Hawaii wide open need advice.

[9 Mile Archer]

Haven’t made any plans yet.  But.... My wife 4year old daughter and I are planning to go to Hawaii sometime in the next 6-8 weeks.  Talking over dinner tonight she said that maybe I should plan on hunting for a day or 2 during the trip (in the words of Shawn Leonard) OOOOOOHHHHHHHHH YEEAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!             So with the following stipulations I am looking for advice.
1. Hunting will be secondary to the vacation.
2. I can pay for access to private land and or a guide, but will have limited days to hunt
3. Any Island will work as long as it is beautiful(oh yeah it's Hawaii)
I would like recommendations or advice
And sorry but my wife doesn’t have any available sisters so don’t ask                
Thanks,

[BTH]

#1 thing to do is get letter of exemption straightened out. They require a letter of expemption in place of the hawaiian hunters safety card. This letter can take some time to get!  
I've been to Molokai and the hunting is good there. A guide on Molokai named on Walter Naki comes highly recommended. He not only does bowhunting (Molokai has a pretty active archery club) but also diving and fishing trips. Heck, all the islands have pretty good hunting but it can be tough, steep, and hard to get close.

check this link...  http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dcre/know.htm  

and google hawaii hunting. There are tradgangers on Oahu and Maui that I seen around the board as well!

[9 Mile Archer]

Thanks, I have been searching the site for past post's and quickly got on to the safety card issue.  I will need to get a hunters safety card from here in MT first    . Oh well looks like I got to give a call to FWP of Montana in the morning and find the soonest course to take.  Thanks for the guide info I will search Naki out and start looking for flights and lodging on Molokai and Hawaii (the big Island) I saw a previous post and it looked like the kona area also has good hunting.

[ROB TAYLOR]

Andrew,
Drop me a PM with phone contact info if you want....I got good guidance here previously and can help you short cut some of this stuff.
-Rob

[702plmo]

Check w/your DNR and see if they have hunters ed on line.   Some states have it.

[Danny Rowan]

Sooo, Hawaii does not honor other states Hunter Safety Cards???

Danny

[Doug Campbell]

Andrew,

I'll second Walter Niki, he's a good guy. I hunted with him a few years ago. Check out the article/story forum. We're in the process of planning another trip to HI probably this April. Hope to see you this weekend and hear what you've got figured out so far.

Doug

[Steve H.]

Another thumbs up for Walter.  Kona is good but I have been on private with a local when I went.

[Kevin Bahr]

Doug, save some critters from me.  We are going in June, I think.
Danny, Hawaii does honor other states HUNTER ed cards, but NOT BOWhunter ed.
You would be better off getting the exemption form.

[Kevin Bahr]

HA!  I meant save some critters FOR me.  My shooting sometimes saves them FROM me...LOL!  Chase is really looking forward to hunting this time there as well.

[Forester]

Keep us posted with your progress and preparations please.   I might be able to use some of the info also.

Kevin,  When will you be there in June?  What location?

[Kevin Bahr]

Duane, we are TRYING to go the first or second week of June, or both.  If I could get my vacation time squared away at work it would sure ease my mind so we could get plane tix purchased, etc.  
We are going back to Moloka'i, hunting with Walter Naki.  Chase will be doing some diving with him as well.

[9 Mile Archer]

Well, after some effort I have my Hunters Ed card in hand.  I was planning to drive an hour south each night for 4 days and sit in a class room with 12 year olds from 6-9 then drive home.  Luckly a friend from when I was a guide needed his card too.  He is friends with a HE instructor.  To make a long story short the three of us met for one study session and under FWP's approval did the rest as home study.  We took the test with the 12 year olds and both of us passed with 100%.  I spoke with my friend and he is Turkey Hunting (shotty) on the Big Island on Parker Ranch.  He is close friends with one of the guides, that fact and speaking with the lead guide has made me lean towards Parker Ranch also.  The ranch isn't cheap to hunt but it is 160,000 acres and reviews of Patrick Fisher the lead guide are all positive.  I don't know if I stated this, I am a virgin tradbow guy (well at least with big game)so I will need all the advantage I can get.  If anyone has a different opinion of Patrick please let me know, I have not yet booked with him but I am getting close.  He said if I hunted for 2 days as I have planed to do, it is possible we could get chances at Goat, Sheep and Pigs. It sounds like a great opportuunity to me, and a good way to get some practice for my upcoming bear hunt.  Thanks for all the advice so far.  Doug sorry I missed you at TBM event, family came up and I had to cancel.

[JC]

Andrew, you taking a certain special new takedown with you?

Boy, you be sure to take good care of a wife like that. A valentine's bow and now suggesting you hunt while your in Hawaii? You married up didn't ya bro?  

[Doug Campbell]

Don't know about the Parker Ranch Andrew but I do know there is some huge ranches and lots of critters on the big island. Not to mention lots of volcanos, incredible ocean fishing....  

I'm planning a couple days with Walter and hopefully some brush time on Oahu too. Got my exemption letter a couple days ago, no biggie. Just a little over a month to go....

Kevin, I'll see if we can get something tied up for ya but it might be pretty skinny timeyou get there    Bet Chase is chomping at the bit, that diving would be a blast also!!

Oh yea Andrew the Montana Bowhunters Assoc is having it's annual gathering in Butte the weekend of the 9th - 11th in a couple weeks. Karen and I are planning to be there. Fred Eickler (sp?) is the featured speaker, should be worth the trip just the catch his show.

JC... "You married up didn't ya bro?" That's the case with most of us isn't it?  

[Greyfox54]

Going to Kauai in a few weeks with long time friend who has a time share there , we will be hunting pigs and goats , really want to get a goat , I sent a copy of my hunter ed. card and in less than 3 weeks got the excemption letter back . never been there it should be a hoot , best of luck to you all who are going , Fred

[9 Mile Archer]

That lady of mine is a peach for sure.  As for the new bow I am hoping that it gets back in time for me to build a close relationship with it.  If not it will be a trip for the Borders to go on.  Doug,  Hawaii does have some really nice places, Parker Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the USA.  Yeah the fishing can be really good in Hawaii, but I am not a big fan of the Huge Marlin thing, I would rather spend my money fishing Mexico, or Salmon up where you son in law does it.  Heck now that I think of it, maybe we ought to do a bear salmon trip with him  :D    :D   I will try my best to make the MBA event.  As far as marrying up, sometimes life is just good.  Kinda like moving to Montana Doug   .

[Forester]

Well it sounds like everyone is planning a good time.Good luck to all.

Kevin - keep at it and I hope you can get both weeks in the schedule/budget.  You are sure giving your son some good times to remember.  I am headed to the Big Island for the third week of June, I'll keep my eyes open in case we pass in the airport.

[Shell]

If I carry your luggage, would you drop me off in Wahiawa on Oahu??? I'm willing to parachute... I won't need a return flight either!!

Hope you have a great time and am dreaming I could visit there right now...
Jerry (Islandlongbow) may also have some good info for hunting...he lives there. Hope I'm not being pushy...just trying to help    

[Kevin Bahr]

Shell, you getting tired of shovelling already?  If I had the time off, I'd stay in the islands for a month and try to hunt as many different spots as I can.  Unfortunately... had to use a bunch of vacation for a moose hunt on Newfoundland in Sept. so we will have to live with what time we have.