DIY Hawaii axis deer hunt

[Thecrickethunter]

nice animals. you arent camping right? didn't sound like it but just wanted to be sure. the beach park only recently opened to lanai residents for camping (still wont let you camp if hunting even if you are from lanai; no 'weapons' allowed) and anyone camping anywhere else will get cited. That'd suck if that's what you were planning on.

No no, I recall having been told that about the beach. Thats an important note that others will appreciate im sure none the less. we didn't get our original place. Had to settle for an expensive one but luckily one of the folks going has a friend that's got us covered for truck/freezer. This is a hard hunt to plan.

 

[Sconan]

No no, I recall having been told that about the beach. Thats an important note that others will appreciate im sure none the less. we didn't get our original place. Had to settle for an expensive one but luckily one of the folks going has a friend that's got us covered for truck/freezer. This is a hard hunt to plan.

Haha Yes so many logistics, I’m pulling my hair out, and getting stressed that I may have forgotten one of the multitude of reservations. Most of the reservations are just in someone’s paper planner so I don’t get an email confirmation or anything just have to remember who I talked to and what they promised.


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[Bugoofus]

Haha Yes so many logistics, I’m pulling my hair out, and getting stressed that I may have forgotten one of the multitude of reservations. Most of the reservations are just in someone’s paper planner so I don’t get an email confirmation or anything just have to remember who I talked to and what they promised.


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Howdy all - I drew a rifle tag for August and after several days of trying to figure the housing and transportation found this site. Thanks for all the input here as it will help in the hunt!
Sconan - would you be willing to share in what you found regarding housing and truck? [email protected]

 

[Sconan]

Howdy all - I drew a rifle tag for August and after several days of trying to figure the housing and transportation found this site. Thanks for all the input here as it will help in the hunt!
Sconan - would you be willing to share in what you found regarding housing and truck? [email protected]

Absolutely I’ll email you what I got tonight, I booked really early though so not sure if they would still be available


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[Deerkilr]

Drew an October rifle permit for Lanai this year. I found a guy that lives in Lanai on Instagram that is actually setting up a Toyota Tacoma that he is renting out with the main goal of hunting. His Instagram handle for the truck rental is @kainalu_rentals. I actually found him by watching YouTube videos to try and prep for my axis hunt. His channel on YouTube is "Alan Amby" if you're looking for videos to get a feel for the terrain out there.

 

[krolelov]

Hey everyone! This is an amazing thread and the reason for me to register on this website. This resource is great. Used it many times but never provided my input. I will trying to fix it from now on.

I am going to Lanai for State hunt in September. I confirm that logistics on the island is an absolute nightmare. I've been to all other islands except Molokai many times and had no problems booking the lodging or renting a car. On Lanai almost everything needs to be arranged via phone/email. Booking a place to stay is very difficult. This has to be the first thing to take care of when planning a trip here. Another thing I got so far is you have to have a 4wd vehicle to get around the island. While it a nice to have feature on the other islands, here it is a must. It will be expensive and you need to make sure the rental company lets you take it offroad.

I am taking the whole family to the island - wife and three kids. Here are the main attractions I have found so far to keep them entertained: Cat sanctuary, Koloiki Ridge Trail, Garden of the Gods. Beaches: Hulopoe Bay - the nicest by Four Seasons; Shipwreck beach - decent snorkeling, not sure how swimming is; Polihua Beach - nice beach to swim/stroll, accessible by 4wd only. Let me know if there is anything else on the island worth visiting.

 

[krolelov]

Now, to the hunting part. Having harvested Mouflon sheep before, I'm mostly focused on the Axis deer. As far as I know you can only find them on private on Maui and Big Island. Some day I will go to Molokai to hunt them on public land. Mouflon on Lanai are closer to the ocean while the deer are further inland. Is this a true statement? My understanding is that there will be quite a few hunters around. Getting away from the roads definitely helps. But this is the case with every hunt in general.

My oldest 10 yo son will be hunting with me. My primary goal is to put him on the deer. I've read that often times the Axis deer are travelling in large groups. The stalk may prove to be quite challenging for the kid. Will we better off just finding a travel route and stay put? Or do you guys mostly spot and stalk them?

It will probably be very hot during the day time in September. The deer must be mostly bedded from 10am to 4 pm. Is it worth hunting them all day, or would you rather be there mornings and evenings?

Please PM with any tips you might have. You help is much appreciated. Mahalo

 

[lose_money]

Now, to the hunting part. Having harvested Mouflon sheep before, I'm mostly focused on the Axis deer. As far as I know you can only find them on private on Maui and Big Island. Some day I will go to Molokai to hunt them on public land. Mouflon on Lanai are closer to the ocean while the deer are further inland. Is this a true statement? My understanding is that there will be quite a few hunters around. Getting away from the roads definitely helps. But this is the case with every hunt in general.

My oldest 10 yo son will be hunting with me. My primary goal is to put him on the deer. I've read that often times the Axis deer are travelling in large groups. The stalk may prove to be quite challenging for the kid. Will we better off just finding a travel route and stay put? Or do you guys mostly spot and stalk them?

It will probably be very hot during the day time in September. The deer must be mostly bedded from 10am to 4 pm. Is it worth hunting them all day, or would you rather be there mornings and evenings?

Please PM with any tips you might have. You help is much appreciated. Mahalo

Just got back from lanai state archery. If you walk and get away from the crowds you can find the big bucks. They are tuff to stalk though, if your lucky they’ll be some wind to cover your sound. They bed around the times you mentioned and are much harder to spot. Usually under the Kiawe trees

 

[krolelov]

Just got back from lanai state archery. If you walk and get away from the crowds you can find the big bucks. They are tuff to stalk though, if your lucky they’ll be some wind to cover your sound. They bed around the times you mentioned and are much harder to spot. Usually under the Kiawe trees

Thanks for your response! As far as I know Axis deer are notorious for jumping the string. I hope your trip was successful. I will be hunting with a rifle. From Youtube it seems that it is very doable to get to the deer for a 150-200 yards shot. Would you agree?
Did you see a lot of hunters or is it fairly easy to get away from the crowds?

 

[lose_money]

Thanks for your response! As far as I know Axis deer are notorious for jumping the string. I hope your trip was successful. I will be hunting with a rifle. From Youtube it seems that it is very doable to get to the deer for a 150-200 yards shot. Would you agree?
Did you see a lot of hunters or is it fairly easy to get away from the crowds?

Yea during archery getting 150-200 is very doable. It’s seems when it switches to rifle the deer become even more wary though. I’ve had deer spoke from stepping on a branch 200+ yards away if there’s no wind.

Yea I was able to get a pretty decent buck! Luckily I live an island away so I get to go often. Going back for rifle as well

 

[krolelov]

Yea during archery getting 150-200 is very doable. It’s seems when it switches to rifle the deer become even more wary though. I’ve had deer spoke from stepping on a branch 200+ yards away if there’s no wind.

Yea I was able to get a pretty decent buck! Luckily I live an island away so I get to go often. Going back for rifle as wellView attachment 420929

Amazing buck! Congrats!
Wow, even 200 yards may not be enough... Definitely wanted to be under that distance for my son.
I seriously envy that you live over there. Most likely you have animals to hunt year round. Now I never head to Hawaii for a vacation without my rifle. Hopefully some day I will settle there too.

 

[lose_money]

Amazing buck! Congrats!
Wow, even 200 yards may not be enough... Definitely wanted to be under that distance for my son.
I seriously envy that you live over there. Most likely you have animals to hunt year round. Now I never head to Hawaii for a vacation without my rifle. Hopefully some day I will settle there too.

Thanks man! Yea we went for the eradication hunt in the state area couple months ago and the deer were super wary when we were rifle hunting. You’ll be able to get 200 though if you hunt like your archery hunting.

That’s funny you say that cause me and my buddy sometime wish we lived in the states so we could hunt different game like elk and mule deer more but then we realize that we hunt pretty much every week and that’s a plus for sure


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[krolelov]

Thanks man! Yea we went for the eradication hunt in the state area couple months ago and the deer were super wary when we were rifle hunting. You’ll be able to get 200 though if you hunt like your archery hunting.

That’s funny you say that cause me and my buddy sometime wish we lived in the states so we could hunt different game like elk and mule deer more but then we realize that we hunt pretty much every week and that’s a plus for sure


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That's good to know. Thanks for the info.
Yeah, you never have to scout. Go hunt right away.
I live in WA. Only black bear hunting is good for my skills level. For good deer or elk hunting I'd have to go out of state anyway. I'd rather be hunting every week and occasionally travel to mainland to hunt deer or elk.

 

[krolelov]

Drew an October rifle permit for Lanai this year. I found a guy that lives in Lanai on Instagram that is actually setting up a Toyota Tacoma that he is renting out with the main goal of hunting. His Instagram handle for the truck rental is @kainalu_rentals. I actually found him by watching YouTube videos to try and prep for my axis hunt. His channel on YouTube is "Alan Amby" if you're looking for videos to get a feel for the terrain out there.

Very good channel. I wish I saw the post about the tacoma rental earlier...

 

[Sconan]

Thanks for the Alan Ambly recommendation, Great channel


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[Sconan]

here is a really nice interesting discussion about axis deer on Maui. Also some crazy footage of herds on the move.


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[gburk]

Thanks for posting. To an outside observer it seemed all participants in the conversation were seeking a solution in good faith unlike what you’d find on the mainland, where anti hunting sentiment runs strong.

I wonder if Covid restrictions had a significant impact on harvest over the past two years? Surprised it wasn’t mentioned.

 

[krolelov]

A few questions regarding the rifle state hunt.

Per regulations, youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult (18 years of age or older) who also
possesses a valid 2021-22 or 2022-23 State of Hawaiʻi hunting license. Does it mean that if I take my son and I see a deer at a distance not comfortable for the kid to shoot, I cannot take a crack at it because I am not supposed to be hunting while being with a minor in the field? Or another possible scenario. The kid takes a shot at a deer. Other deer the did not immediately bolt and present an opportunity for a shot. Can I take that shot?

They don't want non-hunters to be in the field at all. That is pretty clear for the hunting days Wed-Sun. Are hunter allowed to scout Units 1 and 2 on non hunting days Mon-Tue?

 

[bojangles808]

A few questions regarding the rifle state hunt.

Per regulations, youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult (18 years of age or older) who also
possesses a valid 2021-22 or 2022-23 State of Hawaiʻi hunting license. Does it mean that if I take my son and I see a deer at a distance not comfortable for the kid to shoot, I cannot take a crack at it because I am not supposed to be hunting while being with a minor in the field? Or another possible scenario. The kid takes a shot at a deer. Other deer the did not immediately bolt and present an opportunity for a shot. Can I take that shot?

They don't want non-hunters to be in the field at all. That is pretty clear for the hunting days Wed-Sun. Are hunter allowed to scout Units 1 and 2 on non hunting days Mon-Tue?

"Per regulations, youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult (18 years of age or older) who also
possesses a valid 2021-22 or 2022-23 State of Hawaiʻi hunting license. Does it mean that if I take my son and I see a deer at a distance not comfortable for the kid to shoot, I cannot take a crack at it because I am not supposed to be hunting while being with a minor in the field? "
no you cannot shoot only the person with the tag is supposed to shoot. did you not apply and only your kid? you both will need a 22-23 license too bc the new licenses start july 1st.

Or another possible scenario. The kid takes a shot at a deer. Other deer the did not immediately bolt and present an opportunity for a shot. Can I take that shot?

this is probably one of those legal vs ethical questions but only the tagholder is supposed to be doing the shooting. if only your kid applied you should have put your kid in for the youth hunt he could have gotten first crack of the rifle hunters couple weeks ago.

They don't want non-hunters to be in the field at all. That is pretty clear for the hunting days Wed-Sun.
Correc you cannot party hunt like you can typically in the West. You can only be in the field on hunting days if you have tags and licenses.
Are hunter allowed to scout Units 1 and 2 on non hunting days Mon-Tue?
you can scout whenever you want as long as it's not a hunting day (mon-tues would be the only ok days)


Reading your other posts i think you are overthinking it. walk around anywhere in the units and you will find game trails and scat. theres sign everywhere. there's not a magic zone to be or elevation or anything like that, the game could literally be anywhere depending on a variety of factors. you can scout monday and tuesday but who knows once the gunshots start flying weds morning. there's roads to most areas too and lots of hunters so the game just gets pushed around. its pretty much mortal kombat style hunting (rifle isnt as bad as archery though ; ). just because you are parked at the end of a road doesn;t mean someone else won;t get out with 3 of their buddies right on top of you. it can be a bit of a shetshow so be flexible with a plan a b c d and e. hunt the pressure and always be prepared for something to get pushed to you. with a 10 year old in that heat and terrain sit and wait would probably be best.

 

[krolelov]

"Per regulations, youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult (18 years of age or older) who also
possesses a valid 2021-22 or 2022-23 State of Hawaiʻi hunting license. Does it mean that if I take my son and I see a deer at a distance not comfortable for the kid to shoot, I cannot take a crack at it because I am not supposed to be hunting while being with a minor in the field? "
no you cannot shoot only the person with the tag is supposed to shoot. did you not apply and only your kid? you both will need a 22-23 license too bc the new licenses start july 1st.

Or another possible scenario. The kid takes a shot at a deer. Other deer the did not immediately bolt and present an opportunity for a shot. Can I take that shot?

this is probably one of those legal vs ethical questions but only the tagholder is supposed to be doing the shooting. if only your kid applied you should have put your kid in for the youth hunt he could have gotten first crack of the rifle hunters couple weeks ago.

They don't want non-hunters to be in the field at all. That is pretty clear for the hunting days Wed-Sun.
Correc you cannot party hunt like you can typically in the West. You can only be in the field on hunting days if you have tags and licenses.
Are hunter allowed to scout Units 1 and 2 on non hunting days Mon-Tue?
you can scout whenever you want as long as it's not a hunting day (mon-tues would be the only ok days)


Reading your other posts i think you are overthinking it. walk around anywhere in the units and you will find game trails and scat. theres sign everywhere. there's not a magic zone to be or elevation or anything like that, the game could literally be anywhere depending on a variety of factors. you can scout monday and tuesday but who knows once the gunshots start flying weds morning. there's roads to most areas too and lots of hunters so the game just gets pushed around. its pretty much mortal kombat style hunting (rifle isnt as bad as archery though ; ). just because you are parked at the end of a road doesn;t mean someone else won;t get out with 3 of their buddies right on top of you. it can be a bit of a shetshow so be flexible with a plan a b c d and e. hunt the pressure and always be prepared for something to get pushed to you. with a 10 year old in that heat and terrain sit and wait would probably be best.

Thanks for your response. Much appreciated.

We'll both have tags. There won't be any legality questions even in theory. We'll share a rifle. The way I read the regs we can't be hunting at the same time. I really hope I'm wrong. It feels wrong.

Good to know the scouting can be done Mon-Tue. Good point that the game is pushed around quite a bit so the scouting might not be as helpful at it traditionally is. But it might help Wed morning.

Definitely marking many waypoints in my onX to have plan A-Z

If I find some good spots scouting we will probably sit Wed morning at least. Thanks for your tips!