I have not been hunting much lately but have been getting my itch back again. So I ordered new arrows, cut them short and after procrastinating, epoxied in some inserts the day I was to hunt. After some target practice shooting all over the place, I finally pulled together a dangerously close group at 20 yards. Time to hunt!
My friend Bass had invited me to hunt a farm he lives on. Bass had been telling me stories of these pigs and he though he had them pegged; They had been staying in a small forest for some time now. We drove the Kubota down the paved roads of the gentlemen's estates. Bass pointed and said they had been over here and we suddenly noticed two pigs feeding near a wooden pasture fence. They turned and ran into the tangle of hau bush (pronounced "how") as we drove past for another hundred yards. I made a bet that they would be back to that same place really soon- it was something I had learned about pigs while doing tracking collar studies at work. A minute later, they were back at that exact same spot and we hurried to set up and get off the open road. Three more came out of the bushes and together, the herd worked in our direction. They were all feeding on the other side of a wooden fence that ran parallel to the road. There was a 20 foot corridor between the fence and bushes. The pigs were slowly working down the alley.
Bass crept slowly to get in front of them. I followed and we set up behind a large Albizia tree, my friend on one side and me on the other as we waited for the pigs to come around a corner. Ten minutes passed and we began second guessing whether they were really coming or not. The wind was good but they could have easily crossed the road into pastures without us knowing. Bass went to investigate but only made it a few feet before he saw a pig rounding the corner.
A chicken with them spotted Bass peering out from behind the tree. By luck, it retreated silently without alerting the pigs. They weren't nearly as big as we were expecting. Four of them were only about 40 pounds each and the biggest was perhaps seventy at best. All were black, one looked skinny, and another looked fat & healthy with a shiny coat. The biggest looked like it was in good condition. We waited as they fed closer and closer. The biggest pig was working to Bass's side but soon swung and came to my side. At just ten yards, I drew but she turned my direction and seemed to sense something was up. After a few moments, I drifted slowly back behind the tree and undrew. She went back to feeding. I drew again as she gave a broadside shot. “This will be easy,” I though to myself. The pin settled at the back edge of the should and the arrow flew making a perfect pass through. I remember seeing the three-way cut of the Brodhead before the pig dashed into the nearby forest. It wasn't the best shot but I was confident that I got the liver and maybe part of a lung. Bass shot at another of the pigs. By his account, his string hit his forearm and caused him to miss. I only heard it.
That was pretty much the end of my hunt. I waited at that spot until it got dark and Bass went after pigs unsuccessfully for the rest of the afternoon though he did have some close calls with bigger pigs.
Darkness fell. My LED light was having bad connection problems compounded by low batteries, so I used my cell phone for added light. Earlier, I had followed up the shot and found my arrow covered in dark blood and fermenting stomach contents. There was a great blood trail starting instantly where the pig had stood. Besides the low light, the trail was easy to follow and 20 yards in, after crawling under and on top of hau bush logs, I found my pig, a young boar. A piece of fat hung out the exit wound. The autopsy showed that the arrow had grazed a lung, grazed the liver, passed through the paunch and nailed the spleen. Spleen shot! What luck. He didn’t go far.
Nic
Here's some pictures from inside the hau bush. The stuff gets so thick that you walk over it on top a tangled mess of horizontal branches. I crack up on the spider. About a 60 or 70 pound young boar.
I'll be heading out tomorrow overnight down the Na Pali Coast. Wish me luck.
Good show Nic, congrats! When you gonna come visit Ev on Oahu? He went Kayak fishing this morning with some new friends. Good Luck at Na Pali but be careful, don't fall off any cliffs!
Good story Nic. Wish I was there !
So when is the BBQ?
Mossy Oak Pro Staff
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Take a kid hunting or fishing every chance you have.
Nic:
Good job. Did it charge you? A good way to cook it would be to put a popsicle stick up its arse and then toss it on the barbee. It would be like eating a hot dog on a stick.
Seriously, good job. Can you make it over to the Big Island sometime soon? I've got a nice little 30/30 Model 94 Trapper---complete with Williams micrometer sight---that has your name on it. Sort of payback for taking me on that wild bull hunt and showing me the ropes. And almost killing me in the process.
It's yours anytime you get over here. You need to get a Permit to Acquire before you can take it. You'll have to figure out how that works. If you can't make it over, then Evan can bring over the paperwork and I'll give it to him and he can give it to you. I'll also toss in 50 rounds of hot 30/30 Barnes X-bullet loads. They'll go right through a boar. If you hit it in the ear. [just kidding]
Aloha for now and keep away from the tusks.
Nice pig! I used to chase this 40lb pink pig in that same patch of forest back in the day with Kaya and her 2 puppies that live across the hau.
He should have some pics from the na pali too...can't wait
Good story. Did you guys make Imu out of that pig? Like, dig a 5 foot hole, fire the rocks until white hot, throw in the kalau pig and banana leaves, then wait 5 hours. I think that's the way they do it?
Richard
No I never have used an imu but have made Kalua pig in the oven. It comes out pretty close to the real real. The meat is still chilling in the fridge and I'm rushing to go on a work trip up into the mountains for four days so I don't have time to post pictures right now. Down the coast, I caught a nice billy goat and had a lot of lose calls with pigs and goats. A centipede bit me on the back while I was sleeping (wasn't sleeping anymore after), I'm sore as H***, and probably will only get 4 hours sleep tonight so I got to go. It's gonna be a long week...
Doc, I'll try to come over as soon as possible!
With the exception of the centipedes, I'm drooling over the opportunities you guys have over there! Just too much fun and hunting!
Of course, I guess I'm getting plenty of hunting here, which is why I can never seem to make it over there... but it sure looks like a kick in the britches!
But no centipedes. Got terrorized by those things in Puerto Rico as a kid, and still have occasional nightmares.
He has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct... Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience rather than a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact.
Aldo Leopold
Congrats on the pig!..........I really enjoy reading all those Hawaii adventures over there and the pics of your harvested animals. Thanks for sharing.
Like Speckmisser I hate centipedes. Not sure how venomous those Hawaii centipedes are, but the ones back home are worse than the rattlers.
L2H
Hey Nic,
What do you do with the goat meat to take out the taste? I've heard baking soda works, but does it really taste good? My girlfriend doesn't have any problem eating axis deer or pig, but I dunno if I can get her to eat goat unless it is actually good!
Greg
Evan, you know of any tricks? Anyone? Greg, I can't admit to being able to get the stench out. Seems everytime I get a stinky big billy, which as you know, are practically inedible, I end up procrastinating and turn it into dog food. Otherwise, I'm a big fan of teriyaki.
I'm gonna google it. BTW, the trip got postponed due to mechanical problems with the helicopter. (Scary) I'll try to get some pics up. Sorting through them right now.
Hmmm, I don't have any dogs... But I would like to get a nice billy. If I shoot it and don't eat it I'll be bummed. Maybe I'll try a nanny first.
I found one site that said something about them stinking more during the breeding season, which I think to be year round here, but perhaps they are stinkier at some times more than others. This billy didn't seem bad at all. I've had many that I considered inedible; others that were great. Big billies that stunk, big billies that didn't. Small billies that stunk, small billies that didn't. It would be good to have a way around the odor. But in general the nannies and young goats are best for eating. Papaya is the best tenderizer I've found. Pictures coming...
On the way in.
This grove of trees in the next photo is the shelf used to go through the steep face in the picture above. I could hear a herd with a big billy calling below me. It would have been nearly impossible to get to them.
This is an old photo, but I ended up climbing from the bottom of the valley, all the way to the top of this ridge. The herd of goats was in the back. I came across a few pigs and several goats on the way up but all eluded me. One of the pigs was a fat blond sow. Should have took a picture.
Next Day
Found the herdback on the ridge at the base of the cliffs.
The shot wasn't ideal; I was aiming directly down on his back from 10 yards but it couldn't have worked out better. The arrow went in on one side near the spine, and came out the front of the opposite shoulder.
On the way in, I had heard a big billy below me along that steep pass shown in the pictures above. On the way out, he was right on the trail and after they spooking, they stopped 35 yards off, giving me some picture opportunities but this is the only great photo from the lot.
And last, the pass at Bell Stone and a well deserved break half out. only 3 more miles to go!
Awesome pics Nic! Thank you for sharing those with us. That looks like one hell of a hike!
Congrats on the well deserved goat! Nicely done.
Eric
Nothing man can do could ever equal the glory of God's creations.
Nice piggy and goat!
Great pics...thanks for sharing.
MIKE
"Had God not intended for humans to hunt, he would not have made animals out of meat."
"The true Hunter counts his achievement in proportion to the effort involved and the fairness of the sport." Saxton Pope
I wish Kauai wasn't so crazy with tourists, at least on Oahu they all stay in Waikiki. I went over there once but you could barely get around because of the cars on the roads. Of course, pics like those make me want to go back. Sounds like a great trip and let me know how that goat turns out.
I'm a meat hunter so avoid the big trophy billies because they are the worse as far as eating quality because they piss on themselves so other Billies can smell them. Young billies aren't bad and nannies even better as far as eating qualities, but goat will taste like goat, and you either like it or you don't sort of like lamb. A friend soaks his goat meat in baking soda brine to remove some of the goatiness but I just accept goat for what it is and enjoy it, again avoiding the smelly trophy billies. Try your best to skin from inside out avoid blade contact with the hairs as best you can. Also I never gut a goat, just remove the 4 hams, and back strap never penetrating the abdomen and risking contamination. Teriyaki goat, goat jerky, goat curry (one of my favs), and goat chili all ono with the spices complementing the goaty flavor.
HiHunter you have to try hunting goats Big Island or Maui, no crowds and get choke goats. Here's pictures I took at Kaupo, Maui of a herd that contained easily over 300 heads.
Seen comparable herds in Pu'uwa'awa'a area of Big Island between Kailua and Waimea
Great story and pics.
Thanks for sharing.
"Any fool can critize, condemn and complain-and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving."
Wow Uncle Ji,
Now that's alotta goat! I've been wanting to go hunt Maui, but I'd rather travel hunt for deer rather than goat meat. You ever see Axis on public land on Maui? I've been thinking about going to the Kura forest reserve and trying my luck down by the Polipoli archery section, but I don't know if there are deer down there or not. Kinda expensive now with no ATA or Aloha just for some ol' goats. I do go Big Island a lot because my girlfriend is FBI. I'll try and go up there and look around since I'm going there anyways with my Dad for Thanksgiving. He is from the mainland and is desperate to try hunting over here.
I'll post some pics if I go this weekend,
HIhunter
.
I lived right at the bottom edge of Kula Forest Reserve for 12 years, had plenty pigs and goats but the deer were way less numerous. Unit E is pine forests at 7500' elevation so not ideal habitat for the warm tropical Axis Deer, they preferring a warmer drier climate so they are more plentiful in the Kiawe forests above Kihei/Keawekapu/Makena. I had access to Hawaiian Homelands in Kula which is 2500' elevation and less so had plentiful deer, pretty easy meat hunt for doe but trophy bucks being a little more difficult to come by.
When you go Big Island to HAVE TO check out the Laupahoehoe and Piha Forest Reserve hunting Units, CHOKE with pigs and not need dogs (in fact not allowed), exciting hunting with ALMOST guarantee you going score.
Try the baking soda brine Nic. Same thing as salting but use baking soda instead. Worked real well on the sheep Doccherry got, tenderizes the meat too.
How far in did you go? Stop in Hanakoa?
Uncle Ji,
Yeah, I've hunted Laupahoehoe and Piha before, they were pretty good. The first time I went my friend caught, the next time I went I didn't. I think the second time was mostly my fault. I passed on two pigs I should have found and shot. I'm bummed that the deer seem to be on all the ranches on maui, it would be fun to go over there hunting. I went to Lanai with another Waianae local, Guzy, and had great luck, two deer right off. I can't wait to get back over there.
Thanks for the info,
Greg
Makena Golf course get CHOKE deer and pig, in fact they have a regular game exterminator THEY PAY to kill the nuisance deer and pigs. Drive the road between Wailea and LaParouse Bay more so at night but even in daytime you see uku piles of deer on mauka side of Hwy. I almost hit 2 does at 1:30 in the afternoon right across from the Grand Wailea Hotel as they ran across the road right in front of me. Experts say my 2010 there will be 20,000 deer on Maui and from what I see I believe them. I've walked the ranchland between Kula and Kihei and I saw so many deer I know it's only a matter of time before the habitat can't support anymore deer and they start dying off from starvation and disease which is a shame when a quick death by lead injection followed by a barbeque would be a more humane way to go.
I made some goat the other day. I got two large bags of dried California Chiles, Garlic, Bayleaves, Ginger, Walnuts, salt, pepper and Coriander.
I boiled the Chiles with Garlic till the dried chiles where soft then I blended it together and put it back in the pot to boil. I then added the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer for a while and adjusted things to taste once it was about right I watered it down and added the goat cut into chunks and boiled it down for about 3 hours. Serve wth some white rice or as is. It came out Ono!
This goat came out real good. I ended up running it through the meat grinder. Took off as much of the gristle and fat that I could (because I heard once that that is where most of the odor comes from. Added some garlic, hawaiian chili pepper and oregano. I also added pork fat from a previous pig but might have put too much. I then made caseless sausages and froze them.
They are pretty darn good, although I needed much more chili pepper. Definitly gonna be a big part of breakfasts for a while.
Just make some chili pepper water!
like 10 of those small little hawaiian chiles
2tsp white vinegar
2-3 whole garlic cloves
two chunks of ginger
little bit salt
2 cups of water
put all the stuff together and pour boiling water over it. Put it in a grolsch bottle and pour it on the patty!
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