Showing posts with label Hawaii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hawaii. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Hunting Hawaii
Driving up the slope of Mauna Kea, with Mauna Loa in the distance.
The Kohala Coast is to the right in the photo, obscured by the fog.
The view from the first hunt location. Rams were constantly calling in the distance and a lone black ewe was just to the right of the field, hidden behind a tree. Glen crept down the slope towards her, but she spooked and bolted when a flock of turkeys started gobbling. What are the odds?
This is an archery-only area, with the exception of shotguns for bird hunting.
We did see three different groups of turkeys, but I could not identify any toms before they ducked down and made a run for it. These are truly wild turkeys, not like the farm turkeys. Considering that it was the last week of spring gobbler season, we were extremely lucky to even spot them.
Around noon, I spotted a group of six sheep from the truck. Of course they bolted - down the hill - and apparently when wild sheep spook, they don't stop running for several miles. We quickly drove back down the path in an attempt to cut them off. Glen hiked the area for about an hour but they had veered south, and that was the last we would see of them.
Prime wild sheep country, at about 7500 feet (and up!)
The second and final turkey sighting came around 1 pm, at 8000 ft, when I spotted two red faces peaking above the grass. They would duck down for a minute, then pop up again, probably trying to see if I was carrying a gun.
By the time I had loaded up and focused my binoculars on the flock, they decided it was time to get out of there. Running turkeys are not much slower than wild sheep when they actually try, and the last we saw of the flock was a dozen skinny necks streaking through the grass, up the hill and out of sight. I spent several hours hiking the area and heard a few gobbles in the distance, but I was out of luck. Well, at least in bagging a wild one. I used my turkey tags on two nice farm toms when I got home.
We drove home on Saddle Road, the road that runs between the two mountains. Just after passing the Pohakuloa Training Area, Glen suddenly pulled over and handed me a pair of binoculars.
This is where all the wild sheep hide:
Owned by Hawaiian Homelands, this is a restricted area that does not allow hunting. Several thousand wild sheep live here year-round and rarely venture out. When the PTA opens the bordering regions for one weekend of sheep hunting, hunters line up at the gates beginning at 2 am.
If you look closely, you'll see sheep covering both hills all the way to the top. We watched for an hour as the sea of sheep wound from behind the far hill to our close right. The group was an even mix of feral Hawaiian sheep and hybrids, Mouflon crosses that are almost twice as large as the ferals. I hear they are very tasty...
Maybe next time PTA opens up, I'll be at the front of the line at midnight, waiting for my chance to bag a wild sheep.
The Kohala Coast is to the right in the photo, obscured by the fog.
The view from the first hunt location. Rams were constantly calling in the distance and a lone black ewe was just to the right of the field, hidden behind a tree. Glen crept down the slope towards her, but she spooked and bolted when a flock of turkeys started gobbling. What are the odds?
This is an archery-only area, with the exception of shotguns for bird hunting.
We did see three different groups of turkeys, but I could not identify any toms before they ducked down and made a run for it. These are truly wild turkeys, not like the farm turkeys. Considering that it was the last week of spring gobbler season, we were extremely lucky to even spot them.
Around noon, I spotted a group of six sheep from the truck. Of course they bolted - down the hill - and apparently when wild sheep spook, they don't stop running for several miles. We quickly drove back down the path in an attempt to cut them off. Glen hiked the area for about an hour but they had veered south, and that was the last we would see of them.
Prime wild sheep country, at about 7500 feet (and up!)
The second and final turkey sighting came around 1 pm, at 8000 ft, when I spotted two red faces peaking above the grass. They would duck down for a minute, then pop up again, probably trying to see if I was carrying a gun.
By the time I had loaded up and focused my binoculars on the flock, they decided it was time to get out of there. Running turkeys are not much slower than wild sheep when they actually try, and the last we saw of the flock was a dozen skinny necks streaking through the grass, up the hill and out of sight. I spent several hours hiking the area and heard a few gobbles in the distance, but I was out of luck. Well, at least in bagging a wild one. I used my turkey tags on two nice farm toms when I got home.
We drove home on Saddle Road, the road that runs between the two mountains. Just after passing the Pohakuloa Training Area, Glen suddenly pulled over and handed me a pair of binoculars.
This is where all the wild sheep hide:
Owned by Hawaiian Homelands, this is a restricted area that does not allow hunting. Several thousand wild sheep live here year-round and rarely venture out. When the PTA opens the bordering regions for one weekend of sheep hunting, hunters line up at the gates beginning at 2 am.
If you look closely, you'll see sheep covering both hills all the way to the top. We watched for an hour as the sea of sheep wound from behind the far hill to our close right. The group was an even mix of feral Hawaiian sheep and hybrids, Mouflon crosses that are almost twice as large as the ferals. I hear they are very tasty...
Maybe next time PTA opens up, I'll be at the front of the line at midnight, waiting for my chance to bag a wild sheep.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
More!!!
Sure enough, Celeste and Truffles both kidded right at 4 pm yesterday. The fourth baby pen went from zero to ten in just 5 hours!
I think that's 29 now. Probably a few more will join us tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Banana Cream Pie
Fortunately, amidst all the goat care and milking I still have time to cook occasionally. And what better dessert to make than banana cream pie? Especially when made from fresh bananas grown on the farm. I've always enjoyed bananas well enough, but there's something special about the ones here in Hawaii; they're more flavorful and somehow lack that sappy "grocery store" flavor.
I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe, in which a brown-sugar vanilla custard is spooned into the crust, then topped with bananas and sour cream enriched whipped cream. The crust was the buttery, crumbly tart dough from her book.
I learned one very important thing on Sunday - banana cream pie makes for an awesome breakfast!
I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe, in which a brown-sugar vanilla custard is spooned into the crust, then topped with bananas and sour cream enriched whipped cream. The crust was the buttery, crumbly tart dough from her book.
I learned one very important thing on Sunday - banana cream pie makes for an awesome breakfast!
Monday, March 26, 2012
More babies!
The baby count as of right now? 25!
First, Buckshot had triplets (2 boys, 1 girl) right around noon today. We had just finished taking care of her and the babies and I finally was sitting down to eat lunch when Jimmy yelled out "Bandit has triplets!". Huh? Truffles and Celeste were in the barn being monitored, but Bandit wasn't due for a couple days and was still out in the other pasture. At this point we thought it was a joke because babies have been popping out left and right and the last thing we wanted was a doe kidding out in the shed while the rain was blowing sideways. But there she was with three dry babies, one already standing. We dragged her through the rain up to the barn and bundled the babies in towels and fed them bottles of Bandit's milk. The girl is a puny little thing - only half the size of the other two.
Tonight I'll be hand-milking six does (all the does are milked by hand for the first 4 days after kidding) and bottle-feeding 25 baby goats. Maybe even more if Celeste has hers this evening!
Why are all the pretty ones boys?
Batman! Jazz's baby boy.
If only he stayed this small, he'd be guaranteed a seat on the plane in May!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Baby Count!
Sixteen and counting!
This afternoon, two does kidded - one with twins (boy/girl) and one with a single boy (the first single in a while). Another kidded yesterday, and another the day before...
And kidding season has just begun!
I think we still have a dozen does due in the next couple weeks.
This afternoon, two does kidded - one with twins (boy/girl) and one with a single boy (the first single in a while). Another kidded yesterday, and another the day before...
And kidding season has just begun!
I think we still have a dozen does due in the next couple weeks.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Scenes from the farm
Turkeys and goats - the two most prevalent animals on the farm. Except these turkeys aren't pets - they're wild. Spring turkey season is open and I just bought my HI hunting license. Tommy better watch his back....
Every single mammal and gamebird species on this island was brought in (with the exception of the Hawaiian hoary bat), which has led to quite an interesting array of animals: feral goats, sheep, mouflon, donkeys and pigs, turkeys, pheasants, quail, francolins, mongoose and more. And unfortunately these non-native mammals are destroying native habitat and leading to the extinction of hundreds of native plant species.
But they sure are tasty! I hope to do my part in saving Hawaii's wilderness while I'm here ... one pig and sheep at a time. I'll let you know how it works out!
Geckos and anoles are also very common, and do a good job keeping down the fruit fly population. They also eat my bananas when I'm not looking.
Avocados aplenty - and papaya, bananas, guava, and citrus. The massive avocado tree on the farm drops a dozen or two every day. Nobody leaves here without a sack full, whether or not they want them.
Jazz, a "Snubian".
I'm gradually learning all the goats' names (yes, all one hundred have names), but it's a long, slow process!
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