Apr 20, 2023
Gina De Bernardis, an Argentine hunting guide, was introduced to hunting and fishing by her father Héctor, who has been a hunting guide since his youth. Gina and her brother, Laureano, now run the family business with their father and they hunt all around Argentina. During this episode, Gina reflects on being a female hunting guide in her country, how conservation works in Argentina, struggles with poachers, invasive species and the interesting sounds produced by red stags!
Suggested Links:
https://www.instagram.com/g.huntress/
https://www.instagram.com/debernardishunting/
https://debernardishunting.com/
Gina's email:
info@debernardishunting.com
Show notes:
1:17 – What’s in your freezer??
1:41 – Why so much red stag meat?
4:23 – Gina shares a little about her background and upbringing.
5:14 – Getting into the guiding business, successes, and challenges.
8:01 - Transitioning from wanting to be an artist to wanting to be a hunting guide.
10:35 – Merging art and hunting through photography.
11:32 - What is it like to be a female hunter in Argentina?
14:06 – Hunting is part of the “underground” in Argentina?
16:07 – Gina takes friends out but it is difficult to folks to understand.
20:07 - Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus.
22:02 - Signs and symptoms of dengue fever!
25:20 – A day in the life of a Argentina based hunting guide. It’s a BIG COUNTRY!
29:27 – Where does Gina guide hunting trips in Argentina?
32:12 - How does conservation work in Argentina? Is there anything similar to the North American model of conservation?
37:26 – What does it mean to be a “fielder”?
38:25 - Lands management in Argentina.
41:10 – Cutting the grass or mowing and how this can hurt partridge.
44:03 – Gina shares one of her favorite stories from the field.
50:40 – What does the stag roar sound like and what is the season?
52:20 - Do the animals experience a lot of pressure in the areas Gina hunts? What about poachers?
54:25 – Do women come and hunt in Argentina? What are Gina’s hopes and dreams in this realm for the future?
56:46 – Weekly closer: hits and misses!