Big Island freezer filler - shots of sheep
 

Here's a few shots from this weekend's action. I went to visit some Big Island friends and top off the freezer with some meat. The horns look nice too. Another shooter took a cull ewe with a broken leg. We also got a 70# sow from some rough country above Kawaihae. She had 1/2" to 1" of fat under her skin.


I busted the ram with my back-up rifle, .270 130gr at 150-155yds.

Good goin! how does a wild ram taste?

Oddly, it has a milder taste than store bought mutton. The wool can be funky when they're rutting. Ice the meat as soon as can, and it'll be good.

I used to shoot sheep and goats over towards Kaena Point at the land owned my the Naval Magazine at Lualualei. Only active duty Navy and Marine guys could hunt there but we could almost always get 2 or 3. I kept a Ruger M77 in .243 on the island. Sold it there when I left. Hawaii has some surprisingly good hunting.

What kind of temps do you have there? Summer and winter temps? I assume that elevation makes a huge difference.

Good going, nothing like getting the freezer topped off with some good meat.

Elevation plays a huge role.

The elevations were 3,500-5,000ft, I think. The summer temps are high 80s up there. The fog and drizzle cools things off so temps in the hi-60s/low 70s is common.


Where I hunt Sprint turkey, there's frost on the ground in hollows and in deep grass until 8am or so.

That's interesting. Everyone associates HI with being tropical. But it's pretty diverse. Do you have deciduous trees that change color in the fall in the higher elevations?

Look up snow skiiing or boarding on the big island

Temperatures atop Mauna Kea during the winter months range from about 25 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (-4 to 4 Celsius), though the high altitude as well as windy conditions can make it seem much colder. During the summer months the temperatures may range from 30 to 60 degrees F (0 to 15 C).

So think of all you can do in a few days there, offshore fishing, jungle hikes to water falls, snowboarding, and the hunting. Go from tropical weather to cold in just a drive.