Aloha! When most people think of Hawaii they think of beautiful beaches, tanned skin, pineapples and chocolate covered macadamia nuts. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll find that Hawaii is a dream come true for an outdoor enthusiast. Hawaii has year round hunting for mouflon sheep, feral sheep, goats, wild boar, black tail deer, and my favorite, axis deer. In addition to big game, we also have over a dozen upland game birds and wild turkey. That’s just the game on land. In the ocean, where I find myself most of the time, you can chase fish with a fishing pole, a bow, or you can go man versus fish in their element with a spear; my personal favorite way to harvest from the sea.

Growing up on the Big Island of Hawaii made becoming a steward of the outside world inevitable. My father instilled the love of being outside, the importance of where your food comes from, and also the passion to preserve the magic of the outdoors for our future generations. As far back as I can remember, my father would either put a bow or a spear in my hand and a smile would quickly show. I have been lucky enough to chase mule deer and elk in Colorado, chase dog tooth tuna and coral trout in Fiji, but the place I love the most is my home, my back yard. If I’m not at the fire station, you can find me either getting my gill’s wet trying to catch dinner for the boys at the station or my family at home; or you will find me in my camouflage with my bow in tow trying to sneak up close to some game animal.

I hope to convey my hunts and spearfishing adventures through my stories in a way that’ll make you feel as if you were there with me from preparation, to stalk, to harvest, and to dinner. I believe the ultimate way to show respect to our prey is to prepare it with love for our family and friends. So follow the fun #jleestories.

Connect with J. Lee
Instagram: @bigisleboy24

 

Articles Contributed by J. Lee
Hunting Axis Deer in Maui, Hawaii
Early Mornings on the Coast: Spearfishing in Hawaii