Pica Zuro Lodge

Season

All year round

Getting There

Córdoba, Argentina

The Hunting

From blinds

Upon arrival at Pica Zuro Lodge, you will be immediately transported back in time. This stately 19th-century compound is centered around the authentic Argentine-style Estancia which will become a “home away from home for you during your stay but do not be fooled by the historic appearance of the lodge, for at its heart lies a modern launchpad for dove hunters. Our flagship dove hunting venue, Pica Zuro Lodge, is perfectly positioned to reach hundreds of private access shooting locations within minutes. These hillsides and agricultural fields are home to millions of eared doves which fill the skies in spectacular numbers. At the lodge, you will be treated to a culinary adventure as well, our skilled chefs assure that meals are fit for a king, as they bring together cutting-edge modern techniques, with traditional Argentine flavors.

Why Choose Pica Zuro Lodge?

Live like royalty in the dove hunter's kingdom

When you arrive at the swinging gate outside Pica Zuro, you’ll proceed up the winding drive and sense at once that the lodge has had time to settle and amass ambiance. Things look comfortable here, the palm trees frame the open air porches, as linen curtains sway in the gentle breeze. There’s a feeling of old-world elegance that starts outdoors and extends throughout each and every room of the estancia. 

The lodge houses a large traditional dining room adjacent to a comfortable sitting room with a nearby bar. The recreation room offers a billiards table, with a sitting area and bar. There is also a gun cleaning room and private 2 masseuse rooms. After the hunt you can also enjoy time in the swimming pool, spa with dry sauna and jacuzzi or just relax in the sitting area aside from one of our inviting fire pits.

  • Capacity: 12 guns.
  • Accommodations: 5 twin rooms and 5 single rooms, each with a private bathroom.
  • Wi-Fi Internet access, Satellite telephone, and satellite TV.
  • A gourmet dining experience each day, with Argentina’s famed beef and fine wines, traditional Asados (BBQ), fresh-baked bread, and delicious desserts.
  • Maid and laundry service.
  • The gift shop offers local artwork and crafts, logo wear, and accessories.
  • Gun rental, with a selection of fine over and under and semiautomatic shotguns, from Beretta, Benelli, Browning & others.
  • Professional, experienced hunting guides and field assistants.
  • Comfortable Mercedes Benz Vans.
  • Historical tours, shopping trips, and horseback riding (optional).

What time of the year should I come?

There are 4 seasons to the “Dove Year”, as the birds react to seasonal changes in weather and availability to food and water. As with any wild hunt, these factors can vary, and as such, may affect the timing of the different seasons. Throughout the year doves are in search of food and water, it is vital for them to have access to it within a short range of our main roosts and transitional roosts. In years with unstable weather, which may affect these factors, the traditional movement of our dove can change. Doves react to these changes and we do too.

At David Denies we are prepared for these natural changes, and for this reason, we are in continuous geographical growth to provide comfort in daily logistics as well as the quality and quantity of doves you will enjoy during your hunt. Our daily logistics begins with our main scout who goes out to check the expansive area we hunt, and then once we are in the field, the other 3 scouts check the area near where we are hunting. This makes it possible to obtain valuable information that is then analyzed by our heads guides.

The head guides are seasoned, professional hunters who take the birds’ movements into consideration and decide on the best possible hunting locations, prioritizing the quality and quantity of doves. The decision also takes into consideration the length of driving required to reach the field, but always with the mission of providing you with the best possible dove shooting experience.

The following calendar separates the year into quarters, and each section highlights perfect times for hunting. All of this information is based upon traditional data compiled over our 38 years of hunting the area. Weather and other factors may affect the date ranges and drive times listed.

“The Glorious Hills” – Mid-July to Mid-February

Weather: This season includes the end of winter, the entire spring, and part of our summer— almost half our year. For the end of winter and most of the spring, we experience mild temps and blue skies carrying easterly winds. During our mid-winter and early spring, we can find challenging birds due to a combination of deep valleys and wind, especially in August. The tail end of this block is our summer when we can experience tropical showers late in the day with a predominantly northerly wind.

Doves: We can present every bird in the book during this broad time of year, from sky-scraping high doves to low and slow birds perfect for beginners—and all flying at every possible angle. We’re situated in the hills daily at this time of year, changing hunting scenarios every hunt, and we can use our location to our advantage to produce just about any hunt a client or a group might prefer. We can also “duplicate” every game birdshot in the book—from high pheasants, crossing ducks, or incoming grouse. If hunters want low birds we hunt the ridges; and if they want high doves we go deep into the valleys. We also hunt an array of local farms, which provide a nice variation from day-to-day.

Also, hunting with double guns can be offered, our professional field assistants can stuff or double gun every day.

Driving distances: 15 to 45 minutes

“In Transition” – Mid-February to Mid-March

Weather: Sunny and dry, with occasional light showers.

Doves: A combination of the hills and flat hunting, with the best hunts occurring early in the morning and after 3 p.m. until sunset at 8 pm. Much like our June/July hunting, but with the benefit of longer days and warmer temperatures. This season is short because the doves will stop hatching due to lack of food and start holding in temporary roosts in the flats close to the agricultural production areas. As David Denies is the only outfitter holding 300.000+ acres of land, we can still guarantee incredible customized hunting while other outfitters close their doors during this time. This is the opposite movement from our June/July hunt in that we are now moving from the hills back to the flats; two great hunts per day, often with a long lunch and time for a nap at midday. Beautiful, warm weather.

Driving distances: 15 to 70 minutes

“The Flatlands” – Mid-March to Mid-June

Weather: This is our autumn, and while we can have some rain in March, April, and early May it’s rarely more than a day or two of rain per month. Then our dry season begins.

Doves: During “The Flatlands” period we find a high concentration of low-flying birds feeding or in temporary roosts. We can see high birds depending on the wind and how far we’re located from the feeding or roosting areas. The main reason the birds fly this way at this time of year is because they’re following combines that are harvesting sorghum, soybean, and corn. During this time of year, we also shoot feedlots and water holes where the birds gather to eat and drink.

Driving distances: 15 to 70+ minutes

“Heading for the Hills” – Mid-June to Mid-July

Weather: Cold in the morning, comfortable in the evening; blue skies every day with a predominant south wind.

Doves: A combination of low and high-flying birds depending on where we find better hunting conditions (flatlands or hills) or both. One day we can be hunting in the flats; the following day in the hills. This time of year is what we call our winter transition, and it only lasts a month. We continue to hunt the flats and we start hunting the hills as well, depending on the flight pattern of the doves from day-to-day. 

Driving distances:  15 to 45 minutes; unless we are lucky enough to be able to use the field right next to Pica Zuro which is only 5 minutes away. It can be “red hot” at times and makes for a nice bonus.

To get to Pica Zuro Lodge there are daily direct flights from many U.S. cities to Buenos Aires (Ezeiza Intl. Airport – EZE). From Ezeiza you might be able to connect into a direct flight to Córdoba (Pajas Blancas Airport – COR)  or ground transfer to the domestic airport Jorge Newbery – AEP (40’ to 1 hr drive), and take a 1 hr flight to Córdoba. 

Once at the lodge, you are conveniently close to terrific dove fields with drives averaging 40 minutes depending on the time of the year.

Hunters may also fly into Santiago, Chile with connecting flights to Córdoba city. That will allow you to make the most of your trip as you will be dove shooting the day of your arrival (depending on the different flight schedules).

Location

Pica Zuro Lodge is located in the province of Córdoba, in Central Argentina, 60 miles (100 km) north of the Córdoba City International Airport. The driving time from the airport to the lodge is about an hour and thirty minutes. For more than 25 years, seasoned international bird hunters have recognized Córdoba as the world’s leading destination for high-volume dove hunting. Córdoba offers hunters easy access, with direct flights from Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires, Lima (Perú), and Panamá City (Panama). Pleasant weather is also a bonus, with more than 320 days of sun per year.

The Hunting

What to expect on the field

At Pica Zuro Lodge the focus of the program is the thoughtful pairing of luxurious hospitality with truly World Class wing shooting, to create the ultimate sporting holiday. For nearly 40 years, Córdoba has been considered the dove shooting capital of the world, and our David Denies Lodges have been at the forefront of that experience. 

Your quarry at Pica Zuro will be the Eared Dove, which is named for a dark patch of feather on the side of the bird’s upper cheek that looks like an ear. These doves are about the same size as North America’s popular mourning dove, and in the hand, it’s difficult to tell the two species apart. In the Córdoba region, farming practices and vast roost areas allow these birds to thrive at epic population levels. 

With over 40,000,000 doves residing within a 150-mile radius of the lodge, we can access hundreds of shooting fields, with short scenic drives through the area’s idyllic countryside. Hunters can experience a wide variety of shooting scenarios throughout the year. The gorgeous, brushy hillside roosting and feeding areas offer great variety, as you can take positions down in valleys, from aside riverbeds and on the peaks and points of the hills. During the fall harvest seasons, hunters might find themselves shooting along agricultural fields of sorghum, corn, and sunflowers. While each location offers its own special scenarios and shooting opportunities, all offer incredible numbers of fast-flying doves.

In the field, each hunter will be accompanied by a field assistant, who will prepare your shooting blind, provide shells and refreshments, and oversee your experience. Unlike some other outfitters, David Denies Bird Hunting field assistants are full-time professionals, with years of guiding and shooting experience. There are no young “bird boys” in the field, all of our staff are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to high volume dove shooting, and their expertise will bring your experience to the next level.

One of the most common questions we are asked, in regard to the shooting, is “what happens to the birds?”. Each day our lodges donate hundreds of pounds of processed dove meat to Mission Esperanza Foundation. We feed 800+ children per day and have already built 3 community centers with our donations and those of our guests.

Mornings will begin with a wakeup call, approximately an hour before departure time. Breakfast will be served shortly thereafter, with everything from waffles to Eggs Benedict, all made to order. Hunters will depart the lodge after breakfast, usually, around 8:30 – 9:00 am. Drives vary depending on the season but generally average around 35 minutes. The morning shoot will begin upon arrival at the field. You will be met by your field assistant, and escorted to your shooting position. Additionally, our head guide will also be available to assist or provide tips on your hunting if desired.

Depending on the time of the year, you will shoot until noon each day, then enjoy an incredible Asado lunch, shaded by a comfortable tent or unique hand-made shelter, where you will enjoy Argentina’s wonderful beef and superb wines. After lunch, and a short siesta, the afternoon shooting begins at around 2 – 2:30, and continues until around 5:00 pm. There is no required quitting time, good sense and tired shooters dictate when the day is through.

After the shooting day has come to an end, you will return to the lodge, where you will be met with cocktails & appetizers, followed by a delicious dinner and time to relax.

Hunting Equipment

David Denies provides hunters with high-quality loaner hunting equipment

Many of our guests find renting guns from the lodge they are visiting to be an easier solution than applying for consular permits and traveling with their own shotguns. It’s easy to rent a gun from the lodge. We have a good selection of guns that are appropriate for the destination at each lodge. Just browse the gun rack until you find a gun that you like. Then, the lodge manager or your guide will note the specific number of the rental gun. That gun will be yours for the duration of your stay. However, you are welcome to change guns along the way and try something different if you wish. You are only charged for one rental so you can switch guns if you wish. We want you to shoot a gun you are comfortable and effective with! You will settle up for the rental at the end of your stay when you are charged for shells and other expenses.

Gauge

Brand

Model

Quantity

.410

Beretta

686

1

28

Beretta

686

8

28

Browning

Citory 525

2

20

Beretta

686

17

20

Browning

Citory 525

4

20

Beretta

Silver Pigeon

3

12

Beretta

Silver Pigeon

3

12

Beretta

Black Wing

2

12

Beretta

Onix

1

Gauge

Brand

Model

Quantity

20

Benelli

Montefeltro

23

20

Breda

Echo

8

20

Benelli

M1

3

12

Benelli

M1 (left-handed)

1

Culinary Experience

At David Denies, our goal is to deliver a true taste of Argentina.

Our kitchens come to life through the use of fresh, locally sourced meats and produce. By combining these elements, we create delicious flavors and varied textures that harbor hidden stories and package traditions on each plate. A top-notch team of experienced national and international chefs, trained in both classic and avant-garde culinary techniques will prepare your meals, with an artisan’s touch.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – in our lodges, it consists of choices going from local free-range eggs benedict, fresh-baked bread and pastries, and organic & healthy foods – we change the options daily to keep things fresh. 

Dinner menus, influenced by the earthiness of the surrounding landscape, will be enjoyed in our beautifully designed dining room and each day you will enjoy an outdoor lunch experience, where chefs prepare every dish from scratch to be served at a minute’s notice. Freshness is paramount and the flavor is key.

Our famed Argentine beef comes from Aberdeen Angus and Hereford steers, grass-fed, from our Pampas. We carefully select our suppliers, guaranteeing the highest quality, flavor, and tenderness of our meat. All of our inspired lunch and dinner menus are paired with some of Argentina’s—and the world’s—best wines; Bodega Catena Zapata. 

In addition to our focus on fresh food with organic origins, we also celebrate our Argentine heritage with a wine partnership that brings truly world-class wines to our lodges. Our wide selection of finest wines, the best Argentine malbec from our region in Mendoza and a large variety of other grape selections, are served by a prepared team. We feel that the food we present and the wines we serve should mirror the sporting opportunities we offer—and be the very best available. While our vast country offers many options for traditional activities such as riding, hunting, eating good meats, and drinking good wines, we have chosen to blend fine food and outdoor activity at an even higher level.

Rates

Season 2023 – All year round

* Prices are in US$ and per person

Rates fluctuate between $650 and $850 per person per night. These rates are flexible based on the month of the season, number of hunters in the group, and lodge availability— please CONTACT US for an accurate quote.

* Non-hunters: $450 per person per night.

* Private parties: $8,950 p/night (up to 12 guests) + extras (Hunting Licenses, Gun Rental, cartridges & Tips)

* Hunting Licenses: $70 per person per day

* Gun Rental: $115 per person p/day

Included

Not included

Combine your trip

Double down on your sporting adventures and experience all The Kautapen Group has to offer by combining your stay with another of our hunting or fishing lodges.

Our research and experience tell us that over 50% of bird hunters are also actively interested in big game hunting, while over 60% are captivated by fishing. If you are a part of that majority, and are interested in adding variety to your sporting life, look no further than Red Stag Patagonia and Nervous Waters Fly Fishing. All three brands are proud members of The Kautapen Group – a single team of dedicated professionals focused on maintaining the highest standard of service and elevating your sporting experiences.

Interested in adding more hunting or fishing to your trip?

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