Hi everyone,

Just putting up a quick hunt report and a few pics mostly from my mate Rob who came along for some filming....

Outfitter; Hunt Australia.
Guide; Leith Graham
Transportation; Virgin Airlines to Darwin
Rifle; 2 x Winchester Model 70 customs, 416RM and 9.3X62
Ammo; 416RM handloads with 400gr Woodleigh. 9.3X62 Winchester 286gr factory loads
Dates; 22nd - 28th October 2012
Animals taken; Banteng bull and wild boar.
Accomodation; Seven Spirit Bay Resort.

This time is the "build up" season in the N.T. which means hot (35 degrees celcius) and 90% humidity.

Quite a hunt, mostly on foot as there are not many tracks in this area and due to being a National Park no off road driving allowed. All likely areas holding freshwater, including springs and swamps, were walked into from the nearest track.
We actually saw the bull I took on the first day but I wanted to look over some of the bulls in the area to get a feel for the animals as I had never seen one in the wild before.
Probably saw 2-3 bulls bigger than this one but this guy really 'tickled my fancy'.
This was a great hunt, more so than any buff hunt I've done. The accommodation at the resort was first class and a great place to stay and unwind of an evening with a beer IN the pool and great meals.
We also were very lucky to put up 2 sambar stags at close range which was another highlight of the trip.
During some of the stalks through the swamps we took some great wild boars, one of which would have to be my biggest bodied boar I've taken in a lifetime of shooting hogs.

Some pics.....

Congrats once again - awesome results, super aged bull... Geez you were lucky to have Rob along to take such top pics!!

Where's you fishing pics? Haven't seen them yet??

Waiting for Rob to convert some from RAW for me....

Cheers,
Mark.

Impressive Banteng! Thx for sharing.

Nice Bull!!

Great Bull

Looks like you had a great trip Mark.. Would have been a nice change from Melbourne weather too hey!

Great bull Leith, good going!!!
Camp looks a bit rough tho............

Just awesome Mark - a true old trophy bull there.

blacks

Thanks fellas,

This was much more of a hunt than I expected and conditions were quite warm (re-hot ) and the accommodation was not something I was used to on a hunt but very enjoyable.... Something that I could get used too

Cheers,
Mark.

Man a buff/banteng hunt Down Under just moved up a couple of notches on my bucket list! Well done.

Banteng ARE one of the coolest animals in the world.... it is one of the 'great hunts'!!

Mark - that bull with the cow in the image. Was that one of the other bulls you guys considered shooting but passed-up??

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Banteng ARE one of the coolest animals in the world.... it is one of the 'great hunts'!!

Mark - that bull with the cow in the image. Was that one of the other bulls you guys considered shooting but passed-up??

Nope, didn't consider him as we saw better

Cheers,
Mark.

Cool yep - love to see some photos of those bulls if you have any

That guy above is a bit light-on... You guys were somewhat spoilt for choice.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Cool yep - love to see some photos of those bulls if you have any

That guy above is a bit light-on... You guys were somewhat spoilt for choice.

Yep, definitely spoilt for choice. We saw quite a few like this guy but I had higher expectations that were met by probably 3 other real nice bulls and then there was these bulls

Cheers,
Mark.

Is a boat available for fishing and access on such a hunt?
Did you see any good Buffalo?

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
Is a boat available for fishing and access on such a hunt?

Yes we have access to plenty of boats. Boat access is included in the hunt costs (if needed) but add-on water-based fishing charters are extra as that is a separate enterprise (at the resort) to the hunting.

Matt, My Brother spent some fishing time at Cape Don. There is some fantastic fishing up that way but I doubt you need telling.

Yeah Cape Don is not far from there - closed at the moment though. To be honest I havent really done that much fishing there... my brother has of course - and all the recent reports have been great!!

Barra, threadfin, mangrove jacks, spaniards, tuna, GT's, plenty reef fish.... lots of beasts to keep one occupied. I need to do some exploring there with the fly!!!

WRT the buffalo - Mark will report but I dont think they saw any shootable bulls that week. We killed one out there this year and saw one other good'un - but we are mindful that hunters do not get the idea that they can book a combo hunt at this one location - to get a really good 'double' you will need to hunt two concessions.... Cobourg and a good buffalo concession.

Spectacular -- both the bull and the country!

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
Is a boat available for fishing and access on such a hunt?
Did you see any good Buffalo?

Adam, the fishing was fun, fun, fun for the half day we were out. GT's on light spin gear and smashed off lures on heavier gear.
Didn't see heaps of buff although to be honest we weren't looking for them. I did see one old boy but didn't get close enough for a good look.

Cheers,
Mark.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark R:
GT's on light spin gear and smashed off lures on heavier gear.

Photo??

What a horrible place to stay.

Yes, I'm jealous.

I find myself captivated by the image of the Eggs Benedict.

If I can ever get enough of African hunting, Aus is definitely on my list of priorities.

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
If I can ever get enough of African hunting, Aus is definitely on my list of priorities.

Therein lies our marketing imperative!! How to get keen big game hunters away from Africa!! I understand though, I want to do it too!!

It certainly is heartening when we have guys who have done a lot of African dangerous game hunting come here and be really impressed with the bovine hunting we have!!

I know the banteng bulls usually appear lighter colored in pictures than what they actually are. So, was this a an unusually light colored bull? In all the pictures I've seen it would seem that the Coburg banteng bulls have more flared out horns than those bulls of the privately owned herd on Mary River Station. I've seen photos in a book of banteng bulls taken in the early 1900s in southeast asia and their horns tended to turn inward a great deal at the tips. I think the wide flaring horns are the coolest though.

The wife always wanted to go to Aus and I may have come up with a cunning plan.

Great looking bull.

quote:

Originally posted by 376 steyr:
I know the banteng bulls usually appear lighter colored in pictures than what they actually are. So, was this a an unusually light colored bull? In all the pictures I've seen it would seem that the Coburg banteng bulls have more flared out horns than those bulls of the privately owned herd on Mary River Station. I've seen photos in a book of banteng bulls taken in the early 1900s in southeast asia and their horns tended to turn inward a great deal at the tips. I think the wide flaring horns are the coolest though.

No the mature bulls are jet black in colour but the post-breeding animals begin to loose their black colour. The juveniles are similar colour to the cows. You probably see more faded colour bulls in photos because that is often what is being hunted - aged bulls. That said there are still some huge herd bulls around.

read more here... http://forums.accuratereloadin...5621043/m/3321017181

The wild bulls on Cobourg have a variety of horn shapes - not just wide ones; some are quite curved, some like this one and some even stick straight out. The banteng on mainland SE Asia are a different 'species' or sub-species to the one we have here - they are Indo-Chinese banteng. Not sure if they are genetically so much different but their horns all seem very curved.

Wow, awesome banteng and super looking location. Looks like paradise!

A few more pics.....

Enjoy,
Mark.

Looks great....awesome lodge I'm heading to Australia in less than 10 days time to hunt Water Buffalo, super excited...!

quote:

Originally posted by Charl:
Looks great....awesome lodge I'm heading to Australia in less than 10 days time to hunt Water Buffalo, super excited...!

After that "little" lunch with a couple o' "Captains" on Sunday, you gonna sweat!

Here are another couple. Both "gold medal" standard.