Hey guys,

I'm looking into doing a Axis / sheep hunt on Lanai with my dad and a friend or two.  I've never been to Lanai, but most of the pics of downed game appear to be in rather open area.  This leads me to believe that game are roaming open areas and glassing / spot and stalk may be the way to go.  My previous hunting experience is Whitetail and hogs in the South and East US where we used tree stands. 

Anyone have any info on the deer / sheep movement throughout the day?  What hunting strategy has given you the most shots?

My current plan is to get on higher ground, glass game movement, and move to intercept as much as wind permits.  How do you guys do it?

Coming from Oahu, my time in the field will be very limited with little to no scouting time.

Thanks 

I've got a friend from there. He was telling me about when he goes home they just keep a rifle in the truck and blast em when they see em. This is likely private land though.

I'd be curious to hear what works for hunters over there.  Good luck man, that meat is ONO!!

If its anything like molokai, boy, you gonna be in for a shocker.  Lol. 

If it's a morning hunt stay down wind and wait till sun up then walk.  Afternoon sit in the truck with the a/c on and wait if thetes nothing go home and try in the morning .....oh wait no that's Molokai lol

If its anything like molokai, boy, you gonna be in for a shocker.  Lol.

How so?

Don't seem to be much rules/laws.

Are you going with a guide or someone from there that will take you? It's starting to go into wet season so the game animals probably heading back into their "pockets" or secret spots.  A guide should know where to find them. So would local friends.

Can't wait for hunting season.  I just mailed our tags and the waiting begins for us to see what day(s) is our hunt on Lanai.

Don't seem to be much rules/laws.

Are you going with a guide or someone from there that will take you? It's starting to go into wet season so the game animals probably heading back into their "pockets" or secret spots.  A guide should know where to find them. So would local friends.

No guide or local help. I always considered hunting to be me vs game.  I like to make my own decisions in the field.  If I make the wrong move that day, only fair that the game win.  Just gonna go off gut instinct and past experience as a guide.  However, I do believe that doing some research and gathering intel of the game / area is important.

My coworker just got back from a group hunt in Lanai.  I'm thinking of going with them next season.

Anyways, they said that they basically walked and stalked with glassing here and there.  That you have to be ready and you typically only have a couple of seconds (maybe realistically 3-5) once you sight the sheep to get a shot on them.  Apparently the area they were hunting is in pretty wide open and the animals were already quite wary at that point in the season and they often saw them coming. 

Not sure if that's how it is in all of Lanai, but from other stories that I heard, its not that far off.  It's not quite what I envisioned after watching hunts on The Outdoor Channel. 

Go a day early if you can. If you're unfamiliar with the island, that's the best advice I can give. If you do get there a day early, go straight to the DLNR office in Lanai City and get your tags. Then hit the range (outside Lanai City, on the way to Manele) and sight in. Then spend the rest of day checking out the different areas.There's 2 Units, but they cover about half of the island. Drive around and get familiar with the island. Decide on a plan and what areas you want to hunt beforehand. You don't want to be driving around in the dark at 6:00 am not knowing where to go. Plus a lot of guys will be out there too so don't just pick one spot, come up with numerous ones in case someone gets there before you do. If you need food supplies, go to the stores before 7:00 pm because by the time they open the next day you should be out in the field already.

Find a spot with good visibility. If at all possible, my brother and I will sit facing opposite directions and he'll cover 180 degrees and I'll cover the other 180 degrees. Wait, glass, and hope you see something. Assume the game can see better than you can and keep movement to a minimum. Once someone fires a shot within a mile of you, the game scatters and that area is done for at least a few hours. So make your shot count. When they scatter, they run until they're over the horizon. So other hunting groups are continually pushing the game towards each other all day long. So be patient, you never know when a herd might be coming your way. Around mid-day the game is bedding down. So eat lunch, go back to town, or take a nap in field. Start hunting again around 3:00 or 4:00. And most importantly, have fun. They lower your expectations are, the more fun you'll have.

Expect to see lots of deer and no mouflon in mouflon season, and lots of mouflon and no deer in deer season. 

Go a day early if you can. If you're unfamiliar with the island, that's the best advice I can give. If you do get there a day early, go straight to the DLNR office in Lanai City and get your tags. Then hit the range (outside Lanai City, on the way to Manele) and sight in. Then spend the rest of day checking out the different areas.There's 2 Units, but they cover about half of the island. Drive around and get familiar with the island. Decide on a plan and what areas you want to hunt beforehand. You don't want to be driving around in the dark at 6:00 am not knowing where to go. Plus a lot of guys will be out there too so don't just pick one spot, come up with numerous ones in case someone gets there before you do. If you need food supplies, go to the stores before 7:00 pm because by the time they open the next day you should be out in the field already.

Find a spot with good visibility. If at all possible, my brother and I will sit facing opposite directions and he'll cover 180 degrees and I'll cover the other 180 degrees. Wait, glass, and hope you see something. Assume the game can see better than you can and keep movement to a minimum. Once someone fires a shot within a mile of you, the game scatters and that area is done for at least a few hours. So make your shot count. When they scatter, they run until they're over the horizon. So other hunting groups are continually pushing the game towards each other all day long. So be patient, you never know when a herd might be coming your way. Around mid-day the game is bedding down. So eat lunch, go back to town, or take a nap in field. Start hunting again around 3:00 or 4:00. And most importantly, have fun. They lower your expectations are, the more fun you'll have.

Expect to see lots of deer and no mouflon in mouflon season, and lots of mouflon and no deer in deer season. 

This is Spot On.

Thanks for the detailed info rkba 

This is Spot On.

+2 main thing is keep movement to a minimum, get good glass, a good field of view and be patient. when i first started hunting axis i made the mistake of climbing over a ridge, glassing quick thinking oh nothing here and then moving on, only to be barked at and miss a herd in the bushes, and watch them all run off as i scramble to set up for a shot. They blend in really well and you may not see them initially but give them minutes and theyll move and you spot them. youre only shot at getting a good shot at them is spotting them first when theyre calm and grazing. first thing in the morning is best too as theyre easier to pick out before the sun comes up. if they spot you and bark and scatter youre done they will run forever. also when planning a stalk glass all around you and be concious of other deer in the area. ive been busted plenty of times when bowhunting where im putting on a stalk and a deer from way off somewhere that i never even thought was there barked at me spooking my target and they all scatter. good luck.