Niihau

[Glass eye]

Have you ever hunted hogs on Niihau and what was it like?
It's on my wish list, in part because it's the only island I havn't been to, and also the fact that the pigs are pure polynesian (or at least as pure as you're going to find). I've killed plenty of javelina but I've never killed a hog, but killing some black and white pig that looks like a farm animal doesn't trip my trigger. I'd like to do pig hunt on Mauna Kea also.

 

[Uncle Ji]

I have a VHS tape from a hunting show I taped over 10 years ago highlighting Ni'ihau hunting for sheep and pigs, the pigs were on the smaller side and black & white. I have another tape of fishing Ni'ihau and in one footage shows a wild black & white pig walking along the shoreline. Ni'ihau is the second smallest Hawaiian Island with low hills so no real physical barriers to isolate the polynesian pig population from the introduced European domestic breeds first introduced by visiting British explorers as gifts to the various Ali'i (chiefs) over 200 years ago. If you want closer to pure Polynesian strain pigs i'd recommend hunting the high slopes above 4000' of Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii or Haleakala on Maui. The vast size and elevation of these 2 islands allow isolation of populations with the Polynesian pigs with their 1000 year head start populating even the highest elevations with the introduced ferals being found lower as a rule. The lower rain forest slopes have a mixture with domestic blood pigs being quite common. I highly doubt Ni'ihau would have a purer strain of Polynesian pigs than any of the other islands.

Here's Lucy my pet Polynesian Pig I caught at the 7000' elevation of Haleakala, notice the long snout, long fur coat, solid black color, and she has a straight tail brushy tail.

Here's a sounder of lower elevation wild pigs obviously with domestic bloodlines this taken at Kaupo, Maui.

 

[Glass eye]

Thanks Uncle Ji for the reply. That is very enlightening information, that's not the way Niihau Safari's web site advertizes their pig hunts. They claim that because the island has been isolated and off limits that the pigs are virtually the same as when Capt. Cook first arrived. "Hog Wash"
I have seen colored pigs up high on Haleakala above the "Ball Park" at Poli Poli.
I read an article that DOFAW put out that claims that some pure strains still exist high on the slopes of Mauna Kea and parts of Kauai. I assume that the "parts of Kauai" would be along Na Pali. I wonder how many pigs are left on Mauna Kea with all the erradication they've done there.
If anyone else has some input on where to find the polynesian pig I'd like to hear it.

Thanks

 

[EvBouret]

I have seen quite a few hogs in the Na Pali that I would think were almost pure polynesian, but I'm sure there's some domestic blood in there. Theres quite a few spotted or light colored hogs in there though, so I would assume there's crossbreeding going on. Kokee might have pure strains.

 

[Uncle Ji]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Glass eye @ Jul 10 2006, 07:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Thanks Uncle Ji for the reply. That is very enlightening information, that's not the way Niihau Safari's web site advertizes their pig hunts. They claim that because the island has been isolated and off limits that the pigs are virtually the same as when Capt. Cook first arrived. "Hog Wash"
I have seen colored pigs up high on Haleakala above the "Ball Park" at Poli Poli.
I read an article that DOFAW put out that claims that some pure strains still exist high on the slopes of Mauna Kea and parts of Kauai. I assume that the "parts of Kauai" would be along Na Pali. I wonder how many pigs are left on Mauna Kea with all the erradication they've done there.
If anyone else has some input on where to find the polynesian pig I'd like to hear it.

Thanks[/b]

Ni'ihau is isolated as far as PEOPLE are concerned because it's a soley privately owned island with only native Hawaiians permited (off limits to non-Hawaiians) to inhabit this island for most it's history so this island does have the highest percentage of native Hawaiian PEOPLE but this rule did not apply to livestock and game thus the high populations of feral sheep, goat, and pigs. I'm sure they have some pure black pigs but seriously doubt their claims of pure Polynesian strains.. The more pure the Polynesian pigs are the smaller they are with a female over 125 lbs. and a male over 250 being rare. If bigger you know they have some domestic feral blood mixed in somewhere. All the biggest pigs i've ever shot were not black but gray, or white with black spots, and all in the lower elevation mango forest. My neighbor shot a 400+ lb. boar that was pure red. I found these feral mixed pigs actually to be better tasting and moister due to their genetically higher fat percentage.

Hmm, I live at the bottom of Polipoli (Waipoli) Rd. so the "Ballpark" is just right up the hill from me. I've been hunting the "Ballpark" area for 20 years but have never seen any pigs up there other than pure black though i'm sure with the influx of domestic bloodlines working their way up the hill it's not surprising to hear you've seen a few B&Ws. I found my Lucy wandering the dirt 4x4 road just below Polipoli Springs State Park. Recently just about 100 yards below the hunter check-in station I came around a turn at just about dusk and there in the middle of the road stood a magnificent easy 300 lb. pure black boar with beautiful cutters, and no I did not have a gun. Below my house in the Hawaiian Homelands a pure black pig is rather rare with reds, and white with black spots the dominant color strains. No matter what colors the pigs have been they have all been feisty with the few charges i've experianced coming from the ferals.

The irradication on Mauna Kea has been concentrated mainly on the wild sheep, and with the pigs being mainly nocternal and prefering cover during the daylight the pressure on pigs has been very negligable. Check some of Doccherry's earlier posts on hunting Laupahoehoe Forest Reserve and you'll see what I mean. Laupahoehoe and Piha Forest Reserves were my favorite places to hunt when I lived on the Big Island 20+ years ago, and what i'm hearing from Doccherry it sounds like the hunting has only improved.

 

[DaMatRat]

My Father was born/raised on the westside of Kaua'i and most of all my family is still there.
Several years I had an oppurtunity to visit Niihau but for whatever reason never went.
I too would love to hunt on the 'Forbidden' island.

Check out the link below.

Niihau Safaris

 

[Nic Barca]

I highly doubt that Ni'ihau, or anywhere in Hawaii for that matter has any pure bread polynesian boar. And all the pigs in the wild are likely already crossed with recent introductions. The only place that might still have is deep in the forests of the big island where the europeans and domestics might not have made it yet. Otherwise, they are allready mixed in most places. High on the slopes of mauna kea and mouna loa you might still find pigs resembling those of polynesian ancestry, even if they aren't pure breed.