START ME UP
Taking aim for fun, exercise and food

The Honolulu Advertiser is featuring a series of "start-up" articles for readers who are interested in learning the rudiments of a popular Island outdoor activity.

The Advertiser has featured, or will feature, instructional stories on swimming, surfing and sailing.

Also in the coming weeks, The Advertiser will begin a series of "sign-up" articles for those interested in joining a social or recreational activity. Stories will include hiking, biking and running/walking.

If you would like to suggest an article, call Brandon Masuoka at 535-2458 or e-mail bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	On the Web: For the previous articles in the Start Me Up and Sign Me Up series, check out: Scuba diving, Nov. 15 Running, Nov. 22 Sailing, Dec. 13 Swimming, Dec. 20

In a sport that attracts nearly 2,000 people annually in Hawai'i, hunting begins with education and hopefully ends with some fresh dinner.

In Hawai'i, beginning hunters must complete a free 12-hour, two-day Hunter Education Program provided by the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The course teaches such subjects as ethics, conservation, firearm safety, outdoor safety, survival first-aid, game care, and rules.

"We want to make them responsible, conservation-minded and safety conscious," said Wendell Kam, state Department of Land and Natural Resources Hunter Education Program coordinator. "That's our mission in the program."

In Hawai'i, the Hunter Education Program has certified about 35,000 people since its inception in 1979, Kam said. Annually, the program certifies just under 2,000 people, he said.

While the program is geared toward hunters, Kam said many non-hunters take the course to learn about wildlife, safety and conservation.

Kam said the majority of hunters are conservation-minded and they obey the seasonal hunting restrictions. Each year, scientific data determines whether or not the state can open a hunting season based on the population size of the animal, Kam said.

"You just can't go out there and shoot whatever you want to shoot," he said. "There is a separate season and definite species."

In Hawai'i, depending on the season, hunters can bag certain types of pig, deer, sheep, goat, and upland birds. Hunters pursue introduced species and not native species, Kam said.

There are several hunting styles and each style has a different season. Some people hunt with dogs and a knife, others use a bow and arrow, and some use firearms.

"Most of the hunters go out there to supplement their diets," said Wendell Kam, of the hunter education programs. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

As for common hunting misconceptions, Kam said the term "trophy hunting" is overblown.

"Most of the hunters go out there to supplement their diets," Kam said. "Game meat is known to be much healthier."

Another misconception is that hunting is easy, Kam said.

"We still call it hunting," he said. "We don't call it shopping. Most of the people that hunt have gone years before they actually harvested anything."

Pascual Dabis, the president of the Pig Hunters Association of O'ahu, said the majority of the wild pigs he catches are turned into smoked meat.

"In some instances, they make kalua pig, lau lau and pork sausage," Dabis said. "We try not to waste."

Dabis, who works with DLNR to limit the wild pig population near the O'ahu Country Club and Red Hill quarry area, said pig hunting is the most popular on O'ahu, followed by goat and bird hunting.

Dabis, 72, said hunting has kept him healthy and active after retirement.

"Since I'm a senior citizen, I prefer to call it 'exercise' or 'hiking' until I catch something," Dabis said. "Then I'll consider it hunting."

Added Kam: "You gotta be in shape. Our hunters walk a lot. It's not an extreme sport, but whatever is in 'second place,' hunting is right there."

IF YOU GO

• Beginning hunters must pass the free Hunter Education Program provided by the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources. Upon completion, people are awarded a certificate that allows them to purchase a $20 hunting license.
• Every time hunters purchase equipment or ammunition, a portion of the money goes toward wildlife conservation and hunter education classes through the federal Pittman-Robertson Act. Money from the Pittman-Robertson Act has been used to revitalize the populations of native animals such as the 'alala, or Hawaiian crow.
• Hunters are required by state law to possess a hunting license regardless on whether they are hunting on public or private land.
• Nationwide, out of 250 million people, about 20 million people hunt, according to Wendell Kam, state Department of Land and Natural Resources Hunter Education Program coordinator. Wyoming and Montana have two of the highest hunting populations at 35 percent. A little more than 1 percent of the population in Hawai'i hunts.
• To register for the Hunter Education Program, call the state's Hunter Education Office at 587-0200.
• For more information, check out these Web sites: www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw, or www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dcre.