Anyone know anything about them

Broadly speaking, Vancouver bulls are feral cattle found in the Hawaiian Islands. The kind I hunted had been feral for a generation or two after they slipped off of someone's ranch, but another kind have been feral for so long that they’ve evolved to be leaner and faster. It's impossible to round up either type, so most folks just shoot them like ranchers in Texas shoot feral hogs.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...?r=32010099#32010099

http://forums.accuratereloadin...?r=77110999#77110999

Despite not having been feral for long, the first type of animals are wily and can be aggressive—the ones I was asked to hunt were chasing pickers out of coffee orchards—and I consider them dangerous. They may be "just" beef cows, but they're still cattle, and plenty of ranchers get killed or seriously hurt when their own domesticated cattle turn aggressive every year.

As for the second type, I’d want to know a lot more about the conditions, landowners, etc., before I paid a premium to hunt them. I say that because a lot of things get oversold in the Hawaiian Islands, and you want to make sure that you’re getting the experience you pay for. After all, you’re there for a limited time and very few people are willing to fly back and forth to pursue a lawsuit against an outfitter who doesn’t deliver.

I hunted these animals in mixed scrub. Some shots were 15 yards, but I had one at 150 across an orchard. I doubt that you’d need a cartridge with super-flat trajectory. Use the rifle you’d use for any other dangerous game, but in a lighter cartridge. The 30-06 is probably fine, with more bullet weight and diameter if you can get them. I used a 9.3x62 with a 22” barrel and a 4x Leupold, which was probably ideal. Forget about finding ammo for anything bigger than a 30-06 over there, and don’t expect to find premium ammo. Gun shops are pretty limited and they stick to 150-grain cup-and-core loads, so take your own. The 30-06 is a cannon, so 338, 375, etc., will probably be non-existent. I say that because the airlines WILL lose your bags—expect them to show up 2-3 days after you do.

A Google search will turn up information and opportunities. Hunting in Hawaii is very different than it is here and I’ve written about it in detail on this forum and others. Do a Google search for those threads (keywords Okie John+Hawaii) and let me know if you have other questions.


Okie John

I think is a very interesting trophy. Do you suggest any guides?

My hunts were self-guided, so I don't know any outfitters. Sorry.


Okie John

Here is an outfit that I used and can heartily recommend on the Big Island. Private land at about 8-9000 ft elevation. I used a 35 Whelen with 250 partition and it bowled them over.

http://www.naheleoutfitters.com/services.html

I've hunted twice with Patrick; however, neither time for Vancouver bulls. http://www.hawaiisafaris.com/

Having said that, I wouldn't be hesitant to book a hunt with his hunting services.