hey all, I just got back from a three week trip to Kauai, which is the northernmost island of Hawaii. It was ostensibly my honeymoon so I was wasn't hunting the whole time (my wife, although supportive is no huntress), but I got to do a fair bit of hunting and had a great time. If anyone is looking for a year round hunting destination where non-hunters can have fun too Kauai is awesome and I'd be happy to help with whatever advice I can give. Pigs and goats are both abundant on the island, I had intended to hunt both, but for a variety of reasons didn't get to do any pig hunting (i'm still not quite over it) The goat hunting was awesome though. Kauai is incredibly diverse and on this one small island i hunted goats in habitats ranging from arid desert cliff to deep rainforest. Here's what it looks like. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB060063-1.jpg) (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB240484-1.jpg) (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB180269.jpg)
And the goats look like this......At least while they're still alive! (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB210386-1.jpg) (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB060068.jpg)
Looks like the Na Pali coastline...one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen.
Congrats on one cool honeymoon.
You got it Jeff a bunch of those pics are from the na pali coast and it is incredible. It's also the first place I connected with a goat on the trip. It was in the hanakapaiai valley, a side trail off the na pali coast trail. Eve and I went in for a day hike and encountered goat tracks about three miles in. we followed them and shortley ran into goats. The forest there is made for stalking critters and I quickly got into range for a shot at a young billy. The first shot hit squarely in the joint between the scapula and front leg bone. It split the joint but got no penetration into the chest cavity. my follow up shot did the job though, and the goat was down for the count. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB110160.jpg)I used a 56# bighorn recurve, gold tip 55/75 shafts, and 160 gr Stos heads for all my hunting on this trip all shots wer pass through except the above mentioned bone hit, and all blood trails were profuse.
Here is my first goat. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB110169.jpg)
Very nice,congrats;thanks for sharing
If she let you hunt on your honeymoon you are going to have a great marriage.She got a sister?
I backpacked that trail, years ago. Most incredible adventure of my life. I just wish I had a bow... If I ever get another chance...
Excellent! Thanks for sharing. Congrats on the marriage and best wishes.
Well-done!
So the second place I hunted was Unit F in Waimea canyon. As you can see it is a lot dryer than the Na pali coast, and quite rugged. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB070080.jpg)
there are no trails at all in this unit and access is tough. I spent my first hunting day just trying to get to where the goats were at without falling oof a cliff. I found the goats in waimea canyon to be quite skittish and fairly difficult to approach. Since there are no hiking trails here pretty much every person these goats saw was a hunter, so a glimpse or sniff of a human would send them off, and when one goat spooked others would follow. It took me three days to connect with a goat here, but it was quite gratifying when I did. I spotted this nanny feeding on a ridgetop early in the morning and snuck up for the shot with the wind in my face. Find the goat in this picture. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB150203.jpg)
Here's the closeup. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB150204.jpg).
And one more. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB150208.jpg)
I could have gladly spent the whole trip chasing the goats around in waimea canyon but hunting is only allowed on weekends, and my wife definately had different ideas.
QuoteOriginally posted by DHR:
I could have gladly spent the whole trip chasing the goats around in waimea canyon but hunting is only allowed on weekends, and my wife definately had different ideas.
:help:
Congratulations it looks like you had a great time! :thumbsup:
Thanks for the story and Pic Daniel.
Thanks for looking everyone. One more to go here. For the last hunt of the trip I was back up on the napali coast Eve and I had day hiked into the waiahuakua valley which is pretty spectacular.You walk between these two huge boulders and the whole thing kind of opens up below you. (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB180272.jpg)
toward the far side of the valley we spotted a fairly large group of goats strung out loosely on the side of a ravine. i pleaded with eve to let me go after them, which she was reluctant to do since it meant she would have to hang out on the trail wher the mosquitos were absolutely devastating. Finally she relented and I took off up a dry waterfall then across a steep densely vegetated slope toward the goats. Looking back toward the trail I could see my wife wrapped up in her bright yellow poncho for mosquito protection. Belabored as she was by the insects she still had the presence of mind to guide me to use hand signals to guide me to the goats, which had moved lower on the cliffs. I eased slowly toward them trying not to rain debris down on their heads. Eventually I could see goats below me working over the shrubbery, but I couldn't get any closer due to the steepness. As I pondered my course I noticed three large billies bedded much closer. I got into the best position I could for a shot and waited for something to happen. When one stood up and took a few steps my way I took a very steep 15 yard shot. I knew I'd hit where I was looking but the goat didn't react to the shot at all, just continued walking across the cliff and I began to worry something might be amiss. Then he laid down on a ledge and a few seconds later tumbled down the slope. This is why I love bowhunting (http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB180293.jpg)
(http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB180298.jpg)
(http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/1sharp2blade/PB180304.jpg)
Lunch during the hike out
Thanks for taking us along on your honeymoon! :wavey:
That was the best pictorial I've seen so far on this site as far as hunting in Hawaii. :notworthy:
Awesome beard on that last one! :clapper:
Sweet! Looks like a ton of fun. Congrats.
That is just awesome!!! I would love to live there, I just coundn't afford it.
Thanks for the pics, very nice all around. I am hoping to be there in March, same island. My bow will for sure be with me.
Awesome!
Wow very cool stuff. Can you dehydrate SPAM for long hunting hikes?
Not sure about the spam but I'm sure it's been tried ;) . saltwatertom, if you want any info before you go i'll be glad to help if i can. It's a great island and I would gladly have spent the winter there. Hopefully i'll make it back someday.
what did you do with the goats?
did you find a processor or were you able to bring them home in an ice chest?
i am planning a trip there in '11 for my 50th...
d
HomerDave...They make goat SPAM out of them.
For those that don't know and the reason for my silliness. Hawaiian's eat more SPAM each year than all the other states combined. Frivolous trivia for sure. So back to this great thread what did you do with the meat DHR?
Goat spam, now there is an idea! Didn't think of that one. Instead I boned out the meat and put it in big zip-locs. I figured there'd be a butcher shop or something where I could store meat 'till we were ready to head home. Couldn't find one so after lots of searching I located a hostel in the town of Kapaa that had a chest freezer and the owner allowed me to store the meat there for the duration of the trip. Then I just brought it home frozen in a soft sided cooler. I paid him 5 bucks each time i made a deposit. worked out slick, but it was a bit stressfull until I found that freezer. We also grilled up alot of goat kabobs on beachside campfires :thumbsup: I also boiled the heads on my campstove and brought them home in my carry-on.
QuoteOriginally posted by DHR:
I also boiled the heads on my campstove and brought them home in my carry-on.
How did that go over at the x-ray machine?
:biglaugh: I laugh everytime I read this thread... thanks :biglaugh:
Cool stuff! What a honeymoon!! I'm fixin' to do this hunt in the next few years. I hear the island is a target rich environment, eh?
I've also heard the hunt can be done very reasonably. Steve H. has done it a few times I believe.
Thanks for posting your adventure, Daniel. Did you run into any blacktails in that part of the island?
MG
fun in the sun.. Aloha
Im taking my honeymoon in hawaii next summer. Hope I get to bring my bow along!
bearsfeet, don't go without a bow. You'll be miserable and your wife won't want to be around you. It is a very reasonable hunt, where else can you get an out of state license for a hundred bucks? I did see some blacktail does in kokee park, i was a little late for the season, but i saw the hunter log at one of the check stations and there were some nice bucks taken. And as for the heads in airport security it was kind of fun listening to the security folks guess among themselves as to what they were. The closest they came was antelope.
Congrats,for sure a honeymoon to remember.Felix
Great trip , thanks for sharing , looks like goat is on the menu.
Awesome! Beautiful scenery for sure!
Good job buddy.
Hey I sent ya an email about that pack.
talk to ya soon.
kirk
The most important thing is that you married a very understanding and supportive woman. You wouldn't find many that would let their newly hitched husbands wander off into the wilds, on her honeymoon no less. Congrats.
that is awesome i talked to my wife about doing the same thing but money is always the mane problem but when it is not i will for sur be talking to you
Looks like a great hunt...congrats on the goats.
That looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing.
That looks to be an awesome honeymoon!
Congratulations!
Please tell me your wife has a sister, i just got a divorce and need a hunting partner. :biglaugh:
Way to go Dan! What a great honeymoon. Loved the pictures and stories....bill
Sorry Joe Eve doesn't have any sisters. Guess I just showed up in the right place at the right time :thumbsup:
Awesome Daniel! For some reasons some of those places look a wee bt familiar!
Did you see my Kauai thread back in January or my TBM article last year? If so, hope they helped.
awesome!!!!!!!!!
Daniel, you better hang on to that woman! A good wife is worth more than you can imagine. I've got a great one and thank God all the time I ever met her.
I love that one pic with you and your wife together with the black goat head/cape next to you. I can see by the mud on your boots and your wifes legs that you've been hitting it hard. Not a lot of women would go for that sort of entertainment. If you found one that does, you are truly blessed!
That was a great hunt. I love Kauai. It is my favorite of the islands. Thanks for taking me back.
Allan
Awesome hunt and pics.Congradulations on bagging a supportive wife as well.
Dave, you nailed it man. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a wife who loves the outdoors and supports me in what i love to do. It really doesn't get much better, and i certainly mean never to take it for granted. :archer:
WOW! Great place, good hunting, great spouse! You are one blessed fellow.
Thanks for sharing.... :notworthy:
Very cool, the pictures tell a neat story. Congrats on your success and getting married.
Dude..sounds like you got a sweet wife even if she doesn't hunt. Thanks for the story and pics. Looks like a cool place.
I took another look at this story and pics. Dan, that last billy is one dirty-nasty evil, devil of a thing--I like it!
I went and bought tickets for late Feb early March. I've heard ole' SaltWaterTom is a good shot and I wanna make sure there is still some goats left so I figured I'd need to get there before him!
Very cool hunt! Congrats on your marriage and the critters :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats on a great hunt.
I can't believe I went there a couple years ago and didn't bring my bow :banghead:
Yeah steve they sure have a devilish look to 'em. You're gonna have a great trip in a couple months. I can't wait to get back myself, that is if you and saltwatertom leave any thing alive.
I will be taking my bow for sure! I think we are planing on going in OCT. now so I will have to check and see what seasons are.
one of these days.
congrats!! looks like a good time
MAN!! That looks like tons of fun. Good job.
Really great pics.I used to hunt Wild goats years ago on the Gulf Islands in BC.the hardest hunting I ever did ,but we were young and had great times.Your pics re-kindled my memory .Thanks for sharing.
Just over a month away until I head west again! I intend to do two hikes on the Napali, the first will be solo and the second our TradGang buddy Doug Campbell will be along for the ride!
bearsfeet: 365 days per year is the season in any three day stretch! You can do multiple 3 day trips you just have to get a new stamp with dates on the back of your license from the HDNR office in Lihue.
Awesome - My daughter and her boyfriend were just there for 5 week..loved it...no hunting though.
Vegetarians - guess he could have had a good stalk on a head of lettuce maybe..tee hee.
So how do you get the meat home. Pretty warn there NO.
Jer Bear
Lots of food there for vegetarians too guavas, avocados, limes etc. I'll take the goats though. About meat- it is warm there. I secured use of a chest freezer at a hostel in kapaa. worked great, also ate a fair amount of goat while there. I really like the meat, better than domestic goat by far. probably diet related(guavas, avocados, limes, etc).
Steve hope you have a great trip. Am i jealous? Just a little!!! :cool: Can't wait to hear the stories. I think about my next trip pretty much every day.
Danielle,
Awsome pics. My 7yr old son said that you looked like a Pirate when you posed down by the water.
That's a compliment.
Looks like alot of fun.
Looks like super memory material..Congrats on your marriage and your wife, have many more hunts. Thanks for taking us along. :bigsmyl:
that is the coolest post in a long time...thanks for sharing the "two" loves of your life......
Very Nice, I enjoy the scenery and looks like you got a few nice goats also. :)
Arrrrrgggggg!
Funny Steve :rolleyes:
Frank tell your son I appreciate the compliment, there are worse vocations
I'm sold! This is awesome!
Great pics, thanks for sharing. I've got to hunt Hawaii someday.
Congratulations to a Pirate !!
Congrats on your marriage and the hunt.
Thank you for taking us along.
Daniel
Great post, great pics. Congratulations on your hunt, and your soulmate! Never hunted Hawaii, been there many times, wife and I love it. I hope you get to go again! Jim