Tag Archives: Hawaiian Hunts

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Axis Deer Hunting – Island of Lanai, Hawaii

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I wanted to put this paragraph from Darrel Colburn SFC MIL USA OSD one of our Active Duty Soldiers.    Even the Army will gave a day or two off to enjoy the family.

Mighty Bwana,
I just returned from my hunt of a lifetime on Lanai and am in the U.S. Army at 19yrs. I was truly humbled by the terrain and even more by the beauty, splendor, Island hospitality and friends that will give me memories that I will never forget. We were a party of 4 and opted for the Paid Lanai land hunt the day prior to the public drawn tag hunt on Saturday 5 April 09. We did really well and walked away with 6 animals total. I struck out on the paid hunt on the 4th, but was patient and on the 5th I made the kill that I will never forget. The rack was not big and was still in velvet, but the body was huge, we figure about 190 to 200 lbs. He took me and my buddy about 2.5hrs to carry out of baby death valley. I thank the locals on Lanai for maintaining their island and their heritage. I hope to make it back next year with my son. Big Mahalo to Mary for housing us and Kimou for the 4X4 truck.

Great story of a great hunt…   Darrel brought back memories of my days on the island of Lanai…

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Axis Deer – Lanai, Hawaii

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Island of Lanai, Hawaii – PSE Mach Flite IV – Signature Series

Non- Guide Hunt

My days in the U.S. Naval Reserves were great days, being able to go to Hawaii almost every year for about 21 days of active duty.  I was attached to the Naval Communications Area Master Station at Wahiawa, Oahu.  My crew members would be expecting me every year to come back for duty.  Besides doing my duty as a Spook, I would also help with the Physical Readiness Test, as I was the PRC for my detachment in Portland.  I was usually watch standing during my stay at the NCAMS Wahiawa, which would be 2 eves, 2 days and 2 mid-watches, with 80 hours off between the next watch.  This would allow me to find places to hunt, run or bike on the islands. 

One of my favorite places to work up a hunt was on the Island of Lanai, Hawaii.
I had made friends with the local game warden – Ken Sabino.  Ken was nice enough while he was working to loan me his Jeep.  It made it a lot easier to get around the island. 

Who would of thought that there was Axis Deer hunting on such a small island in paradise.
Well I have to tell you that the island gets big when you hunting it.  Some of the canyons are quite deep and rugged.  I loved to hunt the canyons and look for Axis Deer.  In the old days when Dole had Pineapple Plantations, they would have open arms for hunters to harvest the deer.  The Axis Deer had a passion for the Pineapple and Passion Fruit.

I had hunted the Island of Lanai twice before and harvested Axis Deer on both hunts.  It is in Hawaii where I learned how to do the Hawaiian Cut (gutting).  It has made it a lot easier to get the back strap, tenderloins, and all four (4) quarters off the game animal in the field without gutting the animal.

I would usually have to take a Cessna twin engine plane out of Oahu.  The flight was short and not to bad on the ride.  

My last hunt to Lanai was just before I retired from the Navy and it was a bowhunt.
I was successful in taking a nice Axis Deer off the Island of Lanai after two days of hunting.

Today it is a resort island and not the same as when I hunted.  There was one old hotel that looked like something that should have been in the Catskill’s in upper state New York.  It was very easy to get a tag to hunt on the Island.  I would get my tags from Dole Pineapple.  Today I believe that you go through the State of Hawaii.

If you want a rough – tough hunt for Axis Deer, you surely can have one.  On the dry side of the Island they have a bush called Long Thorn Kiawe that will give you a run for body.  The Axis Deer thrive in the stuff.  You can also hunt the wet side of the island and you better have a rain suit.

The big buck got away got away from me – I had 2 tags!

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257 Weatherby Lazermark Custom – 350 yards

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Kona Goat Hunt – Last Minute Billie

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Spanish Goats can come in many color variations.

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They don’t always spend their time down in the canyons!   

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                     Spanish Goat – Kona, Hawaii

Taken at 600 yards – 257 Weatherby -120gr. Gameking

“Guys, I am going to miss the plane”  “No worry bro, we will take care of it”  My guide was now driving in excess of 80 miles per hour on a twisting road back to Hilo, Hawaii.
One can only imagine what was going through my mind at that time.
I had been hunting with a couple of local Hawaiian Fireman that worked at the airport in Hilo.  They had arranged a goat hunt on thelarge ranch above Kona.  I was on my two days off while on my 21 days of active duty with the Naval Security Group Command at Wahiawa.  If I had missed movement (back on duty), I surely would have been up for Captain’s Mast, the U.S. Navy as no mercy for missing movement.
It had been one heck of a hunt looking for Goats.  During the daytime the goats spend their time in deep narrow rugged canyons.  One wonders how they can find a way out and I know that none of us wanted to venture down into them.
It had been really late into the afternoon when goats started to emerge from the canyons.
I had a 6:30PM flight back to Oahu and it was now 3:30PM as the two goats appeared in the direction that we would have to travel back to the truck, which was about 3 miles away.  Plus the fact that it was more than 60 miles back to the Hilo Airport!

I quickly lay down in the prone position and took rest on the black Billie and made the shot.  “Bubba shoot the other billie too!”  I missed the brown Billie that was on the move with the black Billie going down.  The distance was right at about 600 yards and the wind was blowing as it always does in the ridges above Kona.  The boys could not believe that I had made the first shot and dropped the Billie in his tracks.  Good thing that I did not get both of them.  It would have been a tough pack out with two Goats.