On the hunt of MY lifetime...

[Whip]

Good stuff Mike!  I didn't hunt there, but have seen it, and I think it is probably one of the most beautiful places on this planet!

[JEFF B]

way to  go mike    

[Duckbutt]

Keep it coming Mikey......  

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I am liking this story!  Enjoy your beach time, I will check in later      

[Mike Vines]

I got way to far ahead of myself.  Let me back up to last week when I took a single prop plane for a ride to see the area, and show you some of the pictures I took from that ride.

Here is the reason I didn't shoot a Foghorn Leghorn while I was on this trip.  I simply cannot bring myself to shoot something that walks right up to you.  Here is my 2 boys and Mom along with my wife walking up, enjoying a little chicken time...

   

The first glimpse of where we were to spend the next few days...

   

The begining of the Waimea Canyon on the west side of the Island...

   

Here is the Kalalau Valley that I mentioned earlier.  I was told by quite a few individuals that before the State of Hawaii opened up a cull hunt for Mountain Goats on this Island, that it was not uncommon to see upwards of 200 goats at a time in this valley...

   

A different view of the same Kalalau Valley.  I can only dream of the hunting the days gone by here.  Maybe one day they will reverse the numbers and get them overpopulated again...

   

[pdk25]

Keep it coming, Mike.  Great stuff.  That is some beautiful and harsh terrain.

[Mike Vines]

Just a couple more of the flight that was at the end of page 3 on this thread...

This is on the East side of the island.  It is called in English the 3000 foot waterfalls.  There is a Hawaiian name for it, but it is longer than the Hill Bow Thread.  The falls flow from the wettest place on the planet, Mount Waialeale...

       

I think this is the most beautiful place on the planet, here is the last aerial photo of this segment.  This is the mouth of the Kalalau Valley.  If you have never been here, you need to come.  Who would have thought that this is a premier hunting destination?  I never would have if I didn't follow threads and advice found on this website along with Tradgang Members and the Professional Bowhunters Society (PBS)and Traditional Bowhunter Magazines too...

       

Here is a picture of me leaving to start my hunt.  Driving down the road, this has got to mean good luck, right?...
       


Sorry to do this to you again, but it's getting late, and I need to get my rest to get ready for "Topless Tuesday" parade.  See you tomorrow evening, that is IF you all are interested in the rest of the story?


\\

[wooddamon1]

Interested indeed! Great stuff so far!  

[Hopewell Tom]

Are you making that "Topless Tuesday" stuff up?

What a place!
Man, those aerial pics sure show a flip flop unfriendly place. Except for down along the beaches with the turquoise colored water. This is quite the hunting story. The Ryans have shown it to us, but this mainlanders look is eye opening.

Keep it coming.

[Thumper Dunker]

Real cool stuff.      

[Whip]

Yeah Tom, I'm not buying that Topless Tuesday stuff.  I think he's making it up.  Of course pictures could prove me wrong.        

Keep it coming Mike - I'm loving it!  I did a flight over the Napali Coast when we were there as well, only I did it in a two seat ultra light plane.  I've never been so scared and in awe all at the same time!

[DHR]

Great stuff Mike.  I can tell you're having a fantastic trip. Looking forward to more hunting stories whenever you can tear your eyes away from the "scenery"!

[Blaino]

 

Oh yea!!!

[Mike Vines]

Alright, here comes the finally.  Sorry it has taken so long, but this vacation has been filled with so many wonderful adventures, it's been hard making time for everything.  For instance, I contacted the Hawaiian Monk Seal Foundation (back about 3 or 4 months ago) about shadowing their scientists while they were out researching them.  I never heard back from them to my request, then out of the blue, we got the call at 6 AM this morning that 3 Hawaiian Monk Seals (there is only 30 on the Islands) had made landfall on the beaches of Kauai, and they gave me directions to their location and said they needed help getting the temporary rope fences put up to keep people away. Well, I'm never one to turn down a request to either hunt or help out wildlife (I guess that's just what I do).  Atleast my boys and the rest of the family got a really cool experience not very many get to enjoy.

Here are my 2 boys with Mary Francis (Monk Seal researcher/Volunteer) and 2 of the seals...

       

Alright, enough with that part of the trip.  This is a hunting story.

I left off the other night with me getting to the end of BIG BALL ridge (you needed them to get out there, Don't know where mine were so I borrowed some and just winged it).  Here is a reminder of where I was just at...

       

If you would like a closer look at the place I hunted, look directly over my left shoulder at the sunny spot with the ridge running directly away from me.  That is the ridge that I posted pictures of on page 3 that we hunted the day before.  We drove around the other side of the canyon the next day just so I could get this picture to remind me why I do this to myself...

       

I set my bow down after that last picture and took this one.  I have looked at this picture what seems like a hundred times and still can't belive how beautiful and rugged Hawaii can be...

     

Anyway, back to the hunt.  I got my first stalk on, and got to where I thought I was going to be in a great possition for a 20 yard shot.  It took me close to an hour to get to this spot, and when I popped my head ever slow slowly and unlike archery targets, these goats had moved.  I now was at 30 yards and there was no way I was going any further, unless I wanted to go straight down, and quickly, so I had to back track.

[Mike Vines]

I'll tell you, getting to where I had just stalked to was a huge accomplishment.  You see, not even 3 months ago, I had surgery on both of my legs, that left me not able to walk without assistance for 5 weeks.  I told my Surgeon that I had a trip to Hawaii planned, and he promised me I would be fine to go on the vacation (I conviently left out the part of mountain climbing while there.  He didn't ask, so I didn't tell).  I told my Physical Therapist what I had planned, and I just got that deer in the headlights look, then he said we got our hands full, but IF I do exactly as I'm told, I'll be fine.  Well I'm sitting here telling the story, so I must have done just fine.

Now I had to figure out a way to get back and down, quietly, so that I could attack from above (Here is a little shout out to all you AIRBORN guys...Death From Above). I mapped out in my head a way to do it, and I was quite pleased with myself when it actually worked, but once again, the goats (A Black and Tan, and also a Jet Black one) were obviously reading from a different script, and had moved once again.  I just sat down for a few minutes because my calves were killing me, and I couldn't believe I had actually pulled off another successful stalk, but I once again came up 10 yards short of my effective range.  You see, at home, I can make 30 yards with confidence 9 out of 10 times, but I wasn't home.  I had never practiced at 30 yards with my feet on bolders ready to dislodge any moment, and I somehow misplaced that 3rd arm I needed growing out of my arse to hold me tight to the cliff face while I leaned out and over to make the shot.

So in my quick little pep talk to myself, I gathered the strength needed to yet once again get to where I needed to be.  3rd times a charm, right?  It's got to be.  I didn't come this far to give up.

[Mike Vines]

Once again, I plotted my route and commenced to checking to make sure the borrowed balls I had were still there, and set off on my 3rd stalk.  This time, I decided that twice from above didn't work, so I'm going lower and attacking from the bottom.  Now in my mind, that sounded great.  I figured, as long as I could smell goat (can't mistake that smell for anything), I was good to go.  Stay hidden and always smell goat.  Now go get them.  

After what seemed like 1/2 a day (really only 1 hour), I made it to my destination, and slowly peeked my head around one of the rocks, and all I saw was my recent 2 buddies running over the most rugged terrain I had ever seen, just like I would walk across my front lawn.  Those 2 goats had either sensed something was up, or they finally got tired of watching me make a fool of myself and they were down into Big Ball Valley, and up and over the next ridge in no time flat, and all I could do was watch it happen.

What was a guy to do???  

Well, I sat down on the most secure bolder I could find and felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  I had just accomplished a dream of mine.  I not only went mountain goat hunting in Hawaii, I had just pulled off not one, but 3 stalks, after having both legs operated  on and being laid up and out of work for 3 months prior to this trip.  I had busted my butt to get in the best physical shape I could in the time I had, and I knew THIS hunt for goats had just come to completion.  So as a memory to myself, I dug out my camera, set the timer and snapped this picture after the goats had crossed the ridge to my right (even with my elbow)...

       

[Green]

I'd say in the book of accomplishments and human conquest, you had a very successful hunt Mike.  Congrats to you on your hard work to rehab to be able to do this and thanks for sharing your adventure in such beautiful terrain.  

Now, let's get on to that bikini hunt from the lounge blind, shall we?    

[Mike Vines]

I still had 2 more things to do while I was where I had gotten to.  

First I promised a friend that I would do this for him, so I dug into my pack and pulled out something that (as I look at the words) has a whole new meaning to me now.  I quickly changed shirts and snapped another picture.  This one is for you Ryan (Steadman's shirt was weightless on this trip, but carries a lot of weight when reading the words)...

         


I put my hunting clothes back on after that pic, and told myself this polypro shirt has to go.  I seriously need to buy me a Sitka top to go with the pants.  Sitka garments are awesome.


Now for those of you keeping score, I said I had a couple things to do.  Here was the last.  I had created a memorial to my Dad, and wanted to share it with you all as well.  You see, my Dad was an amazing man (much like everyone of your's), but mine was special to me.  My Dad has been all over this world while he worked for and retired from the U.S. Navy Sea Bee's and also on many trips with the family and my Mom, but he had never made it to Kauai. He had wanted to come to this Island something bad, but he lost the battle with the troubles in his mind, and was never able to visit here.  Well, I solved that little problem.  I made up the best arrow I possibly ever could have ( I seriously doubt I will ever build a more perfect arrow), I wrote his name, birthdate and date and time of his last breath on the shaft, and dipped over it 2 times to seal it in forever.  I tipped the shaft with a KME sharp Eclipse head, and I carried that arrow with me to the island, and on each and every one of those stalks.  Well I figured after accompanying me on this hunt, it was finally time to say my goodbye, so I pulled his arrow from the quiver knocked it, set the timer on the camera, and drew that arrow to full draw and waited for the shutter to click.  Once the shutter sounded, that arrow launched in the direction those two goats had gone, and all I could do was watch it fly till it dissapeared.  I listened, but never heard a sound, but I didn't need to hear anything.  His voice is with me every day...

         


I followed up this hunt with 1 1/2 days of pig hunting, and no I din't get a shot, but I got to 1/2 draw on a 60 pounder at 5 feet, and like the goats, that pig winded me, and was gone, but that is a whole different story.  

And yes, the "topless Tuesday" is a reality in certain spots.  You need to seek those out yourself.  

There is something about the islands that bring out the best in everyone.  If you have been here, you will understand (this is our 4th visit).  If you haven't been here, you seriously need to ask yourself why not, and come.

Thanks for following along guys.  It was a huge adventure for me on so many different levels.  I'm glad I have a place that I can share my experience with people who can understand me (atleast when it comes to hunting).

Thank you for taking the time to read this,

Mike

[Steve O]

Looks like an awesome place Mike.

[wooddamon1]

Awesome adventure! Great tribute to your Dad!