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Hunters who love quail and pheasant and the traditions of walked-up shooting behind good dogs will find something in Argentina that feels immediately familiar and utterly unlike anything they have experienced at the same time. The perdiz, Argentina’s spotted tinamou, hunts in country that looks and feels like quality upland habitat the world over. Grasslands, cattle country, brush edges, and open pastures hold birds in a way that any experienced quail or pheasant hunter will instinctively recognize. Then the flush happens and everything changes. The spotted tinamou erupts from the grass with an explosive burst of wingbeats, launches itself on a fast direct flight path, and goes. A hunter who hesitates even fractionally will be shooting at empty air. Accuracy rates below fifty percent are the norm for experienced upland hunters on their first day in the perdiz fields. That challenge is precisely what makes a great day of perdiz hunting so deeply satisfying
The perdiz, the Spotted Tinamou, belongs to the order Tinamiformes, one of the most ancient bird families on earth. Despite a superficial resemblance to quail and grouse, the tinamous have no close relatives among living bird families. They are a distinct lineage with unique behavioral and physical characteristics that make them one of the most interesting and challenging birds in the world to hunt. Their preferred habitat is the grasslands and natural pastures of the Argentine and Uruguayan pampas, typically with cattle present that create the combination of cover and disturbed vegetation edges where birds feed and loaf. The spotted tinamou is typically found in pairs rather than coveys, which means each encounter is a two-bird opportunity requiring efficient shooting from both hunters before the birds are out of range. Tinamous are not strong sustained fliers. After the explosive initial flush they land at distance and run rather than re-flushing easily, making a well-trained pointing dog and an experienced guide essential to a productive perdiz hunt. This is fundamentally team hunting that puts the guide, the dog, and the hunter in genuine partnership on every encounter.
The perdiz hunting day starts at a more civilized hour than the duck program. After breakfast at the lodge, hunters travel forty-five to sixty minutes to the field, with hunting underway by nine o’clock when bird activity is at its best. Each pair of hunters is assigned a personal guide and a trained pointing dog. Your guide understands the dog’s behavior intimately and reads its body language to anticipate when it is working a bird versus simply investigating cover. When the dog locks into a point, your guide positions both hunters to maximize the shooting opportunity based on the direction the flush is most likely to take. This positioning skill develops over years of working specific dogs on specific terrain. The morning session continues until midday, when lunch is traditionally served in the Argentine gaucho style with open-fire cooking. Afternoon hunting begins around four o’clock as bird movement increases toward evening. A productive morning typically offers ten to fifteen flushes per hour of walking, depending on bird density and conditions. By the end of a full day, most guests have covered meaningful ground and experienced the satisfaction that comes from earning birds through effort and fieldcraft.
Perdiz hunting is fundamentally a partnership between guide, dog, and hunter. Pointer Wing Shooting’s guides have spent years learning the grassland habitats where these birds live, understanding how weather and seasonal conditions influence bird behavior, and developing the positioning instincts that consistently create successful shooting opportunities. Our pointing dogs are trained specifically for tinamou hunting, which requires different skills than quail or pheasant hunting because of the perdiz tendency to run after being pointed rather than holding tightly. The dogs learn to honor each other’s points, work quietly through cover without pushing birds prematurely, and track running birds to create additional shooting opportunities. Guests from the quail hunting traditions of Georgia, Alabama, and Texas consistently describe the perdiz experience as the closest thing they have found to great quail hunting outside the American South while offering the challenge of an entirely different bird in a spectacular landscape
The natural grass fields surrounding both San Javier and Siriri Lodge hold excellent spotted tinamou populations that benefit from the diversity of the regional agricultural landscape. At both lodges, perdiz is available as part of the May to July Mixed Bag Program, combining duck, dove, and perdiz during a single four-night stay. Morning duck hunting on the Parana marshlands followed by afternoon perdiz hunting behind pointing dogs creates one of the most varied hunting experiences in the Pointer collection. The flat Santa Fe terrain offers field conditions that differ from the rolling grasslands of Buenos Aires Province, giving each region its own distinctive hunting character.
The rolling pastures and lagoon edges surrounding Rosy Billed Lodge provide classic perdiz habitat alongside the primary duck hunting program. Perdiz hunting with pointing dogs is available as an optional afternoon activity during the May through July season, complementing morning duck hunting on the lagoons. The cattle farming landscape creates ideal tinamou habitat and offers one of the most rewarding combinations of duck and upland hunting.
San Jose Lodge offers perdiz hunting as part of its four-species mixed bag program from May through July, alongside duck, dove, and pigeon. The cattle and farming landscapes of Lavalleja Department provide outstanding spotted tinamou habitat. The rolling green hills of Uruguay create a distinctly different landscape from the Argentine pampas while delivering the same quality of bird and exciting hunting encounters. For hunters seeking the most species-diverse program in the Pointer collection, San Jose is the ideal destination.
Pointer’s three premier perdiz hunting lodges offer exceptional mixed bag experiences in Argentina and Uruguay. Guests enjoy combinations of perdiz, duck, dove, and pigeon hunting, guided over prime tinamou habitat with trained pointing dogs. Each lodge provides comfortable accommodations and caters to different group sizes during the May–July hunting season.
Santa Fe Province | Apr & Sep–Oct | Up to 14 Guests
The original Pointer Santa Fe lodge offers perdiz hunting as part of the complete Mixed Bag Program. Morning duck hunting on the Parana marshlands followed by afternoon perdiz hunting behind pointing dogs creates exceptional variety during a single four-night stay.
Mixed Bag: May–July | Cast and Blast: September–April | Up to 19 Guests
The largest Santa Fe property offers the same Mixed Bag Program as San Javier while accommodating larger groups. Nineteen guests across nine double rooms and one single room enjoy duck, dove, and perdiz hunting throughout the season.
Four-Species Mixed Bag | Dove (Year Round) | Duck (May–Sep) | Perdiz (May–Jul) | Pigeon (Jan–Aug) | Up to 13 Guests
The only Pointer lodge outside Argentina with a mixed bag program and the only property in the entire collection delivering four species from a single destination. Five double rooms and three single rooms accommodate up to thirteen guests in a modern lodge with Starlink Wi-Fi, individually designed rooms, and a Uruguayan culinary program built around fresh local ingredients and the day’s harvest from the field.
The perdiz served at Pointer lodges reflects the effort that went into earning it. At the Santa Fe lodges, the Central-East culinary tradition features preparations inspired by the river and pampas. The signature dish is Partridge Escabeche, an Argentine classic prepared with wine vinegar, bay leaves, carrots, and sweet paprika. At San Jose Lodge in Uruguay, perdiz appears in traditional crepes and pies prepared with fresh local ingredients, reflecting the unique culinary traditions of Uruguay. Each evening, the day’s harvest is thoughtfully prepared and served alongside Argentine and Uruguayan wines, creating a fitting conclusion to a memorable day in the field.
Pack comfortable, durable gear for long walks across grasslands, including broken-in boots, protective shooting equipment, weather-appropriate clothing, and field essentials like sunscreen and insect repellent. Evenings at the lodge are casual, requiring only comfortable attire. Well-fitted boots are the most important item for an enjoyable hunt.
Comfortable, well-broken-in boots are the single most important item. Perdiz hunting involves considerable walking across grasslands and cattle country, and new boots can quickly end the day with blisters.
Hunting shirt in green or brown tones, lightweight ankle boots with ankle support strongly recommended for the walking demands of the program, safety glasses, quality ear protection, wide-brimmed hat, shooting gloves, shoulder pad, small field bag, insect repellent and sunscreen, rain jacket. Comfortable boots that you have already broken in are the single most important item on this list. Perdiz hunting involves meaningful distances walked across grassland and cattle pasture country and blisters from new boots will end the day early.
Casual slacks and sport shirts are all you need in the evenings.
(Note: Wader and hip boot rentals are available at the lodge in all sizes. Please confirm with our office when booking.)
Enhance your perdiz adventure by combining it with duck, dove, or pigeon hunting. Choose the Santa Fe Mixed Bag program, Uruguay’s four-species experience, or pair perdiz with Argentina’s world-class dove hunting. Each combination offers diverse landscapes, varied hunting styles, and an unforgettable wing shooting experience.
At San Javier and Siriri, the Mixed Bag Program combines duck, dove, and perdiz in a single four-night stay. The contrast between pre-dawn boat rides on the Parana marshlands and quiet afternoon walks behind pointing dogs creates one of South America’s most rewarding hunting experiences.
San Jose Lodge adds pigeon to the duck, dove, and perdiz program, creating the most species-diverse wing shooting experience in the Pointer collection. Four species can be enjoyed during one stay in a country with its own distinct landscape and hunting character.
Perdiz and dove are a natural combination in Argentina. The contrast between the high-volume excitement of dove shooting and the deliberate pace of walked-up perdiz hunting creates a rewarding experience for every wing shooter. Our team can help design the ideal combination based on your dates and preferred lodge.
Argentine and Uruguayan perdiz hunting offers an unforgettable experience for hunters who appreciate the traditions of walked-up upland shooting. Three exceptional lodges, experienced guides, highly trained dogs, and the satisfaction of taking a flushed tinamou after a morning of walking beautiful countryside combine to create a remarkable sporting adventure. The program is available from May through July across all three properties, and dates fill quickly during peak season.
Questions about which property is right for your group or how to combine perdiz with duck and dove?
Call us toll free at 1-877-764-6822 or email INFO@pointeroutfitters.com