Hawaii is one of the top vacation destinations in the world. Sun, sand, luxury resorts, world-class reefs and a live volcano, among other attractions, all make Hawaii a place everyone wants to visit. These Pacific islands also offer a surprising amount of hunting. In all, there are six different big game animals available here on seven different islands. In Maui, one can hunt axis deer, feral goat and feral pig. Molokai offers the same hunting opportunities as Maui. In Lanai, one can hunt axis deer and mouflon sheep. The Big Island of Hawaii offers mouflon sheep, feral sheep, feral goat and feral pig. On Oahu, one finds feral goat and feral pig. Kauai offers blacktail deer, feral goat and feral pig. Finally, Nihau offers only feral pig.
So, why hasn't the logic of hunting in Hawaii dawned on more hunters. After all, most active hunters have terrific "household deficits" as a result of either leaving their spouses at home too much, or dragging them to one lonely hunting camp after another. What better place than Hawaii for a pay-back trip, right? The non-hunting spouse gets to lounge on the beach, go reef diving, etc.; you win household points and get to go hunting. The logistics of hunting and vacationing in Hawaii just got easier, too, with the emergence of a hunting and fishing agent in that part of the world who has lived there all her life, hunts passionately herself and knows all 20 of the registered hunting guides in the islands. Her name is Bitsy Kelly, and she calls her travel firm Hawaii Sportsmen's Adventures. I met with Bitsy on a trip to Hawaii last month and learned that she has been a serious hunter since her dad first took her bird shooting and later big game hunting on the island of Molokai. At this point, she has taken every species of big game available in Hawaii and has hunted elk and deer throughout the West. She's the kind of gal who has a 60-pound roosterfish she caught in Mexico mounted over her fireplace mantel. You get the picture........(continued)
