Went up to Mauna Kea the other day, over on the dry northwest slopes, late in the afternoon. Lots of low-hanging, misty clouds that evaporated or moved on right before sunset. Saw a band of 3 large Mouflon rams 50 yards from the road. Got out and stalked them for almost an hour but couldn't find them. Drove up the Hunter's Road for another mile and stopped to glass a grassy open hillside dotted here and there with bushes that look sorta like pinions or large manzanita. Saw two very large boars sauntering through the thigh-high brown grass and settle down in the shade of a bush. Hiked up toward them, with the bush in sight at all times, wind in my face, and creeped up to within 20 yards. If the pigs had skee-daddled, I would have seen them clearly. I didn't see a thing. I walked up to the bush with my rifle held outstretched and off safety and took a look. There was a jumble of fallen branches in the grass that looked like a large rat's nest like you'd see in Southern CA, maybe 8 or 9 feet in diameter and a couple of feet high, just the natural collection of deadfalls from the bush. The pigs had to be in there. I backed off and threw in some hefty lava rocks in but nothing happened. I could really smell the pigs. I backed away 50 yards and hunkered behind another bush, wind in my face, and waited. 1/2 an hour later, still no pigs.
I hiked back to the truck and called it a day. The temp had fallen into the low 50's and a chill wind was blowing up the mountain and the low clouds had floated back in.
Last night my wife and I were eating carnitas that I made from the ham of a boar I shot a month or so ago. Low and behold, there was quite a bit of #6 birdshot in our meal. The little rascal had taken a load at close range but ran off to fight another day. Wonder if the bird hunter had been acting in self-defense, protecting his dog, or simply wanted in inflict pain in something.
This Sunday AM will drive back 12 or 13 miles on the Hunter's Road, hike down to the hidden waterholes, and try for another hog. Should be a nice pig in the backpack on the hike back to the truck. Will post photos if successful. Also, need to go back to the jungles of Laupahoehoe in the next month or so before the vegetation gets so thick that it's like hunting in a bowl of salad.
In the summer, the rains start and some of my best hunting areas are overgrown or the grass gets too high to see short-legged animals such as pigs. But by then the ono, ahi, mahimahi, and smaller tuna are close in and I'll start fishing more. Also, the water calms down, with some days being as still as a lake and water temps around 81 or 82, so I'll take the inflatable or kayak back along some remote stretches of coastline and dive for opihi, which looks and tastes like a mini-abalone.
That's all for now. Aloha and good luck with your hunting on the mainland.
I hiked back to the truck and called it a day. The temp had fallen into the low 50's and a chill wind was blowing up the mountain and the low clouds had floated back in.
Last night my wife and I were eating carnitas that I made from the ham of a boar I shot a month or so ago. Low and behold, there was quite a bit of #6 birdshot in our meal. The little rascal had taken a load at close range but ran off to fight another day. Wonder if the bird hunter had been acting in self-defense, protecting his dog, or simply wanted in inflict pain in something.
This Sunday AM will drive back 12 or 13 miles on the Hunter's Road, hike down to the hidden waterholes, and try for another hog. Should be a nice pig in the backpack on the hike back to the truck. Will post photos if successful. Also, need to go back to the jungles of Laupahoehoe in the next month or so before the vegetation gets so thick that it's like hunting in a bowl of salad.
In the summer, the rains start and some of my best hunting areas are overgrown or the grass gets too high to see short-legged animals such as pigs. But by then the ono, ahi, mahimahi, and smaller tuna are close in and I'll start fishing more. Also, the water calms down, with some days being as still as a lake and water temps around 81 or 82, so I'll take the inflatable or kayak back along some remote stretches of coastline and dive for opihi, which looks and tastes like a mini-abalone.
That's all for now. Aloha and good luck with your hunting on the mainland.
