" Anyone thinking about Cordoba dove hunting, do yourself a favor and put the hunt together through Ramsey and GetDucks.com. I can honestly say that we were treated like kings! "

Jody Acosta

The GetDucks Life

Baja Mexico Pacific Black Brant Hunting

brant hunting 1.jpg Pacific Black Brant hunting is a wonderful experience that's perfect for avid waterfowl collectors or hunters looking to expand their wingshooting horizons. Pacific Black Brant migrate from the Gulf of Alaska and western Russia to Baja Mexico's San Quintin Bay each year to feed on their principle food, eel grass, which is abundant in Baja's rich wetlands. Pacific Black Brant accomplish an interested feat of flying non-stop 40 to 48 hours to their Baja wintering grounds.

San Quintin Bay is about 13 miles long and 4 miles wide. Eel grass is abundant and winter weather is mild. About 40% of the reported world population of Black Brant, which is estimated at about 125,000, winter each year in this beautiful bay. The US Fish & Wildlife Service bands at least 20% of these birds. As an added bonus it is common for hunters to collect leg bands, and on rare occasions a Russian-banded brant is taken.

Pacific Black Brant hunting seasons typically runs early-November through the last Sunday in February. Hunting is limited only to to Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until noon to ensure quality hunting for the entire season. Black Brant work best on a falling tide so productive hunting times vary in the mornings. The sights and sounds of whales, porpoises and a diversity of wintering shorebirds are common. Complete success in collecting the current 8-bird Pacific black brant limit is assured.

pacific brant 6.jpg Each morning, your personal guide will provide boat transfers to your eel blind along the shore, usually arriving at daybreak. Blinds are constructed of eel grass, camo netting, palmetto fronds or volcanic rock to blend in perfectly. A nice brant spread is set and the boat is retired to a safe distance. The staff maintains a kennel of apt retreivers and your retreiver is welcomed, so bring one if you wish. Ducks are uncommon and should be considered a rare treat while hunting Pacific Black Brant in San Quintin Bay.

After limits are acheived, hunters return to camp for lunch and likely siesta. Hunters are lodged at the charming Old Mill Hotel, and all meals are served at the Old Mill restaurant and cantina. Afternoon options include sight-seeing tours of the bay, possible duck hunting, quail hunting or light-tackle fishing, 4x4 drives or nothing at all, just simply relaxing.

Read More about Pacific Black Brant Hunting: Baja Brant Hunting, Wildlfowl magazine Dec 10/Jan 11 Issue

Rates & Dates|Trip Specifics|More Info|Galleries|Testimonials

Timing

Black brant season runs early-November through the last Sunday of February, with peak brant concentrations usually occurring in February.

Rates

$2,350 3-day Pacific Black Brant Hunting packages to include 3 morning brant hunts. Relax during afternoons.

$3,150 5½-day "Baja Blast" Brant Hunting Combo to include 2 days of pacific black brant and valley quail hunting, 1 full day valley quail hunting, 2 days of high-volume pheasants plus valley and Gambel's quail hunting, and a final half-day of dove and pheasant hunting! Limited to select December and January dates only. Email or call for more information.

More Info:

Pacific Black Brant

black brant 13.jpg Pacific Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans), or Black Brant, are an abundant small goose of the ocean shores that breed in the high Arctic tundra and winter along the Pacific Coast. Over 70% of the world population of Pacific Black Brant winter in Baja, Mexico, with the much smaller remainder overwintering in interior portions.

There are an estimated 115,000-150,000 black brant in the world and about 14,000 are taken each year by hunters. The highest numbers of Pacific Black Brant are shot in Baja, Mexico. Interesting fact: The oldest age record for any duck, goose or swan in North America is held by a Pacific Brant at 28.5 years!

The Pacific Brant is slightly larger than a Mallard. Males are somewhat bigger than females; otherwise, the sexes are not distinguishable. It is one of the darkest waterfowl with a black head, neck and upper breast and a white necklace on the sides of the neck. The back and upper wing coverts are edged with lighter grays on a darker grayish brown feathers. The Pacific Brant has a very dark breast and belly with little or no contrast separating them. The flanks are much whiter than the Atlantic Brant. The black bill is short and stubby. They are an attractive addition to game rooms and are popular among collectors.

Getting There - Pacific Black Brant Hunts

Fly to San Diego International Airport (SAN). You will be met by our English-speaking representatives and ground transfered to private, ocean-front hotel, about 6 hours south.

Related Links - Pacific Black Brant Hunt

View More: Pacific Black Brant Hunting Videos

Read: Baja Brant Hunting (Wildfowl Dec '10/Jan '11)

Travel Protection and Travel Insurance Protect your hunting travel investment

Certification of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad (Form 4457)

Importation of Fish and Wildlife Form 3-177

** VS 16-3 Application for Permit to Import Controlled Material or Transport Organisms or Vectors or Animal Products and By-Products. The VS 16-3 application must be completed to receive the VS 16-7 necessary import bird trophies from Countries/Regions Affected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. This process requires 6-8 weeks, minimum.

Need to know: Mexico Pacific Black Brant Hunting Trophy Bird Importation

What to Bring (Packing List) - Hunting Pacific Black Brant in Baja Mexico

General Provisions:

Passport
Chest waders (ducks) chaps (quail)
Small "field bag"
Pocket knife
Sunscreen
Shooting glasses
Aloe Vera gel for sunburn
Shooting gloves
Camera equipment
Light-weight shooting vest or shell belt
Small flashlight
Hearing protection
Ice chest for game
Insect repellant
Small Bills for Tips

Duck Hunting/ Quail Hunting Apparel:

Clothing -Expect temperatures will average in the 60's. However, frequent cold fronts can drop temperatures close to freezing. Outfit for mild temperatures with one set of clothes for cold weather (30 degrees +) in the event of a cold front passes. Orange cap recommended for Quail hunting.
Bathing Suit - Bring one.
Footwear - Light-weight boots are ideal for quail hunting. They should lace and have rigid soles. Chest waders are suggested for duck hunters.
12- and 20-gauge Semi-automatics are available FREE for guests choosing to eliminate paperwork. Personal shotguns permits are also included at no charge.

Weather - Brant Hunting in Mexico

The climate in Baja California is temperate and rather dry, receiving an average of 9 inches (235 mm) of rain annually. Expect lows in the mid-40s warming to highs in the mid-60s.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE - Mexico Brant Hunting

Hunters that try to import ammunition without the proper permits discover the ugly consequences. This is a serious criminal offense in Mexico, so don't dream of trying it. Quality ammunition will be available per the Black Brant Hunting package.

Included

All-inclusive packages for hunting Pacific Black Brant include:

Round-trip airport transfers
3 meals daily
Soft drinks, coffee, bottled water
Outfitter-provided guns 12 or 20ga (recommended for convenience)
Personal gun permits if guests bring their own
Hunting licenses and permits
Daily hunting-related transfers
Game cleaning and trophy preparations
Guides and bird boys

Not Included

Packages for hunting Pacific Black Brant in Baja Mexico do not include:

Airfare
Voluntary gratuities for guides, bird boys and lodge staff
Ammo - $16 / box
Alcoholic beverages
Items of personal nature
Travel Protection Plan (Trip Insurance) VIEW HERE

Photo Gallery - Mexico Pacific Black Brant Hunt

Hunting the famous wintering grounds of San Quintin Bay, Mexico, is about great brant hunting and good living. The majority of the world's pacific back brant populations over-winters in this area due to the abundance of eel grass, a favored food source. Black brant hunting in Mexico is comfortably accomplished from ground blinds, short drives and boat rides.

View Photo Gallery

Brant Hunting Video

Things ran smoothly and were efficient on our Mexico Pacific Black Brant hunt. Our host was very good. Food excellent. Guides good and hunting was super for brant. Countryside in bay area was gorgeous each morning and the brant were abundant. I rarely use booking agents because of so many bad experiences but was happy with GetDucks.com during this entire trip!

William Smith

Referenced hunt: Mexico Pacific Black Brant Hunting

GetDucks.com is the best booking agent I have ever worked with. Lots of brant, good blinds, good guides. Enjoyed seeing that many Pacific black brant on their wintering grounds.

Dan Spencer

Referenced hunt: Mexico Pacific Black Brant Hunting

The Mexico Pacific Black Brant hunt was amazing. I'll definitely do it again. Hands down the brant hunting in Baja was probably some of the best in the world, and I've been hunting them for 6 years now. Twelve guys, 3 days, full limits. One the 2nd day, alot of bands fell from the sky for everyone. My dad and I dropped 3 doubles and 1 single out of a massive flock of 200-300 brant. Won't be topping that for awhile. And the food was amazing.

I think of GetDucks.com as among the premier waterfowling companies.

Adam Stevens

See Adam Steven's Baja Mexico Black Brant Hunting Trip Report

Referenced Hunt: Baja Mexico Pacific Black Brant Hunt

Our Baja Mexico brant hunt was unreal. The brant hunting, the food and the guys we hunted with made it the trip of a lifetime. My Dad has never traveled, but he's now been bitten by the bug and is talking about where to go hunting next!

Matt Stevens

Referenced Hunt: Baja Black Brant Hunting in Mexico (2013 GetDucks.com Hosted Hunt)

Mike and I had a great trip. The Pacific black brant hunting in Mexico was a blast. Thanks to you and Anita, everything went smoothly. I'm sure we'll be in touch about future hunting trips. Thanks again.

Don Enochs

Referenced Hunt: Baja Pacific Black Brant Hunting in Mexico

The Baja Mexico Black Brant hunt that Getducks.com offers is incredible! First-class hotel accommodations and excellent brant hunting! If Black Brant is on your hit list, collecting them is a slam dunk on this trip. My wife joined me to get some R&R. She thoroughly enjoyed the laid back atmosphere, the oceanfront views, and walking the beach. Definitely a memorable trip for both of us!

Patrick Pitt

Referenced Hunt: Baja Mexico Pacific Black Brant Hunt