Hawaii Big Island Hunting

TRICER

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Dec 20, 2014
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Alright I just booked a house on the Big Island in Discovery Harbor April 9-24. Looks like I will be there for the last week of Turkey Season and goats and pigs are open year around. I am unashamedly asking for spots and help to get some hunting in while I am over there. Looks like there is a a lot of public land but I will only have a few days to get out if I want to stay married.
 
Alright I just booked a house on the Big Island in Discovery Harbor April 9-24. Looks like I will be there for the last week of Turkey Season and goats and pigs are open year around. I am unashamedly asking for spots and help to get some hunting in while I am over there. Looks like there is a a lot of public land but I will only have a few days to get out if I want to stay married.
I spent 14 years hunting there and will be going back in 2 weeks to hunt pigs and wild cattle. Your best bet will be for pigs, mouflon sheep, and turkeys. Goats are everywhere but after you've shot a few and then tried to eat them you give that up in a hurry. If you only have a few days to hunt, I recommend hiring a guide. You can hunt pigs for about $400 a day---guaranteed you'll get one---and turkeys---again guaranteed---for about the same. If you prefer to hunt on your own, you will need a 4wd for almost anything and the areas around Discovery are really thick, jungle and brush. Most guys who hunt there use dogs. If you want a guide, the best in the business is Jon Sabati who is headquartered in Captain Cook. I'll give you his contact info if you want but if you prefer to do it on your own, I'll give you some hotspots. I now hunt exclusively on a friend's private farm that abuts a large tract of otherwise landlocked public land. I usually see at least a dozen pigs on a morning hunt and get a wild bull maybe every third or fourth time. These pigs never see a human and there are no predators so you'll see as many at noon as you will at sunrise or sunset.

Let me know what you want---DIY or guided---and I'll try to help you out.

I should also mention that Discovery Harbor is REALLY out there in the boonies---close to the Volcano Park but far from any tourist attractions, restaurants, shopping, etc. If you're flying into Kona, you'll need to buy your groceries and supplies there. The stores in the Discovery Harbor area are very small and only stock the essentials. The drive from Discovery to Kona is on a very winding 2 lane road, just shy of 2 hours, so plan accordingly.
If you want to be closer to the best hunting and closer to the touristy things, stores, restaurants, etc., you'd be much better off between Kona and Captain Cook.

Aloha.
 
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I spent 14 years hunting there and will be going back in 2 weeks to hunt pigs and wild cattle. Your best bet will be for pigs, mouflon sheep, and turkeys. Goats are everywhere but after you've shot a few and then tried to eat them you give that up in a hurry. If you only have a few days to hunt, I recommend hiring a guide. You can hunt pigs for about $400 a day---guaranteed you'll get one---and turkeys for about the same. If you prefer to hunt on your own, you will need a 4wd for almost anything. If you want a guide, the best in the business is Jon Sabati who is headquartered in Captain Cook. I'll give you his contact info if you want and if you prefer to do it on your own, I'll give you some hotspots. I now hunt exclusively on a friend's private farm that abuts a large tract of otherwise landlocked public land. I usually see at least a dozen pigs on a morning hunt and get a wild bull maybe every third or fourth time. These pigs never see a human and there are no predators so you'll see as many at noon as you will at sunrise or sunset.

Let me know what you want---DIY or guided---and I'll help you out.

Aloha.
Ya I definitely want to pick your brain. I tend to lean DIY but we will have a minivan when I am over there (5 kids) not sure if that will get me where I need to go. The car rental is costing me almost as much as the house. Prices are crazy right now.
maybe we can grab a coffee in the next couple of months.
 
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Ya I definitely want to pick your brain. I tend to lean DIY but we will have a minivan when I am over there (5 kids) not sure if that will get me where I need to go. The car rental is costing me almost as much as the house. Prices are crazy right now.
maybe we can grab a coffee in the next couple of months.
Sounds good. Again, where you are going is very remote and with the exception of Black Sands Beach which is close by the water is too rough for snorkeling on most days. Do your wife and kids have plenty to do there? As I stated earlier, there are no restaurants or shopping or ocean excursions of any kind. As far as vehicles, a van definitely won't do it. The problem there is lava rocks and the need for clearance. Also, the district where you are going is Kau [Kah-oooh'] which has a lot of mud and even 4WD often won't cut it. Guys use ATV's or walk. The terrain is steep and heavily brush covered. Access is difficult because much of the public land is landlocked by private land. Really tough area to hunt without dogs. If you do plan to hunt, make sure you contact the Hawaii DLNR and apply for a Hunter Exemption. If you have taken an approved Hunter Safety course here on the mainland and have a certificate, you need to fill out a form and send a copy of the certificate in. It takes about a month. They will send you the exemption form and number which you'll need in order to apply for a hunting license. For fishing, no license is needed.

Look forward to meeting you. Maybe we can get Steve to join us somewhere convenient.
 
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My buddy was the head biologist over there for years. I can put you in contact with him, he loves talking about Big Island Turkey...said they are everywhere and respond to calls very well since they are not hunted hard by locals.
 
Sounds good. Again, where you are going is very remote and with the exception of Black Sands Beach which is close by the water is too rough for snorkeling on most days. Do your wife and kids have plenty to do there? As I stated earlier, there are no restaurants or shopping or ocean excursions of any kind. As far as vehicles, a van definitely won't do it. The problem there is lava rocks and the need for clearance. Also, the district where you are going is Kau [Kah-oooh'] which has a lot of mud and even 4WD often won't cut it. Guys use ATV's or walk. The terrain is steep and heavily brush covered. Access is difficult because much of the public land is landlocked by private land. Really tough area to hunt without dogs. If you do plan to hunt, make sure you contact the Hawaii DLNR and apply for a Hunter Exemption. If you have taken an approved Hunter Safety course here on the mainland and have a certificate, you need to fill out a form and send a copy of the certificate in. It takes about a month. They will send you the exemption form and number which you'll need in order to apply for a hunting license. For fishing, no license is needed.

Look forward to meeting you. Maybe we can get Steve to join us somewhere convenient.
Sorry for the late reply been working all weekend. I will keep in touch and try and get together with you after the New Year. I am in the middle of moving my business so the days are long for me right now.
What class did you teach at El Cap?
 
Drew,

If you haven’t already… check out Turo.com for renting cars. It’s kind of like VRBO, but for vehicles. I took the family to the Big Island & Oahu in July and it was about a third of the price the rental car companies were asking. It worked out great for us.
 
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Drew,

When we hunted "public" it was at Pu'uanahulu and along Saddle Road for pigs and goats. Those areas are all managed hunting areas where you check in at the check-in stations before you hike in. There's also hunting on base at Pohakuloa, or on the Mauna Kea State Park area for sheep, goats, pigs, turkey, and upland (pheasant, chukar, francolin, quail). Most of the guys I know that still hunt do so semi-legally in Keaukaha (Hilo) or the valleys (Waipio and Waimanu) so that may be out of the question. I'll ask around to see where guys have been hunting lately and give you some intel. Near where you're staying there's the Manuka area where there may be goats. I'm more dialed in for diving and fishing spots.. but I'll try to find you and the boys some hunting.
 
Sorry for the late reply been working all weekend. I will keep in touch and try and get together with you after the New Year. I am in the middle of moving my business so the days are long for me right now.
What class did you teach at El Cap?
Creative Writing, English grades 9-12. Before and after that, taught Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Marine Biology, Math, grades 9 thru college soph.
 
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