There’s a lot more to game bird hunting than pulling the trigger of a shotgun, as explained by hunter Maka Medeiros. Getting the right dogs and training them makes a big difference. Photo courtesy of Maka Medeiros

With his two German short-hair pointers in training, Maka Medeiros has been planning for a long time for the game bird hunting season that opens Nov. 1 on Maui.

He and his puppy, Bonnie, have even gone through test trials with the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association in Mallard, Missouri.

“You do a lot of walking with your dogs as a sport,” Medeiros said. “The good thing is going out there with your dog.”

The dogs have a natural instinct to point at roosting game birds in the brush and trees, giving hunters time to distinguish the birds’ markings to tell if they’re on the hunting list.

“We emphasize making sure you know what you’re shooting and then press the trigger,” he said.

Migratory ducks and geese are not on the list as chances are the ducks and geese are native and listed as a protective species. Harassing or killing an endangered species can carry hefty penalties, but all of the birds on the hunting list were introduced after the arrival of westerners.

The preparation for the hunt began more than a year ago when Medeiros and family members voluntarily raised pheasants and partridge chicks, and worked with the state to release them into the wild to increase the stock of game birds.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources provides a hunting list of game birds on Maui, including the Green Pheasant and Chukar Partridge. State DLNR photo

Medeiros said he learned to hunt game birds at an early age from his father, John. He and other family members are helping to carry on the tradition.

“We have younger ones learning; it’s just for the love of the sport,” he said.

The state has an online list of the game birds allowed for hunting in Maui County, and hunters are required to have a hunting license and game bird stamp, which are available at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/hunting/.

Hunting on Maui generally occurs in certain public and private areas, including Unit C of the Kula Forest Reserve, Unit F of the Kahakuloa Game Management Area and the West Maui Forest Reserve.

The weapon of choice for many hunters is usually a 20-gauge or 12-gauge shotgun with lead pellets.

In cooking the birds, one challenge is removing all the pellets, as well as having the right recipe.

Medeiros said he cleans and then cooks the bird by soaking it in Zinhados, a vinegar-soy sauce recipe similar to adobo. He said his wife appreciates his cooking.

“That’s as long as I keep the feathers outside the house,” he said.