Keahiakawelo - Garden of the Gods
Axis deer buck arrowed off Kaena Road just below Keahiakawelo - Garden of the Gods, Lana'i City, Lanai island, Hawaii.
I first bowhunted on the island of Lana'i in 1985, the rookie amongst veterans over for a weekend jaunt. An archery tournament and awards banquet took place on Saturday, followed by the public axis deer hunt on Sunday. Bunked in the old plantation barracks, the excursion had the flavor of a time gone by.
Sunday morning I passed up a doe at twenty-yards, determined to hold out for a buck. Twenty years later now and but a dozen hard-earned axis deer in total I've certainly learned the folly of that approach. Good shots at any game animal can be tough to get on Lana'i, and rarely is it a cakewalk. Countless bowhunters depart Lanai with empty coolers; many get shutout, some having passed on chances at lesser game. Besides, axis deer have beautiful hides and the meat is 2nd-to-none.
My next trip to the former "Pineapple Island" was in 1987. Having rented a jeep, I pitched a tent on the beach at Manele Bay. That shoreline now comprises the ocean frontage for a luxury resort - the result of the islands economic shift from pineapple to tourism. Another even more luxurious hotel, the "Lodge at Koele", abuts the tall tree line behind quaint Lana'i City. The surrounding golf course used to be bowhunting terra-firma, however the adjoining forest remains an archery zone. It wouldn’t surprise me if someday a golfer's divot uproots a rusted arrowhead.
By my third day, this novice deer hunter showed signs of frustration. Traipsing after these jitterbugs only resulted in shrilling barks and bush rustling departures. Nevertheless, the foothills reflected a majestic quality as the late day sun turned the green to gold.
The first time I met Steve Gelakoski was not the first time he met me. I had spent the mid-afternoon hunting an isolated tract encompassed by a small gulch. A super set-up, I worked the edge and then hunted across the tree line. Poking out the other side, I was surprised to see a jeep across the gulch. I vigorously waved at the camo-clad guy, as it appeared he hadn’t seen me. He motioned me to come back over. Crossing the gulch, I felt jazz with anticipation of meeting a fellow bowhunter.
Steve was not initially pleased to meet me. Not only did I just trample his secret spot, but also I bungled it for him on the two previous evenings. Thank God that I didn’t sport a spotted hide, or I’d have been "camp meat" for sure. Let bygones be bygones, soon we were rambling off to a place called "Last Bench".
A slightly inclined plateau, this throwaway pineapple field melds into an ironwood hillside. Old roads and rows dissect this mile-wide expanse, and the prevailing breeze comes down the mountain. Steve headed left and I went right. At least this way I couldn’t ruin his sunset hunt. After hunting until dark, I returned to the jeep without even glimpsing a deer. When Steve said he saw about twenty-five deer, I was amazed. When I saw his dandy buck, I was astonished! That was his eighth axis deer taken with a bow and arrow, a count that now totals about three hundred.
An awesome bird hunter, Steve's a natural quick-draw McGraw. He's been a sponsored test pilot with Rocky Mountain Barrie Archery Broadheads for many years. A long time finger-shooter, about one third of his game was taken with a recurve bow. I've seen him arrow fowl at forty-five yards, although he usually sneaks in for a clean kill.
Desperate, I pleaded with my new mentor for help. The next evening he guided me up an overgrown road at Last Bench. Heavy gray clouds cast shadows over the land. The waist to head-high foliage made for ideal still-hunting conditions. We paused at a hedgerow and patiently listened. A few minutes later, two mid-size axis bucks thrashed the brush with their antlers just five yards away...! We tried for a simultaneous double-whammy which never quite culminated; however, an eye-to-eye impression remains etched in my memory. The following evening I bagged my first axis deer in similar fashion - from point-blank range under fading daylight. In fact, I took my first four deer in this same field, all within a hundred-yard radius.
Archery permits to hunt private land on Lanai are $100 purchased from Pūlama Lāna‘i. Valid from July 1st through June 30th, the tag offers unlimited deer. Some of the archery areas lie within walking distance of town, with other zones near the main roads. Axis bucks will be in various stages of antler development throughout the year, however most are polished by early summer. At dusk, the drawn-out husky bellow from the "big boy" reverberates through the mist-laden evergreens.
My inner voice said to veer right. A small ravine forking to the side seemed to beckon me. As I tried to skirt some shrubs, I couldn't have made much more noise. Dry wood crackled as it broke underfoot. Protruding twigs snapped and popped like a bowl of Rice Krispies. At last, I wedged through and stepped forward... You never know when that perfect shot will present itself, but if it does, it's likely when you least expect it.
Nose to the turf, the trophy buck seemed engrossed as he slowly emerged from behind the hale koa thicket. Two deer facing down the ravine never got the clue. The velvet antlers appeared luminous in the afternoon light as the fully exposed buck stood broadside on the opposite bank. It was hard not to look at his wineglass rack as I steadied for the twenty-yard shot... The island of Lanai has shipwreck beaches, elegant retreats, and a laid-back pace of life. The air is cool and the pineapple sweet. For a slice of Hawaiian style where the bowhuntin's cheap, Lanai could be just the ticket.
Keahiakawelo - Garden of the Gods
Axis deer buck arrowed off Kaena Road just below Keahiakawelo - Garden of the Gods, Lana'i City, Lanai island, Hawaii.
I first bowhunted on the island of Lana'i in 1985, the rookie amongst veterans over for a weekend jaunt. An archery tournament and awards banquet took place on Saturday, followed by the public axis deer hunt on Sunday. Bunked in the old plantation barracks, the excursion had the flavor of a time gone by.
Sunday morning I passed up a doe at twenty-yards, determined to hold out for a buck. Twenty years later now and but a dozen hard-earned axis deer in total I've certainly learned the folly of that approach. Good shots at any game animal can be tough to get on Lana'i, and rarely is it a cakewalk. Countless bowhunters depart Lanai with empty coolers; many get shutout, some having passed on chances at lesser game. Besides, axis deer have beautiful hides and the meat is 2nd-to-none.
My next trip to the former "Pineapple Island" was in 1987. Having rented a jeep, I pitched a tent on the beach at Manele Bay. That shoreline now comprises the ocean frontage for a luxury resort - the result of the islands economic shift from pineapple to tourism. Another even more luxurious hotel, the "Lodge at Koele", abuts the tall tree line behind quaint Lana'i City. The surrounding golf course used to be bowhunting terra-firma, however the adjoining forest remains an archery zone. It wouldn’t surprise me if someday a golfer's divot uproots a rusted arrowhead.
By my third day, this novice deer hunter showed signs of frustration. Traipsing after these jitterbugs only resulted in shrilling barks and bush rustling departures. Nevertheless, the foothills reflected a majestic quality as the late day sun turned the green to gold.
The first time I met Steve Gelakoski was not the first time he met me. I had spent the mid-afternoon hunting an isolated tract encompassed by a small gulch. A super set-up, I worked the edge and then hunted across the tree line. Poking out the other side, I was surprised to see a jeep across the gulch. I vigorously waved at the camo-clad guy, as it appeared he hadn’t seen me. He motioned me to come back over. Crossing the gulch, I felt jazz with anticipation of meeting a fellow bowhunter.
Steve was not initially pleased to meet me. Not only did I just trample his secret spot, but also I bungled it for him on the two previous evenings. Thank God that I didn’t sport a spotted hide, or I’d have been "camp meat" for sure. Let bygones be bygones, soon we were rambling off to a place called "Last Bench".
A slightly inclined plateau, this throwaway pineapple field melds into an ironwood hillside. Old roads and rows dissect this mile-wide expanse, and the prevailing breeze comes down the mountain. Steve headed left and I went right. At least this way I couldn’t ruin his sunset hunt. After hunting until dark, I returned to the jeep without even glimpsing a deer. When Steve said he saw about twenty-five deer, I was amazed. When I saw his dandy buck, I was astonished! That was his eighth axis deer taken with a bow and arrow, a count that now totals about three hundred.
An awesome bird hunter, Steve's a natural quick-draw McGraw. He's been a sponsored test pilot with Rocky Mountain Barrie Archery Broadheads for many years. A long time finger-shooter, about one third of his game was taken with a recurve bow. I've seen him arrow fowl at forty-five yards, although he usually sneaks in for a clean kill.
Desperate, I pleaded with my new mentor for help. The next evening he guided me up an overgrown road at Last Bench. Heavy gray clouds cast shadows over the land. The waist to head-high foliage made for ideal still-hunting conditions. We paused at a hedgerow and patiently listened. A few minutes later, two mid-size axis bucks thrashed the brush with their antlers just five yards away...! We tried for a simultaneous double-whammy which never quite culminated; however, an eye-to-eye impression remains etched in my memory. The following evening I bagged my first axis deer in similar fashion - from point-blank range under fading daylight. In fact, I took my first four deer in this same field, all within a hundred-yard radius.
Archery permits to hunt private land on Lanai are $100 purchased from Pūlama Lāna‘i. Valid from July 1st through June 30th, the tag offers unlimited deer. Some of the archery areas lie within walking distance of town, with other zones near the main roads. Axis bucks will be in various stages of antler development throughout the year, however most are polished by early summer. At dusk, the drawn-out husky bellow from the "big boy" reverberates through the mist-laden evergreens.
My inner voice said to veer right. A small ravine forking to the side seemed to beckon me. As I tried to skirt some shrubs, I couldn't have made much more noise. Dry wood crackled as it broke underfoot. Protruding twigs snapped and popped like a bowl of Rice Krispies. At last, I wedged through and stepped forward... You never know when that perfect shot will present itself, but if it does, it's likely when you least expect it.
Nose to the turf, the trophy buck seemed engrossed as he slowly emerged from behind the hale koa thicket. Two deer facing down the ravine never got the clue. The velvet antlers appeared luminous in the afternoon light as the fully exposed buck stood broadside on the opposite bank. It was hard not to look at his wineglass rack as I steadied for the twenty-yard shot... The island of Lanai has shipwreck beaches, elegant retreats, and a laid-back pace of life. The air is cool and the pineapple sweet. For a slice of Hawaiian style where the bowhuntin's cheap, Lanai could be just the ticket.