Friends Rendezvous in Cordoba

Many sports create friendships but the sport of hunting creates bonds that last a lifetime. Being outdoors and hunting with your friends is one of life’s greatest rewards. In the open spaces, all technology distractions and work issues are completely lost the moment you start hunting. What matters most is the hunting situation – the wind, the sun, the clouds and the presence of your quarry. It’s impossible to consider anything else. As my wife would say you’re just ‘being in the moment’.

Earlier this month, my business required me to travel to Brazil and Argentina. On a whim, I texted my good friend Todd Williver from Central Oregon to see if he could break away from teaching and go dove hunting in Cordoba. It was a long shot but a few minutes later, I got a reply…absolutely. We’ve talked for several years about the possibility of bird hunting in South America but the chances looked slim as we both have demanding schedules and he has toddlers.

No way, could this actually materialize? I had plenty of air miles so getting there wouldn’t be a problem for me and my mate. With less than two months to go, we began researching and I reached out to an outfitter I met at SCI in Reno called Los Gauchos. We both had a pretty tight agenda and could only hunt for the weekend. They came back with an outstanding package that wasn’t a budget buster and we would join up with two other hunting parties at Sierra Brava Lodge located about 100 kilometers north of Cordoba.

After meeting customers in Buenos Aires I met Todd at the Aeroparque to go to Cordoba. I had been on the road for business for a week and Todd had a 24 hour journey from Portland—we were both anxious to hunt and kick back in the Argentine countryside. On arrival into Cordoba, we were greeted by our new best friend and retired attorney, Topo Zsaravnik. Topo’s not his real name of course but that’s another story. Todd and I weren’t the only pasty white guys on the flight but Topo gave one good look at us and said…those boys must be my hunters. And we weren’t even wearing any camo!

Within minutes of pulling away from the Cordoba airport, we talked about the geography, the climate, the bird species and the hunting techniques and traditions. Topo is quite the world traveler so we traded stories about hunting and fishing in the US. Within the first hour Todd and I both knew this would be an experience of a lifetime. This isn’t the first time I’ve made new friends while hunting internationally, but with each trip, I’m convinced that hunting transcends all cultures and continents. This shared passion turns strangers into friends in no time and this trip was no exception.

We arrived in the evening and Topo made plans for a brief hunt before heading back to Sierra Brava. Two new friends – Martin and Sergio. They were to be our bird boys for the weekend. Clean shaven young men who we would later find out were amazing shots. Arriving at the lodge just after dusk, we were greeted by JJ Sala the owner and his friendly staff with a cold towel for our faces.

Sierra Brava is an exquisite lodge that has 100 years of history. It was JJ’s vision to restore the previous stage stop and create a spectacular hunting lodge with modern amenities but keeping the Old World feel. Champagne was served and Kenny Rodgers and Johnny Cash played in the background as we got acquainted with this unique piece of Argentine history.

Topo organized a spectacular Argentine meal complete with steak, Topo’s own homemade Chimichurri sauce and a caramel peach dessert. We had no idea he was an amazing cook. For dinner we were joined two lifetime friends from Casper Wyoming – Rick Kennerknecht and Colter Anderson. Rick and I talked Africa while Todd and Coulter swapped fly-fishing stories.

Rick had been to Argentina many times as he runs an outfitter called Global Sporting Safaris. Colter, like Todd and I were new to South America. With a great meal, everyone retired early for the evening to prepare for the high volume dove hunting the next day.

The four Texans arrived the next afternoon in time for a hot lunch served fresh in the field. Topo and his crew worked their magic and served a corn pie and two types of steaks that were mesquite grilled to perfection. Like Todd and I, the Texans had their share of stories and had hunted together for many years. After exchanging tales and taking a siesta we all headed back to the fields.

You’ve seen it all, right? You’ve hunted Pheasants in South Dakota, Chukkar in Oregon, Ducks on the Atlantic and Pacific Flyways, Quail in California and Guinea Fowl and Francolin in South Africa. Think again. You’ve seen nothing until you see Doves in Cordoba. The first two hours in the field are incomprehensible. Even if you’ve seen the videos and talked to the guides, being in a Dove blind when hundreds, literally hundreds, of Doves are flying by you is difficult to imagine. Martin, my bird boy, kept saying…left, right, up, behind, left. I was dizzy. Concentrate I said to myself. There were more shooting opportunities that morning than last hunting season in Oregon. It was picture perfect weather and not a cloud in the sky. Temps were in the 80-90’s with very little wind. What more could you ask for?


The morning tallied 360 birds for Todd and 34 for me. Todd had spied the 1000 Club Member board in the lodge the night before and was destined to achieve that on his first day. Not that we were keeping score, but I ended the day at 150 and Todd at 1002. Granted, Todd shot 2x the shells as I did.

As daylight faded, waves upon waves of doves flew over the sorghum fields and Coulter was fast on the crossers. Like Todd, Coulter joined the 1000 Club Member shooting over 1,500. A few cold beers in the field and we packed up on the truck and headed back to the lodge.

Our second day was equally as exciting and challenging. No one cared to honestly admit to how sore their shoulder was but I noticed many of us shot considerably fewer shells that day. The hunting situation was considerably different from the day before. On this occasion, we would hunt on a cattle ranch and corn fields that had been harvested. My shooting improved but nothing like that of Martin, my bird boy. He was taking some long crack shots I didn’t think were possible with a 20 gauge. All in all, the group shot 1000’s of birds with two of the Texans shooting 2,000 apiece.



Topo and JJ had arranged for some fine Argentine entertainment and dinner.
We’d grown fond of their cooking and our second night’s meal was a gastronomical delight complete with Argentine beef and fine wines. The folk music was very enjoyable and told the story of rural Argentina.

We all retired to a blazing campfire to share stories, kick back and smoke cigars. With the right group of friends, campfires can be magical. Everyone loves a great story and many that are shared and slightly embellished in this hunting ritual. This night, the air was crisp and the stories were tall. It was a full Harvest Moon and not a cloud in the sky. Orion, the hunter, along with the Southern Cross came into sight along the horizon.

Sunday morning brought colder temps and a low pressure system from the foothills of the Andes. As we packed our bags to head back to US, we reflected on the great hunting and exceptional experience of staying with JJ and Topo at the Sierra Brava Lodge. Hunting trips like these are irreplaceable. Beyond relaxing and great hunting, its times like these that provide you the unique opportunity to make new hunting partners and renew your friendship with your buddies.