The bow hunting and rifle season ends when you want it to end. It’s as simple as that. Some like the finality of closing day after a long season. Soon after they can rest, plan for the next fall and get after some of the chores we neglected during go time.

However there are those of us that absolutely loathe it. We can’t fathom not hunting for the next eight months. We pace, we get the nervous sweats, our spouses want to stick a sharpened pencil through our ear. To put it mildly, we’re a pain in the ass to be around in the offseason. No amount of e-scouting or shed hunting will cure us. Once you’ve tasted blood, the wine is just too thin.

Luckily there’s a cure for the obsessed.

There are some states and countries that take pity on our poor souls. Places that let your drive and ambition determine how long you’ll spend in the field, not regulations. If there were a heaven on earth, these places would be it.

I’ve gone over how to take advantage of New Zealand’s amazing year-round hunting in previous blog articles. Here are some links in case you missed them:

DIY Bow Hunting New Zealand - Part 1: Pre-Plan an Unguided Hunt

DIY Bow Hunting in New Zealand - Part 2: Equipment List

DIY Hunting New Zealand - An American Bowhunter's Post Mortem

New Zealand can be a pretty committed hunt. How about we stay a little closer, a little cheaper and still in the good ‘ol US of A?

Hawaii

Hula skirts, luaus and roasting pigs on a beach right? For us hunters, at least one of those is correct. Take the pig, add in some goat and a few sheep and now we’re talking. Hawaii has a long history of hunting. The origins of the animals you will be chasing is still debated, they were originally brought over to by either Captain Cook or the Polynesians before him. Either way they are now firmly planted in the Hawaiin culture and lucky for the rest of us they allow us outsiders to partake in their tradition.

The Big Island of Hawaii to Be More Specific

Almost all the Hawaiian Islands have hunting, but I will concentrate on the Big Island of Hawaii in the article. Why the Big Island you ask? This is a poor man’s guide to expanding your hunting season. It’s meant for those of us that prefer the DIY experience on a budget. This isn’t for those looking for a guide to show them how and where to hunt. This is public land, burning boot leather for the self-sufficient hunter that wants to get the most bang for their buck.

Here is a list of reasons I chose the Big Island:

Flights can be flying into Kona Airport.
Lodging is reasonable.
Car rentals can be obtained.
Tons of public land.
It doesn’t feel touristy.

If you’re a family man like myself, you can’t find a better option in Hawaii than the Big Island. We take the kids, rent a house and car for a month and have at it. Logistics are fairly simple.

If you got a couple of buddies together that want in on the trip, it’s even cheaper. Splitting a house and car is the way to go.

What You’ll Be Hunting

Feral sheep, goat and pig is the name of the game. Mouflon sheep can be found, but aren’t as plentiful and if you’re there during the right time of year, you can hunt turkey as well. They’re here and they’re in abundance. From what I hear the upland hunting is pretty awesome as well, you just need to hit the season right.

For those wanting to hone in their spot and stalk abilities, this is the place for you. Whereas you could spend a whole season chasing elk and only get one shot opportunity, this typically isn’t the case in Big Island. But don’t be fooled, it is still hunting and these animals still don’t like to have a pointy stick shot into them. They will run and they will hide. They certainly can be elusive at times. That being said, it isn’t a high country mule deer hunt either. You should see plenty of animals and get a few good shots in there once you get a feel for things.

For all the details on the hunting seasons and locations and where you’ll find specific species on the Big Island, you can check it out HERE.

Now although there is hunting year-round, you’ll need to know the when, what and how many you can kill in each individual public area. You can almost consider each area as a GMU. What you can hunt in each area can differ. Also, times you can hunt during the week will change from area to area. Some you can only hunt on weekends, some are 7 days a week.

There are areas, like the Puuanahulu Game Management Area, that have OTC tags that are only good for certain times of the year. So although there is hunting year-round on the Big Island, this doesn’t hold true for all public land.

And speaking of public land, there is plenty of it. Here is what you’ll be working with.

You can find this map as well as more detailed maps of the individual hunting areas HERE.

OnxMaps also has all the public land overlayed on their app. At this point, if you’re not using OnxMaps, you probably should be.

What You Need to Do Before You Go

Like any other state, you’ll need a hunting license. The great part about Hawaii is that the license covers all big game hunting except for a few areas and species. Here’s the cost breakdown:

Non-Resident Hunting License: $105

Puuanahulu Game Management Area Non-Resident Sheep & Goat tags: $25/tag

Turkey Non-Resident tags: $20/tag

You will need to get a hunter education letter of exemption form before you can actually get your license. Fill it out online. Not a big deal.

Bring some hunter orange as well. Unless you’re hunting in an archery-only area, you’ll need to wear it.

Camping

Price: Camping: $18/night, Cabins $50-$90/night

Unfortunately, it’s almost non-existent. It’s not like the mainland where you can camp on pretty much all public land. All hope is not lost if this is the direction you want to go however. With a little planning ahead of time you can reserve one of the few camp spots on the island.

You can reserve sites HERE.

I’m trying a couple out on my upcoming trip. I’ll write individual blog articles on them so keep an eye out in the near future.

AirBnB

Price: $40 ish a night for a private room. $50 - $150 a night for an entire house.

Controversial in Hawaii, but there are still plenty of homes available. They can book out fairly quickly, so plan on reserving them a few months out from your trip.

This is a good option if you plan on splitting it with a few friends. If you’re planning on an extended stay, this can be the cheapest way to go. A lot of hosts offer discounts for staying a week as well as a whole month. On the home we reserved for our 2020 stay, we received 37% off for staying the month.

The Hilo side (east) of the island is typically cheaper for lodging. There’s also a hell of a lot more rain than the west coast. The Hilo side feels way less touristy, but still has all the amenities that you’ll need.

Rental Car

Price: $25 - $100 per day

The pricing on this can be absurd. But it’s an island after all, so I guess the supply and demand model I learned back when I was picking boogers in grade school rears its ugly head.

You can get away with a standard size car for most areas you can hunt. But for those of you that will want to dig in deep and get back in there, you’ll probably need a Jeep or something with high clearance. Most spots you can hike in from pavement, but some of the cooler spots require a little bit of offroading.

Besides your standard rental options, check out Turo. It’s like AirBnb for cars. The prices seem comparable to most rental companies, but like AirBnB, the owners often offer hefty discounts for one week or longer rentals.

What to Bring

Depending on how you’re going to be spending your nights will depend on whether you’ll need camping gear or not. Camping certainly adds a little to the complexity as you’ll need to bring a tent or hammock with a rain tarp, sleeping pad, sleeping bag or quilt and all the other things that you’ll typically need for camping. It’s more to bring on the flight, but it also is going to save you some cash.

Here’s a quick list of things you may not have thought about:

An old pair of boots - The lava rock that you’ll be hunting on can tear up a pair of boots faster than a belt sander. Don’t destroy your good backcountry boots hiking around here. Something with decent support is a must as trying to avoid twisting your ankle will be a daily challenge while hopping around the lava rock.
Warm clothing - Not something you might think while hunting a tropical island, but depending on where you decide to hunt, you could be hunting as high up as 10,000 feet. Some of the volcanos exceed 13,000 feet, so take it seriously.
Rain gear - Rainfall is highly dependent on what side of the island you’re hunting. The eastern side receives an average rainfall of 130 inches a year whereas the Kona side is closer to an average rainfall of 18 inches. So if you plan on hunting the eastern side to the middle of the island, expect to see some rain!
Hunter Orange - Unless you’re hunting an archery-only area, you’ll need to wear hunter orange. Even if hunting with a bow.
Snorkeling/Spearfishing gear - I mean, come on, you’re in Hawaii.
Backpack - These are big chunks of public land. There’s no issue spending a full day hunting without heading back to the car. Plan on long day hunts.

This should get you started on your path to broadening your hunting universe. There are options out there to make this a year-round sport, you just got to dig.

I’ll follow this blog up with a few stories while I spend the next month bowhunting in the Big Island of Hawaii. After that, I’ll do a post mortem and fill you in on all the things I forgot in this article and screwed up while on the trip. Stay tuned and follow along on the day by day adventures with me through my Instagram Stories → @fredbohm

// Fred Bohm