Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-01-17
HUNTING IN THE PHILIPPINES
Sportsmen Shoot Where Ducks Have
Not Heard Sound of Gun.

| Not long ago, while stationed in the
18th Infantry, and myself decided to
take a trip to Lake Bato, some forty
miles inland. We packed all our
duffie into an army wagon, and with
four sturdy mules to draw it started
early one morning for our long drive,
arriving at the lake that night. The
| next morning we hired two cata-
marans, threw our baggage aboard
and crossed the lake. Then we made
camp and cooked chow.
Can you imagine a lake fifteen
miles in diameter literally covered
| with fowl? The report of a gun was
unknown in the vicinity, and of course
the fowl were not gun shy. We took
life easy until o'clock the following
morning, when our guides awakened
us. Creeping out Of our blankets we
got into our baucas. or boats, and
started down the lake shore. About
3 o'clock we reached a rushing stream
some forty feet wide, and l can safely
swear that each and every mosquito
from tip to tip measured the same.
Wow!
We plunged into the marsh, sink
ing to our knees In many places. and
waded some three miles. 1t was still
dark and had visions of horrible
snakes and mammoth lizards, in which
this country abounds. After an hour
of this sort of travel we arrived at the
edge Of a little mud pond some hun
dred yards in diameter. One Of the
guides motioned for the captain to re-
main with him, and my guide. beck
oning to me to follow, jumped into the
water to his waist. In 1 jumped.
Ugh, I'll never forget it as long as
| live; soft, Shiny mud for the bottom
and now and then a snake gliding
silently along the water in front of
me.
We reached the other side and en-
tered a little inlet. Passing through
this we came out into another pond
exactly like the first. The guide took
me to a little clump of partly sub
merged alders, and we waded in and
got among them as best we could.
1 was sitting in mud and water up to
my waist. But the air was simply
alive with ducks, as we knew from
the whir of their wings.
Daylight came, and l shall never
forget the sight. Flock after flock
came dropping down into the pond.
heard the captains rifle and knew
he shooting was on. 1t seemed like
deliberate murder. Flocks Of ducks
numbering 500 would fly within twen-
yards, and after being shot at would
circle and come right back. At about
J o'clock, gathering our kill, We went
back to the first pond. Between US we
had ducks enough to give the battalion
a Thanksgiving dinner. We shot
them all with our rifles.
Since leaving that station my field
of labor has been changed to Allinda-
mao, and while stationed on a hill on
The shores of Lake Lanoa / have been
able to shoot wild hogs by moonlight
from the guard house.
One night while returning from
small scrap with Moros, in the Taraca
valley, | shot several ducks, feeding
in the rice paddles, the full tropical
moon making it as light as day. AT
my present station, Misamis. l nave
good snipe shooting. There are
monkeys everywhere. but they are too
human to kill. If they are wounded
they cry and sob like small children.
The natives eat them and use their
hides to make drum heads.
For the big game we have the water
buffalo, which. if wounded, Will put
up a pretty stiff fight, and in good
many cases it is the hunter hunted IL
he is not an excellent shot. The
woods are full Of deer, but they are
very small, being about the size OF
hound or shepherd dog. They are
easily tanned and almost every Ameri'
can in the province keeps one or TWO
tame edeer.-RecreatiOn.