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 on 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 considerable population levels.
With millions of doves residing within a 150-mile radius of the lodge, we can easily access a wide range 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.
The driving time from the lodge to the fields can vary significantly depending on the location of the doves and other environmental factors. Driving distances usually range from 20 minutes to 90 minutes on average, with a daily average of 45 minutes. Our priority is to provide you with the best hunting experience, so we always aim to take the shortest route possible. However, if one day we need to drive a longer distance, we’ll always try to balance it out with shorter driving times on other days of your stay. Please take into account that driving times are always subject to the behavior of the doves and the weather.
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.