Hey guys, here is a pretty unique hunt that I wanted to share from my good friend Claudio. Claudio is a 39 year old native to Chile that has enjoyed hunting with Airguns for over 19 years and is the past winner of the Extreme Benchrest. He is what you may call an extreme hunter in my eyes and one that doesn’t let a cold, windy day keep him from the thrill of the hunt. Claudio hunts a variety of animals and comes here once a year to stay with me and hunt. In Patagonia he travels deep into the remote mountains to hunt the giant Beaver that can reach weights up over 60 pounds. In 1946, the Argentinian government imported fifty beavers from Canada, which were to be released in several lakes with the intention of creating a commercial fur trading industry. Though a viable industry ultimately failed to materialize, the introduction of the beavers into the region has had far-reaching consequences. Tierra del Fuego National Park in Argentina is especially threatened, as the beavers are destroying long-protected trees. The animals have spread beyond Tierra del Fuego itself into the Brunswick Peninsula of Chile, and the government fears further penetration into continental South America. The beavers already threaten around sixteen million hectares of indigenous forest. Unlike many trees in North America, trees in South America often do not regenerate, ultimately destroying the forest. As well as falling trees, beavers create dams that flood certain areas and thus drown other trees and vegetation. Flooding from beaver dams also damages roads and cattle-grazing pastures. Claudio hunts all year long but generally hunts Beavers during the warmer months as it makes reaching these areas much easier. Here is a spectacular video that documents his experience on the last trip. I plan to head over for next years trip if I'm able to after all this settles down. You can use the CC for English subtitles!
