Just come back from my safari in the Philippines, this is the report, sorry for my English very bad.

The Trip:

Dec. 29 th. Flight Milan- Dubai- Manila.

Dec. 30 th. Meeting the outfitters J.T. Carlson. Stay in Manila for two nights.

Jan 1 th. We leave from Manila to the port of Batanga ( two hours drive). Boat to the town of Calapan in Mindoro Island ( one hours)

Arrival at the resort on the beach of Calapan, where I and my wife we will stay for about a week.

Jan.2 th.
Leave in the morning with a very old Land Rover from Calapan to a citrus plantation at the base of the mountains. About 30 km, two hours drive ( the traffic is crazy, roads really bad). Rain.
At the plantation, meeting with the owner, and first contact with the Manyans, the small people of the mountains ( 1,40/ 1,50 tall - very large feet). First hunt in the jungle. Climate is unbelievably hot and humid. Water everywhere. Mountains very steep. Jungle almost impenetrable, Really difficult to walk. Plenty of leeches very aggressive. No animals seen. Lot of tracks.







Jan3Th.
Rain. The Manyans find the tracks of a warty pig. After an hour of follow-up, they see the pig in a small river about 25 meters from us. The forest is very thick. I shot one time. The pig run. Shot again 3 times. Is down. A nice bearded pig. First European hunter in the last century with this trophy. Very satisfied.






Jan. 4 th.
We look for a Forest Buffalo, the new “type†of Buffalo, smallest in size and in trophy of the Water Buffalo( about 1/3 less). He stay in the forest area at the beginning of the montains, while the Water Buffalo stay higher. Only one exemplar taken until today. The manyans know very well a bull, very aggressive, because was wounded at the nose fighting with another bull. Tracked for about two hour and half in the dense jungle. Lost and found two times. Finally we saw him in a deep canyon, looking at us under the thick vegetation ( distance 20 meters). I See only the shoulder. Three shots. He go down. He try to raise again. Another shot. Dead.! . A really interesting animal! A really happy hunter!





Jan. 5 th.
Terrible rainfalls all the day. The hunt began in the afternoon. Taken a small asian feral boar after about an hour of follow-up in the forest. One shot. Nice pig.



Jan. 6. th.
I have got the fever. Maybe the leeches.
We look for a big water buffalo all the day in the forest. Many tracks, but no animals.

Jan. 7 th.
Still fever. In the nigh the Manyans have found a big, old bull, up in the mountains. We climb for about 3 hours in the steep forest under frequent rainfalls and under the attack of the leeches. First tracks found in a deep canyon. After a long stalk, finally we see a big black silhouette in the dense jungle. I squeeze the trigger one, two, three, four times. The buffalo is down. I shot again. Is dead. What’s a beautiful bull! Nice trophy, big body. Great hunt. Great adventure.


Guns.
Firearms not importable in the Philippines. I used an old Garand cal. 30.06 of the II world war with military bullets. Quite heavy, but accurate for the normal shooting distance in the jungle ( never over 30 meters). Exceptional penetration.

The Outfitter
Jay T. Carson is a perfect outfitter. One of the best in my life. Also an excellent hunting guide. He do that job, not only for money but mostly for passion. We are arrived as clients and we leave as friends. Also very careful to the needs of my wife Caterina.
All the safari was organized very well from Manila to Manila.. The accommodation in a beach resort is high quality, but is also available a rustic camp in the hunting area. Food good.
The Manyans are excellent trackers. Also a very friendly and interesting people.
An unforgettable adventure.

Congratulations Mario. That certainly is a different type of safari and safari conditions than most are used to. Thanks for telling your story.

Congratulations Mario on your Philipines hunt.

Very unusual and interesting.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

Mario congratulations,this is one of my favorites hunts buffalo in heavy cover .Its very intersting that you used a garand ,now you have to came and visit me .Juan

Bravo !!! Well done !!! I would love to take on a buff with that funky Garand !!!

That is what im talking about. Did anyone back you up in case the buffalo had an attitude or where you the only one carrying a rifle?
Those just old FMJ bullets?
Did you have any other choice on rifle or was the Garand the only choice?

Can you give prices etc please.

Good account of a different hunt mate

thanks guys.

absolutely the Garand is a suprise for me.
When you fired very quickly 4 shots in the body of the buffalo, he go down very easily. Far better che with a single shot of 375 H&H mag.
I'm curious to try with a cape buffalo.
Only full metal jacket bullets are availble there. And the only other gun is a slide action winchester cal 12.
During the hunt Jay carry this rifle, but I dont know if can stop a charging buffalo.
The cost of ten days hunt is 10.500 Us including the license for one buffalo,and two pigs.Plus observer, airfare, hotel accomodation in Manila.

Bravo Mario!! Beautiful Trophies!

How many days did you suffer with fever?

Great hunt Mario! Looks like a very interesting place to hunt. That is some really thick forest too, very low visibility I'm sure.
Thanks for posting.

Congratulations Mario!

That sounds like a very interesting and unusal place to hunt. I love thick rainforest, and can imagine it was great fun!

Very impressive hunt and great report!
Thanks for sharing it with us...it show us that there are still many different/exotic places which are rarely hunted and are waiting to be discover by the adventurous sportsmen.
L

fortunately the fever went away after five days of antibiotics and some rest on the beach.

Mario

The price is comparable to a short African cape buffalo hunt. Or an Aussie water buff hunt.

How did the experience compare? Which would you think would be more attractive? Subjective question I know, but I am looking for your opinion from your experiences and viewpoint.

Certainly a different and exotic location.

Great report and photos! Congratulations on a really unusual hunt.

D. Nelson

nitro x,
I never hunted the bongo. But someone says this hunt is quite the same:
dense tropical forest
indigenous guides
short shooting distance.
Off course is not a hunt absolutely expensive ( however not like a bongo's safari) but for me the highlight of the hunt are
1) the unique possibility of taking some of the rarest trophies in the world,
2) the unique possibility of hunting in a place never opened to the sport hunting in the past,
3) the charm of the virgin asiatic rain forest,

Mario,

It really looks like you had quite the adventure! Thanks for taking us off the beaten trail. I really enjoy reading about and seeing these rare stops people take in the world.

quote:

Originally posted by Mario:
nitro x,
I never hunted the bongo. But someone says this hunt is quite the same:
dense tropical forest
indigenous guides
short shooting distance.
Off course is not a hunt absolutely expensive ( however not like a bongo's safari) but for me the highlight of the hunt are
1) the unique possibility of taking some of the rarest trophies in the world,
2) the unique possibility of hunting in a place never opened to the sport hunting in the past,
3) the charm of the virgin asiatic rain forest,

Thanks for the reply. It is certainly a different place to hunt.

Congrats Mario!

Sounds like a terrific experience in an unusual country. What else can you hunt there? any deer?

Regards!

ther'are some Philippines Sambar deer. A beatuful deer, smaller of the asiatic Sambar. Unfortunately the forest in Mindoro is too much dense for to see this elusive animal. Jay h e is looking for another area more open for next year.

Thank you for a very interesting report about a unique hunt.

What a cool looking hunt. Perhaps one day you'll be able to import guns into the country. I'd like to do that hunt with my .300 WSM and maybe a .470 NE for the buff.

Mario i re read your adventure again just for pleasure ,thats a real hunt with a lot of dagerous things ,and using a garand ,in an age when every client ask for air condition you choose the hard way congratulations again .Juan

thanks Juan.