Hawaii hunts?

[dailordasailor]

The wife and I started discussing bucket list trips. Obviously Africa in 2020 is a big one and then she wanted to go to Hawaii. It dosnt really call to me other then the fact I’ve seen video of the Axis there. Quick google and “hook you up” adventure is on front page and $1800 axis hunts. I see flights range around $700 from Raleigh on Alaskan air in May. Sounds like a more reasonable trip then I expected.

Anyone hunted axis/hogs in Hawaii? Thinking 4 days on the ground (2 days hunting, 2 tourism) and havnt looked to far into hotels as don’t know which island I’d be hunting.

Just looking at options and something to plan for

 

[cagkt3]

@DoubleLunger & @Velo Dog can help

 

[jduckhunter]

If you think you really might go, then get yourself an Alaskan Airlines signature credit card a while. That way you can take advantage of their companion airfare deal.

 

[Mekaniks]

The wife and I started discussing bucket list trips. Obviously Africa in 2020 is a big one and then she wanted to go to Hawaii. It dosnt really call to me other then the fact I’ve seen video of the Axis there. Quick google and “hook you up” adventure is on front page and $1800 axis hunts. I see flights range around $700 from Raleigh on Alaskan air in May. Sounds like a more reasonable trip then I expected.

Anyone hunted axis/hogs in Hawaii? Thinking 4 days on the ground (2 days hunting, 2 tourism) and havnt looked to far into hotels as don’t know which island I’d be hunting.

Just looking at options and something to plan for

I have hunted black Hawaiian sheep and hogs twice with Hawaii Safaris on the big island. Patrick Fisher is the outfitter. His guide on the big island is Keven Nakamaru and I hunted with Kevin both times. Everything was excellent and I’m not afraid to recommend to anyone.
Patrick also runs axis hunts on Maui and some of the other islands.
I really like hunting in Hawaii but their gun laws are cumbersome, so I used their rental rifle both times.
Have fun!

 

[Mekaniks]

Here is my AH hunt report from my first hunt....https://www.africahunting.com/threads/usa-hawaiian-black-ram-hunt-kona-family-vacation.24611/

 

[IdaRam]

I’m sure others are more knowledgable about the details so I’ll defer to them, but here are some of the opportunities I’m aware of.
Big Island (Hawaii): Mouflon, Spanish Goat, Pig, Turkey, Pheasant, Partridge (Chukar & Francolin), Quail, Dove.
Lanai: Axis Deer, Mouflon, Pheasant, Partridge, Quail & Dove.
Molokai: Axis Deer, Goat, Pig, Turkey, Pheasant, Partridge, Quail, Dove.
Ni’ihau: Eland, Oryx, Pig. Private island owned by one family, but has an indiginous Hawaiian population. They offer hunting safaris, but I think they may be one day affairs and prices are a little steep.

If unguided, private land can be a challenge in many areas.
Outfitters are relatively few and options may be limited, but I have heard both good and bad stories.
Every island is different regarding regs. Seasons vary. Some animals are open all year on specific islands. For example, Axis Deer are a real problem in some areas. On Molokai there is no limit and no season on Axis Deer last I knew.
Other opportunities are by limited draw only.

 

[toxic111]

I know its not hunting, but if you enjoy fishing Kona on the big island is one of the best spots for Blue marlin, as well as one of the few spots you can get onto shortbill spearfish. I found the fishing was a better deal than the hunting...

Oh and if you are going to Hawaii, plan more than 4 days... There is lots to see & do...

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

The wife and I started discussing bucket list trips. Obviously Africa in 2020 is a big one and then she wanted to go to Hawaii. It dosnt really call to me other then the fact I’ve seen video of the Axis there. Quick google and “hook you up” adventure is on front page and $1800 axis hunts. I see flights range around $700 from Raleigh on Alaskan air in May. Sounds like a more reasonable trip then I expected.

Anyone hunted axis/hogs in Hawaii? Thinking 4 days on the ground (2 days hunting, 2 tourism) and havnt looked to far into hotels as don’t know which island I’d be hunting.

Just looking at options and something to plan for

Have not hunted at all on Hawaii. However I was on the big island on vacation one year. We were driving from the Kona side (west side of island) to Hilo on the other side of the island going north from Kona. You go up and more less over Mauna Kea that way.

Some 1/2 way up give or take, I told the kids to keep an eye out for turkeys. Words just out of my mouth and around a bend, there they were. Have wanted to go back ever since to hunt them there.

 

[dailordasailor]

I was thinking would prob be smart to look at turkey while I’m there... amazing how quick wife perks up when say “what do you think about hunting Hawaii”

 

[Velo Dog]

I was thinking would prob be smart to look at turkey while I’m there... amazing how quick wife perks up when say “what do you think about hunting Hawaii”

Hello dailordasailor,

I'm +1 with Mekaniks on booking through Patrick Fisher Hawaii Safaris.
Also +1 to just rent a rifle from your PH, I've never bothered to bring my own.

In addition to the other species available on various Hawaiian islands, I think there are also fallow deer on Molokai.
Deer are the most expensive animals to hunt on those islands.
Pig, sheep and goat are IMO reasonably priced.

So far I've taken a Hawaiian blackface sheep on the big island, also a Spanish goat there and about a year ago, I took a Polinesian boar on Kauai (the pig story posted somewhere in this forum).
I've not visited all those islands but have been to I think 5 and I've only seen turkeys on the big island.

The volcano is acting up so, prices to the big island should be dropping soon.
The rest are not affected by the volcano action, too far apart.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[FLhunter7]

Well it will probably be unique to say the least not very many places where you can hunt in the jungle with the ocean nearby. Also a hell of a lot warmer hunting season than most of the US. As said before definitely plan for more than 4 days my grandma and grandpa went for a week (not hunting obviously) and they said they weren't able to do half the stuff they wanted I'm sure the wife would be even more pleased than you to spend more time there.

 

[dailordasailor]

I emailed Hawaii safaris and havnt heard back yet. Thinking for sake of budget maybe just turkey and hogs. Axis are neat animals to me but if really want one I can go back at later date.

Already planned on renting a gun just so traveling easier and less stuff to lose. I can travel with a carry on and wife will probably need a checked bag. At least I know my clothes will make it and hopefully meat/fur will make it back easily enough. In perfect world I’d love to carry pig skull/hide back and have someone in continental US do the work so one less thing to worry about making it back in one peice and imagine much cheaper

 

[Harv]

I'm a little late to reply but I also highly recommend Pat Fisher and Kevin Nakamura as well. I've hunted hog with Pat on Maui and sheep with Kevin through him on the Big Island (was supposed to hunt goat but the concession was cutoff by lava flow). Pat can be a bit slow to respond to email but other than that the experiences have been OUTSTANDING! I really couldn't be happier with my trips with him. With a job and two kids under 4, I probably hunt Hawaii more than back here in Texas but, honestly, hunting there is too much fun to pass up and I can dump the family at a resort so I don't feel as bad. As for the pigs, I hunted knives and dogs in the morning and gun in the afternoon. As for the knives and dogs, the exotic location alone makes it one of the best days hunting ever but I wasn't impressed by the dogs. Back home I've hunted this way with mean and well-trained mountain curs. There we hunted with what I think were pit bulls but they were just as likely to jump in our lap and lick your face as they were to chase a pig. I'm also too out of shape for all the running. If you like knife hunting or you've never done it, it's a cool thing to do. For me, I'm definitely a gun guy from here on out and will definitely gun hunt with Pat again next time I'm on one of the islands where he guides. My fault for screwing things up but the opportunity on the sheep on Hawaii was amazing. Saw two that anyone would be bragging about for a lifetime (but again, I screwed up). We saw herds of 40 to 60 twice in day. It's the only game I've ever hunted where I could smell them before they could smell me. Being up on the mountain in an area that you don't normally see as a tourist is just one of many reasons to do it.

I think he mentioned to me once that his brother did some guiding for pigs on Kauai so if you are headed there, you can ask Pat about it. If I remember, I will report back but I have a trip in August to hunt Niihau from Kauai in August through Niihau Helicopters which will be my first Hawaii hunt without Pat. I feel a little disloyal but it's a bucket list item to even visit Niihau so I jumped on the opportunity. If you are thinking of Lanai, I think I read that the billionaire owner of 98% of the island is phasing out the Maui-based guides and restricting what was already an obscenely expensive hunt. There were some good deals with the Four Seasons on Lanai where you got half-priced rooms if you booked a hunt but they may not be available anymore.

The biggest issue with taking your own gun, in addition to the hassle of another piece of luggage, is that you have to register guns with the county. That takes a big chunk of time out of your vacation. One more tip if you're interested, I bought a medium-sized Coleman wheeled cooler that meets the airline checked bag measurements and cheap TSA approved locking belt to put around it that I took with me on the flight as a checked bag. I was able to bring back about 25 to 30 pounds of meat. If you are going to hunt and then tour an island, hunt early in the trip so the meat has some time to age before freezing it for the trip home. If it's frozen when put in the cooler, it will keep just fine without any extra ice even for the long trips back to the mainland.

 

[npm352]

I just got back from the big island. My buddy and I hunted public a few days and then pig hunted through Patrick Fisher. Our guide, Neil, was the real deal. We each got a pig with a rifle and also with a knife respectively in two evenings and a morning.

Their gun laws are worse than any other place I have hunted. The second amendment means zilch there.

Since the game biologists are trying to eradicate game on 95% of public land (in am attempt to save some yellow bird), the hunting on lands open all year was tough. We put in a lot of miles and although we found game (sheep), it was very difficult. Goats are on about every rock on the Kona side on private land. Turkeys are everywhere.