Greetings all,

I'm finishing up some booking details with a great, highly recommended outfit in Hawaii for a mouflon/ibex/black Hawaiian hunt on the Big Island in May - my sweet wife gave me a 3 days pass from her friend's wedding festivities. I have my heart set on mouflon but sure will not be complaining if they do not show and we instead turn our focus to the other species. However, I'm most excited about getting to experience a piece of Hawaii that most probably overlook in favor of the resort beaches and such.

I'm wondering if any of the fine folks out there could give me an idea of what to expect in terms what to expect on a hunt in the forests of the Big Island...where do these species tend to hang out? How's the terrain out there? Any unexpected stuff I should prepare for? What kind of shots are typical? Can I hunt in my Tommy Bahama flowery shirts and flip flops? Is Laphroaig available on the Big Island or should I stock up in Honolulu first? If the hunt goes long can I chopper straight back to Oahu and fast rope into the wedding ceremony with a tux (think James Bond style) or will I have to plan a fuel stop in there?

I should probably note that my expectations are for a fun hunt that will be moderately challenging with some good natured guides. I'm not looking to break any world records or pretend like I'm doing a 10 day Alaskan pack in hunt.

I know I could ask the outfitter all of this but I figured it would be more fun to get a little convo going. AR is my daily escape from cubicle drudgery.

Also, I'll take any salt water fly fishing guide recommendations if you have any. Gonna try and knock that off my list as well.

Fire away...

What kind of ibex do they have? Or is that what they are calling feral goats now so they can charge more money?

Should be a fun hunt.

I've hunted over there and posted about it here. Do a search and you'll find tons of good info.


Okie John

Depends where you are on the big island, but most likely you would be hunting more open country and not tropical forests. Leave the flip flops at the hotel, there is way too much lava rock to stub your toe on. They have wild goats on the island, not that they are really wild like a whitetail or elk. Just wild like a goat that hasn't been trained to a grain bucket. From what I've seen while there, a mouflon is a wild domestic ram and an ibex is a wild domestic goat.

If you want to fly fish then do that on Oahu. The big island isn't known for its tidal flats. If you want to deep sea fish then do that on the Big Island.

And there are all kinds of flights from Kona to Honolulu. I'd just tell your guide you want to be done quick and you will be.

IF lucky, you can probably get the black Hawaiian and goat hunt done in one day. If not, then 1.5 days provided your outfitter has the critters. The goat seemed to like the rougher country while the sheep were in the more rolling hills among the cattle pastures. I've posted a couple hunting reports on here, a simple search should provide them.

No experience with the mouflon.

Good luck and have fun!

Read about this place a while ago. The "Forbidden Island". 17 miles off of Kauai, 72 square miles, and owned by the same family since 1864. Only way on the island is through the owners. Just recently has hunting been permitted. They have hunts available for Wild Polynesian Boar, Hybrid Sheep, and limited hunting for Wild Eland, Wild Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) and Wild Oryx.

Not cheap, but something different.


http://www.niihau.us/safaris.html

quote:

HUNTING

Hope you have luck on the free ranging mouflon. I have been wanting to go to the island of Lanai for free ranging mouflon with Hawaii Safaris. What is the name of the outfitter you will be hunting with.

Several years ago I hunted twice on the 'Forbidden Island' of Niihau. Back then it was organized by Geoff Hashimoto. Fascinating place! Shot dozens of pigs and sheep. I don't think Geoff is involved anymore but perhaps the Robinson family is keeping it going.

I hunted the Big Island last year with Nahele Outfitters. http://www.naheleoutfitters.com/services.html
I shot a very good goat, a hybrid Hawaiian/Mouflon sheep and a Vancouver cow in three days hunting. Goats were hunted north of Waikoloa at around 1500' elevation. We then moved south, near Captain Cook, at 7-9,000' elevation on Mauna Loa. Very much rain forest, it was foggy and misty most of the time. A very magical terrain. Very vertical, lots of volcanic rock with thick vegetation, difficult walking. I loved every minute of it!







Goat was taken at 145 yds, the sheep was jumped as we rounded some boulders and shot running at 40 yds, and the Vancouver at 85 yds, also running.

You can still hunt Nihau,

They have a website for it. My inlaws live on Kuauai half the year. A retired admiral my father in law lives next to, hunts there every year.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Norman:
Several years ago I hunted twice on the 'Forbidden Island' of Niihau. Back then it was organized by Geoff Hashimoto. Fascinating place! Shot dozens of pigs and sheep. I don't think Geoff is involved anymore but perhaps the Robinson family is keeping it going.

I am heading over to hunt hogs with dogs in April.....well really heading over for our 25th anniversary.
I have booked as well with Nahele outfitters

Can you bring the meat back to the United states? That Vancouver bull hunt looks fun. Are they still prevalent there?

Hawaii is the in the United States. I bring back two ice chests full off axis deer every year.

You guys want Axis and Mouflon go to Lanai, I do a DIY hunt with my 3 buddies and we shoot a bunch of deer, and yes we bring back all the meat we can, I would admittedly say, axis is better than Dall sheep, And I love Dall sheep. Been to Molokai but lot of it is locked up to private lands, but still doable knowing people. Fly to maui and take the ferry over, they have four trips daily out of Lahaina....

http://bigislandnow.com/2017/0...ting-apps-available/



Lāna‘i Mouflon Sheep Hunting Apps Available
By Big Island Now

Posted March 20, 2017, 08:15 AM HST
Updated March 20, 2017, 08:26 AM HST

The Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife announced that applications for the 2017 Lanai Mouflon Sheep Hunting Season and instruction sheets are available at all DOFAW offices statewide beginning Monday, March 20, 2017. Applicants may also apply online.



The 2017 Lanai Mouflon Sheep Season will consist of four hunts:

The Archery Only Hunt will be held over eight consecutive days, beginning July 29, 2017, and ending on Aug. 5, 2017.
The Youth Hunt will be conducted for one weekend (Saturday and Sunday), Aug. 12 and 13, 2017.
The Muzzleloader Hunt will be conducted for one weekend (Saturday and Sunday), Aug.19 and 20, 2017.
The General Rifle Hunt will be held over nine consecutive weekends (Saturday and Sunday), beginning on Aug. 26, 2017, and ending on Oct. 22, 2017.
A $10 application fee will be assessed each person applying for a hunt. This fee must accompany each application for the hunt at the time of filing. Applications received without the required application fee will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant.

A tag fee will be assessed at the time of hunter check-in. Hawai‘i residents will be assessed $20 and non-Hawai‘i residents $125 for each sheep tag. No fees will be assessed for the non-typical ram tag.

It is imperative that hunter applicants obtain and pay particular attention to the hunt instruction sheet and addendum for any changes in the application process.

Applications for all hunts may be submitted in-person or mailed to the Maui Division of Forestry and Wildlife Office, 1955 Main St., Room. 301, Wailuku HI 96793.

Lāna‘i residents only are to mail or deliver their applications to the Lāna‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife Office at 917 Fraser Ave., P.O. Box 630661, Lāna‘i City, HI 96763.

The deadline for submitting applications is 4 p.m. on Friday, April 28, 2017.

Interested hunters are encouraged to submit their application well before the application deadline to insure proper processing.

For further information, visit the DOFAW website or call the Maui district office at (808) 984-8100.