Stuart Williams is one of the most experienced wingshooters in the world. He has made sixty wingshooting trips to Argentina and forty to Mexico. He has shot driven pheasants in England and Scotland, in Denmark and Hungary , Italy and the Czech Republic. He has shot driven red-legged partridges in the rough hills of Spain and driven guinea-fowl in Zimbabwe and South Africa. He has shot ducks in the Danube Delta of Romania and the Volga River Delta of Russia and the Nile Delta of Egypt and on the lakes of Kashmir, India, and geese in the volcanic uplands of Iceland and the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand and in Zululand, South Africa and in the high Andes of Peru and the extreme south of Chile.. He has shot doves in Uruguay and Peru and Morocco and in the Cauca Valley of Colombia, back in the days when it was the world's number one dove-shooting hotspot. He has shot decoyed pigeons in Uruguay and Paraguay. He won the Argentine National Field Shooting Competition the only two years it was contested. He has published three books on wingshooting previously, including BIRDS ON THE HORIZON: A Book of International Wingshooting Adventures; and WINGSHOOTING ARGENTINA, volumes I and II, in addition to hundreds of articles. Stuart's interests are not limited to bird shooting. He is an erudite and sophisticated gentleman, with degrees from Yale and the University of California. He has traveled in fifty-five countries and has a serious interest in money and investments and opera. He has a passionate devotion to the music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Mozart. Stuart is a member of Mensa and holds Advanced Master ranking in the Photographic Society of America, from which he also holds the titles of Ascended Master, Pluperfect Master, and Ineffable Master.
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Volumen I
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This is the second volume of the bestselling and only photographic books exclusively depicting the best Wingshooting locations and lodges in Argentina and Uruguay. An amazing journey chasing doves, pigeons, ducks, quails, partridges, pheasants and
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geese, captured and narrated by world renowned hunting writer and photographer Stuart Williams.
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A NEW must have book, for anyone who is thinking asbout Wingshooting in Argentina and Uruguay. Sponsored by
www.visitmexico.com
Text & Photography by
Stuart Willams
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O Stuart Williams is one of the most experienced wingshooters in the world. He has made sixty wingshooting trips to Argentina and forty to Mexico. He has shot driven pheasants in England and Scotland, in Denmark and Hungary , Italy and the Czech Republic. He has shot driven red-legged partridges in the rough hills of Spain and driven guinea-fowl in Zimbabwe and South Africa. He has shot ducks in the Danube Delta of Romania and the Volga River Delta of Russia and the Nile Delta of Egypt and on the lakes of Kashmir, India, and geese in the volcanic uplands of Iceland and the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand and in Zululand, South Africa and in the high Andes of Peru and the extreme south of Chile.. He has shot doves in Uruguay and Peru and Morocco and in the Cauca Valley of Colombia, back in the days when it was the world's number one dove-shooting hotspot. He has shot decoyed pigeons in Uruguay and Paraguay. He won the Argentine National Field Shooting Competition the only two years it was contested. He has published three books on wingshooting previously, including BIRDS ON THE HORIZON: A Book of International Wingshooting Adventures; and WINGSHOOTING ARGENTINA, volumes I and II, in addition to hundreds of articles. Stuart's interests are not limited to bird shooting. He is an erudite and sophisticated gentleman, with degrees from Yale and the University of California. He has traveled in fifty-five countries and has a serious interest in money and investments and opera. He has a passionate devotion to the music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Mozart. Stuart is a member of Mensa and holds Advanced Master ranking in the Photographic Society of America, from which he also holds the titles of Ascended Master, Pluperfect Master, and Ineffable Master.
Sinalopato Duck & Dove Club
Pintails
Airboats roared back and forth and up and down, putting great swarms
floor. Out in front three dozen decoys moved back and forth in the wind. It was
of ducks to flight. A wave of about 100 redheads sailed by, then turned and
the perfect stratagem for shooting ducks.
banked against the wind, and settled on the water about 100 yards away.
A large flock of redheads came in and settled about 120 yards out. Then
Gradually they swam into the decoys, whereupon the birdboy shouted and
followed another flock, which settled beside the first flock. Then a third flock,
put them to flight, and I put down four birds with
then a fourth, then a fifth and so on until there were at
two shots. Then another wave sailed in well within
least 1000 redheads, perhaps 1500, on the water. Then
range, and I put down four—mirabile dictu—with the
someone in another blind fired a shot, and they got up
first shot and one with the second. Soon another pass
as one with a great roar of wings and flew all over and
of 6-8 birds blew by from the left, and I killed three
around me, whereupon I put down two—and the gun
birds with two shots. Things kept up like this for an
jammed!! Even so, this event alone made the whole
hour, and during that special time I could hardly miss.
morning’s effort worthwhile.
Some birds fell at long distance, but my hard-working
The scene changes. This time I am shooting with Col.
birdboy retrieved them all. Some of them were in
D. L. Weener, a great devotee of firepower and the
water so deep he had to swim.
inventor of the immortal phrase: “While there’s lead in the air there’s hope.” He
I was shooting from a natural blind hacked out of dense mangroves on the
has accompanied me on hunting and shooting trips worldwide and is a fellow
edge of a large lagoon. I stood on a large wooden pallet, which provided a solid
member of Game Hogs Galore.
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Bobby Balderrama, owner/operator of Sinalopato, proudly poses with a nice bag of ducks on one of his airboats.
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Birdboys put out a spread of decoys -including at least one battery- powerered, or Mojo, decoy-adjacent to each blind.
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All duck hunting guides are skilled callers.
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I shall never forget that last delightful hour: riding up
wanted to hunt into the darkness, and we had to
rises they pointed singles almost continuously.
on the front of the truck with waves of cool, delicious
collect them using the headlights. In fact, we shot
I counted 35 points and undoubtedly missed
air washing over me; the dogs quartering back and
the last covey rise in the light of the high beams. We
some. Many times all three dogs were on point,
forth, pointing every few minutes; birds bursting into
finished the day with 143 birds picked up.
sometimes pointing the same bird, usually three
air on all sides; shotguns roaring out their peremptory
That may seem like a lot of birds, and it is, but
different birds. Sometimes they moved forward
orders to cease from flight; and long tongues of
consider that the average life expectancy of a quail in
simultaneously side by side and precisely in
flame leaping into the thickening darkness. The dogs
the Tamaulipas brush is only 1 ½ years, so even very
step. It was a sight to gladden the heart of any
A well-trained black lab has just retrieved a pintail drake, a sight to gladden the heart of every serious duck hunter.
intensive shooting by the few hunters who go down there
true lover of great dog work. In the cool fragrant
doesn’t even replace natural mortality. It’s not hunting
gloom of evening birds roared up and away, and
that determines quail populations in Tamaulipas. It’s
shooting and shouting filled the air with a joyous
rainfall and the availability of food and cover.
cacophony. It ended all too soon, as good things
In the spring and summer of 1992 Tamaulipas
always do, when we could no longer see to shoot.
received the heaviest rainfall it had seen in many
The dogs were still pointing in the darkness, and
years, and quail populations exploded. I hunted quail
hated to quit.
that December out of El Tejon with David Gregory, a
That evening I saw some of the most elegant,
prominent booking agent, and David McBee, a dog
disciplined, exhilarating dog work I hope to see in
handler known as the Maximum Manipulator of the
this world or the next: tails rigidly erect, mouths
Mutts. I could fill many pages with the incidents of
tightly shut, bodies quivering with excitement like
that hunt, but I will confine my attention to the last
a high tension wire, leaning toward the bird with
hour of the last day, which was the best.
head well extended, honoring and backing with
David McBee put down three pointers in a weed
perfect teamwork, all beyond reproach.
field of about 60 acres surrounded by dense thorn
Tamaulipas! What wonderful memories that
brush and cactus. In the final hour the dogs moved
name evokes! I hope to make my pilgrimage down
just five very large coveys, but between the covey
that way for many years to come.
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A hunter retrieves the first duck of the morning on a hunt with Dial Dunkin.
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Epigrafe
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Epigrafe
Pintail
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Epigrafe
Epigrafe
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Epigrafe
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Whitewing Doves
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Dr. Tim Rand(l.) and Skip Taylor scout for doves along the edge of a sesame field.
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Birdboys transport decoys and guns to the blinds in preparation for a morning's duck hunt. Birdboys put out decoys, as seen in the photo to the right , and finally all is ready for a great morning of sport.
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Fulvous tree ducks are very abundant on Lake El Salto and the marshes around Mazatlan.
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One of Carlos' well-trained golden retrievers eagerly fetches a duck.