Hunting Skyline Trail

Anyone goat hunt Skyline Trail. Was thinking about exploring the area, heard a guy could get into some goats up there. Hunted lowest end (Poli Poli) a bit but no goats.

It is possible to get dropped off and then hunt your way down Skyline into Polipoli. Only problem is right now, Skyline and Polipoli are closed due to storm damage in mid-Jan. It is hoped that the park will reopen by the end of June. When it does open, if you do that hunt, you have to remember that everything to the left of the road as you decend is under management by Kahikinui Game and Land Management Ohana and you cannot hunt that side without membership in KGLMO and registering your hunt with them. On the right side of the road, if you drop off the ridgeline too soon, you will be in private land belonging to Erewon Ranch. If you go about a mile and a half or so down the trail before hooking a right, you will be above #5 and the Upper Waiakoa Trail. There are goats there, but you will do a lot of walking in rough, brutal rocky terrain before you get down to them. The vegetation line starts around 8800' and the goats will be below that. The advantage is that if you time it right, you will have the thermals rising towards you as you drop which is a major plus if you are bowhunting.

Final concern is transporting weapons though Haleakala Nat'l Park. You must get a permit first or you will be violating federal regs, subject to arrest and confiscation of your firearms/archery equipment. I just to spoke to Sarah Creachbaum who is the Haleakala Nat'l Park Superintendant about this very subject last week. She verified the regs and emailed me about it the other day. To get a permit, you need to call the Chief Park Ranger Jamie Mar at 572-4435. He can take some info over the phone and fax or mail you a permit.

If you'd like to know more about Polipoli, send me a pm and I'll help you out.