s hunt around a glowing campfire, making new friends who share your passion for hunting, fairly pursuing your game and enjoying the challenges it most often presents, returning home and reliving the memories of your hunt which bring a smile to your face.—Now that’s a successful hunt. So you ask—how were my hunts with RED STAG PATAGONIA? Every one a resounding success, and to top it off, I’ve never had to eat one of their tags. Their lodges are the most professionally operated hunting establishments you will ever experience. Their motto — “The chase is fair, everything else is Excellent” is a perfect summation of their operations. So, if you are looking for “icing on the cake” as well as a […]

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10 Tips preparing for the Perfect Hunt

Sebastian F. Casado Sastre is not only the co-owner, but also the head guide for Red Stag Patagonia. With more than three decades of Big Game hunting experience, specializing in Red Stag, he’s known as one of Argentina’s most accomplished Big Game outfitters. Sebastian has shared some of his extensive knowledge on what it takes to plan and execute the Perfect Red Stag Hunt. These 10 tips will not only prepare you for your hunt, but they’ll also allow you to turn your experience into an unforgettable Trip of a Lifetime! The Red Stag season in Argentina and Chile runs during the fall, but without a doubt, the best time of the season is during the rut, also known as the “Roar”. The Roar occurs between early March and mid- to late April. This time of the year is comparable to September and October in the Rocky Mountains of the American West. Before you book a Red Stag Hunt, it’s important to think about what type of hunt you prefer. Considerations include: the type of lodging you want, if you’re coming with non-hunting companions; the kind of trophy you’re looking for, if you want to do a mountain hunt; or whether easy going, lower elevation hunts make more sense. Knowing the terrain, the game behavior, judging trophies, and assessing safe hikes in the mountains are only a few of many aspects that go into a successful hunt. That’s why a good guide is a must on every stag hunt. Most times each hunter will have his own guide for the entire duration of the hunt (1×1 guiding). Although, some prefer to share the ride with a fellow hunter (2×1 guiding). Since the hunts are all on big private ranches, with very light-hunting pressure, there’s always opportunities for everybody. Before your […]

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A Thousand and “1” Shots

A Thousand and “1” Shots – by Dave Mellum (Red Stag Patagonia—Tupungato Lodge) I’ve previously had the opportunity to hunt each of the 3 David Denies Bird Hunting dove lodges located in Córdoba, Argentina (Pica Zuro, La Dormida, and Córdoba Lodges). At each lodge shooting a thousand rounds a day, everyday of the year, is actually considered “light” shooting and I well exceeded those numbers. There are millions of doves located within David Denies exclusive 250,000 acre hunt area and you will never run out of opportunities to shoot nor experience a bad day’s hunt. Millions and millions of dove are at your disposal and there are NO LIMITS! The dove shooting here is perhaps only topped by David Denies incredibly beautiful lodges, attentive staff, and exquisite dining. Fast forward to my latest hunting destination—Tupungato Red Stag. Operated by the same people who manage David Denies Bird Hunting, Tupungato Lodge is located just 50 miles south of Mendoza, Argentina. Mendoza, known world wide for their fabulous wines, is one of the most picturesque areas in all of South America. Guests actually stay in a beautiful working winery. The ranch sets against the Chilean border with a backdrop of some of the highest peaks in all the Andes. There are 20,000 foot peaks within the ranch’s western boundary and fertile valleys exist throughout which team with wildlife. It is within this spectacular setting that the big game hunter pursues one of the most beautiful animals in all of sport hunting—-the majestic RED STAG. Tupungato is one of the oldest and largest working ranches in this part of Argentina. It encompasses 150,000 acres and it’s Red Stag hunting program has been in existence for over 20 years. All hunting on the ranch follows a strict management plan with only old mature Stags […]

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Buenos Aires Big Game – Season 2017

Most people don’t know that only two hours away from the city of Buenos Aires, there is the biggest herd of wild black buck in the world. You can count them by the thousands on some of the big cattle ranches in this particular area of Buenos Aires province. We at RSP have exclsusive leases on the best ranches and we are have been putting hunters onto big wild blackbuck since 2006. This year so far we have had great hunts for both Black Buck and Axis deer. We also did some of our “all you can shoot” wild boar hunts on horseback, and guest were delighted by these high adrenaline hunts. Our spring season goes until  mid December, its a great time to enjoy the nice Argentine spring weather hunting Black Buck and Axis deer— and why not swing by Cordoba and shoot some doves while you are in the neighborhood!  

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Experience the synergy and teamwork of two hunters as they navigate the wilderness of Red Stag Patagonia in search of their hunting dreams

Report Tupungato – Season 2017

We had our best season ever in Tupungato in 2017. Our hunters enjoyed a 100 % success rate and all our guests took huge stags. We also harvested some nice fallow bucks and some pretty bad ass wild boars. From mid March unti the third week in April, the roar was absolutely crazy ! One morning, while hunting with one of our guests we counted 30 different  stags roaring in the same hidden valley. We expect nothing different in 2018. Still a couple of open spots available…how can you miss out on a sure thing?

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Red Stag Chile – Season 2017

Again in 2017, around the second week of March, Stags began coming down the mountains looking for hinds like clockwork. The roar was strong and steady until mid-April, probably peaking around March 26. We only harvested two bulls in 2017, but both were huge!! We decided to limit the season to only two stags since we noticed that there were many of the big boys that were still strong for the rut and able to handle the winter… also, there were a lot of hinds to cover. So for this past year, two was enough. For 2018, well have a good number of older stags to chase and we are expecting a new record anytime! We still have two open spots for 2018 due to a cancellation.

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Buenos Aires Big Game Hunting Report – Season 2013

Herds of blackbuck and axis deer enjoyed what seemed to be a limitless food supply and horn growth has been impressive. Deer are also thick and healthy, which bodes well heading into the leaner winter months. So far all guests participating in Crestones’ coveted shotgun/rifle hunts have shot trophies. We’re expecting a wonderful spring season from October through December, which is also prime time for dove shooting in Cordoba. Book now and take advantage of free-range game hunts combined with some of the best wingshooting in the world.

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