I can remember sitting around the house, and anxiously awaiting for that September day when we can get the old shotguns out, and head out for the first hunting of the year, dove hunting. All year long sitting around and not able to go afield and feel the kick of that Bretta A300, and seeing if our skills are still as sharp as we think they are. It's a banner day, the doves are flying fast, coming in good. Then, two hours later your hunting partner says, " Well, that's it, 15, we have our limits."  Just as a large flock giving you the best possible shot to down 3 has presented itself. 

What about that cool brisk morning in that flooded patch of timber, just as the sun is peaking up over the horizon, and here they come. You are fixed on searching through the early morning light. It is a drake?  Are those hens? Wait, is that a mallard? Shoot, no don't shoot! Fudge, its too late, they are out of range. As the day goes on, now how many do I have of that species, wait, can I shoot one more, what do i have? Again, the opportunity goes by. Then, when you finally get it figured out, " hold on guys, that is the limit". Now, while not every hunt would be so successful, for most avid wing shooters, we are just getting warmed up. 

Argentina

Ducks - While there is not a limit per say, Most outfitters do limit the clients to 50 ducks per day. Being split into a 25 morning, and 25 evenings. This will vary from outfitter to outfitter, but that is a general rule of thumb.  You will find some that 30 per day is the limit.

Doves -  Dove hunting is year round, and no limits. There is a special club that a hunter can try to achieve entry into, called the 1000 dove club. Every outfitter has a little different program, but in general, if you can knock down 1000 or more dives in a day, you can get in the record book, and receive some type of certificate, trophy, or plague. On average, most hunters will take from 350 to 600 doves in a day, according to how well your skills hone in. 

Nicaragua

Ducks -  There is no limit on the amount of ducks you can harvest. Much the same as Argentina, most of the outfitters ask the clients to limit themselves to 30 to 50 ducks per day. Which is a reasonable request.  

Doves -  Dove hunting is year round, and there are no limits. While Nicaragua does not have the 1000 dove club, they do have a lot of hunters who achieve 500 doves in a day. On average, you can expect to get from 250 to 350 according to your shooting ability. 

Uruguay

Ducks - In Uruguay it is a little different set up than Argentina and Nicaragua. They limit you on the shells, and not on the birds. So if hunting Uruguay, every shot counts if you want a large bag at the end of your hunt. Every outfitter is a little different, with ranges from 2 to 4 boxes of shells per day, and some with 2 to 4 boxes per morning and evening session.

Doves - Dove hunting is year round, with no limits. A lot of the Uruguay outfitters claim to have as many doves as Argentina, with the same high-volume. 

All of this talk about the hundreds and thousands of birds that can be harvested per day, brings to question what is enough? Where should someone stop? If from the USA, where limits run from 15 to 30 per day, my personal opinion would be that anything over 100 would be considered high volume to me. I think that is a question that each hunter must ask himself, and there is no wrong answer. If it's legal, and well within the conservation harvest limits, do what makes you happy. If you really have it in for those feathered critters, then let the lead fly. Might also be some good therapy from the woes of our working environment, and stress of everyday life.

One very important thing that needs to be mentioned here. Is that even with the high harvest numbers. Dove and duck populations are on the rise. Especially here in Nicaragua, we are seeing a increase in duck and dove populations each year. With this year, looking to be one of the largest populations we have seen in the last 5 years. So, if you love high-volume shooting, you are helping out farmers, and the economy. These birds cause millions in crop damage each year.

An awesome early season duck hunt. Fulvous Tree Ducks, and Black Bellies were the flavor of the day. Fulvous Tree Ducks are a rare species in certain areas. Getting a lot of rain this year, and the forecast for the main duck season is looking awesome. Last year drought, high winds, made things more difficult than normal. But this year, looking for a banner year.  Contact  [email protected] for more info, and visit www.nicaraguahuntingadventures.com

The more I travel around the internet, I still find hunters who do not know that hunting is offered in Nicaragua. When you go to most hunting guides, outfitter guides, or to most waterfowl guides, you will find most do not even offer Nicaragua as a option on their websites. Argentina, Uruguay, are found on many sites for South, Central America. But Nicaragua seems to not get a lot of attention.

So one question would be " Why does Nicaragua not get noticed more for it's Duck and Dove hunting?" Being part of a great outfitter for duck and dove hunting in Nicaragua, I think I can shed some light on this. First, most of the
outfitters in Nicaragua, are local guys who have been doing this all of their life, or for most of it. They are still working out of the 1960's attitude of word of mouth, and using booking agents. Most of them do not know a lot about the internet, SEO, and marketing in this digital age. So they do not spend much time or money on marketing the internet. Now, in the last few years, you have seen a large increase in booking agents, who can see the hidden treasure that Nicaragua can offer to hunters, and you are seeing more and more coverage every year.

One of the next reasons would be that Nicaragua does not have the high volume of birds that  Argentina , and Uruguay have. We are still considered as high volume, but not like Argentina. In Argentina, you hear of a lot of 1000 dove a day, and 50 to 75 ducks a morning. In Nicaragua, you will not find those numbers, but still have lot of 300 to 350 doves a day, and 25 to 30 ducks a morning for an average shot. Now, with limits in the USA being at 15 to 30 doves a day, and 6 to 10 ducks, that would still be considered high volume shooting to me. 

So with Argentina being a very heavily marketed place for high volume shooting, along with the great influx of outfitters who have sprung up out of the woodwork there, you can see that it overshadows Nicaragua in the lime light. Is that a bad thing? Not really, I would not want to see what has happened to Argentina, happen here in Nicaragua. Which brings me to another fact of why we are not on the walk of fame yet. Nicaraguan government only allows a certain number of outfitter licenses out for the whole country. At this time,  its only 4 or maybe 5 at the most. No one else can apply. The quota is full already. So, that protects us from being swamped by countless outfitters, wanting to cash in.

So with Argentina have such a high volume of birds, and very popular with hunters, the question remains,
" Why would you want to hunt ducks and doves in Nicaragua?" 
Well here is your answer:

More To Do - More Luxury

If hunting in the Managua, Granada area, you are most likely not staying in a lodge. I know with us, you stay in some of the finest hotels in the city. This affords you the luxury that you will not get in the common hunting lodge. Not saying that some lodges are not luxurious. Just saying that you have room service, swimming pools, bars, spas, relaxing time, and high speed internet to keep up with your business or home. Staying in the city gives you the opportunity of a vast array of activities to enjoy when you are not hunting. Night clubs, casinos, spas, theaters, malls, bars, bands, shows, all within short distance of your hotel. Choose from the finest restaurants with different choices each night. See and enjoy the culture of the people and places. Most of these things you can not get in a
remote hunting lodge, with not much opportunity to do other things.

 Short Flight Time 

With time away from home and work being more and more important nowadays, you find that the 12 hour flight to Argentina, the layovers, the switching transports, makes it a big deal to get to the hunting lodge. The travel along can add up to two days to a 3 day hunt. I find more and more hunters who contact me, that have been to Argentina, and absolutely loved it, but do not want to go through that long flight again. They are willing to sacrifice the harvest numbers for the easier flights. Plus, harvesting 300 to 350 doves in a day, or 25 to 30 ducks in a morning, is still some amazing numbers.

More Economical 

While there is not a lot of price difference between Argentina and Nicaragua for a 3 day hunt, the flights are a big savings. An average round trip / non - stop / economy flight from Houston or Miami is around $ 500 to $ 600.00 dollars according to how early you book the tickets. Business class not being that much more at around $ 750.00 to $ 800.00. First class tickets are not available. Compare that to round trip tickets to Argentina, and all of your transfers to get to the lodge, and it's a nice savings.

Family friendly 

Nicaragua, and especially Managua, Granada, and San Juan Del Sur, hold some of the worlds greatest  Historic and Eco tourism sites in the world. Having some of the world’s still active volcanoes, largest fresh water lake (Lake Managua) in all of Central America. Granada with its colonial architecture. San Juan Del Sur with its world class surfing and beaches, Eco tours, hiking, horseback riding, volcano surfing, volcano tours, bird watching, ATV tours, hiking, turtle watching, island hopping, large malls, spas. Little Corn Island with its world class diving, Emerald Coast with its world class golf course, and that is just some. Wives, children can find way more than enough to do, while the guys are hunting. All at affordable prices.

So to make it clear, I am not knocking Argentina. Actually, everyone I have spoken with says it is an awesome hunt, and lots of birds. I am just saying for those who have been there and done that, and those who have not been there, but looking for a optional place to hunt ducks and doves. Nicaragua is a hidden secret you will surely want to check out.

Oh, and did I mention the amazing fishing. Some of the best Tarpon fishing in the world, not to mention the Pacific and Caribbean coasts which are a gold mine of untapped fisheries for big bill fish.

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A300 Outlander Camo Max4: Great Waterfowl Shotgun, Great Value

The A300 Outlander Camo Max4 semiauto shotgun gives you advanced Beretta-quality features in a waterfowling shotgun at an unbeatable value. This kind of value for the price is what has made Beretta’s 300 line popular with millions of hunters and clay shooters worldwide--and with the A300, you truly get a lot of shotgun for the money. With its 3” chamber, Mobilchoke barrel and self-cleaning piston, the A300 is there to get the job done with absolute precision and reliability--whether you go after ducks, geese, turkey, deer, upland birds or sporting clays.

Adaptable to Your Size and Shooting Style

One of the things you’ll appreciate about the A300 Outlander is the fact that you can easily adapt it to your measurements and shooting style. This shotgun gives you the possibility to customize the drop and cast of the stock by means of spacers that you can insert between the action and the pistol-grip. Also, the safety is reversible, making it a snap to adapt the A300 for a left-handed shooter.

Durable, Tough but Light

The A300 is made of the proprietary steel blends that have made Beretta shotguns famous for their durability. The Mobilchoke barrel is designed to shrug off the pounding of heavy hunting loads, giving you a long-lasting tool that will work as hard as you need it to. But in spite of its toughness, the A300 is light, feels lively in the hands and easily follows your eyes to the target, thanks to the low-profile action. And its impeccable balance make it feel even lighter than its 7.25 lbs, meaning that this attractively-priced shotgun will give you premium shootability in spite of its unbeatable value.

Easy to Maintain

This shotgun is the perfect embodiment of Beretta’s philosophy about maintenance: easy, quick and tool-free. The A300 Outlalander breaks down into four major components, making it simple to take apart and clean even under less-than-ideal field conditions. Also, the self-cleaning gas piston makes this shotgun shoot much cleaner than other actions, giving you more durability as well as less work keeping it in perfect shape even after a hard day at water’s edge. Overall, the A300 Outlander Camo Max4 is today’s best value in a waterfowling shotgun, and a worthy heir to Beretta’s legendary 300 line.

If you are a traditionalist who prefers the looks and feel of wood-blue shotguns, also check out the A300 Outlander; if you like your gun to have the toughness of synthetic, but you do not need the camo pattern, take a look at the A300 Outlander Synthetic. Lastly, if you like the features of this shotgun but would prefer it in a woodland pattern, check out the A300 Outlander Camo Max5.

The beautiful country of Nicaragua lies nestled between, Honduras to the North, and Costa Rica to the south. Being the largest country in Central America and bordered on both sides by the Pacific Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea, it holds amazing history, culture, and natural wonders. Nicaragua is largely a farming country, with little infrastructure, and contained cities. Nicaragua also can boast of a wealth of fowl. Many bird species call the volcanic rich nation their part time or full time home.


The white-winged dove, (Zenaida asiatica) is one of the species that flourishes in this habitat. While the country has a healthy population of resident birds, the numbers greatly increase starting around September, from the migratory birds leaving their winter homes. With Nicaragua consisting of mostly farming communities, you can see this becomes a large problem with millions of dollars lost to crop damage each year. 

Doves will eat most any type of grain, and with Nicaragua producing large crops of peanuts, and rice for commercial sale, along with large amounts of sorghum being raised to feed cattle and horses, the cost to farmers can be tremendous. Nicaragua being one of the poorest countries in Central America, these losses can destroy families, and small farmers.
 
A study done by the University of Nebraska, with John W. De Grazio, of the US Department of Fish and Wildlife Research, states that white wing doves, cause major crop damage across Nicaragua. In the same report, Mr. De Grazio, said the preferred and proven method to address this problem is Generally, sport hunting and utilization of the birds for food alleviating damage by white-winged and eared doves. Passion has not been an effective way of controlling the population, seeing as how it also affects other species of birds.