Favorite living in Hawaii Stories (Honolulu, Kihei: camping, dangerous, store)

[Jungjohann]

Everyone who's lived here for a few years must have at least one, if not a dozen, stories which are unique to Hawaii, and more than likely couldn't take place on the mainland. Seeing as luau and kalua pork has just been brought up, here's a story from 1976.....Already posted on Mauiniuolelo
I was fortunate enough to be adopted by the Akina family when I moved here as a young guy. Uncle Willie Akina decided to start having luaus on his property in Kihei, and sell tickets for the event. So I'm elected to accompany Kahale and Kaiwe down to Spencers pig farm mauka of Sudas Store in north Kihei to pick up the pig for the luau. Spencer already has the pig hogtied, we get it into the back of an old pickup truck, with me in the back of the truck. I'm to keep the rope tight, and keep my feet on the pig, so it can't break loose. Kahale and Kaiwe decide to stop at Azekas Store and get some beer. They're inside the store, the pig, an easy 200 pounds, and sensing it's impending doom, starts going lolonui, crazy, breaks loose, gets out of the back of the truck, and is semi-running around the parking lot. So here's one pig going nuts, trying to shake off the ropes, and two Hawaiians and one Haole trying to catch the peed off porker. We finally get it back into the truck, and up to Uncle Willies to slaughter it. Kahales daughter, Meilani, about 9 years old at the time, insists that her dad can't kill that pig. Anyways, that pig lived to a ripe old age, and we had to go back to Spencers and get a pig that was already butchered. Only in Hawaii......

Aloha and okolemaluna

[kani-lehua]

got to tell you, you got some unreal stories. lol.

i was told by my realtor in hilo that another agent adopted a feral piglet up at mauna loa estates. it is a half breed--half wild and half domesticated. anyway, the little thing was so darned cute that she kept it and is still raising it. took it to the vet recently and it now ways over 500lbs. no imu (underground oven) for this guy. it's now a beloved pet.

[cynmkolohe]

Speaking of pigs...we ended up with about 6 little piglets running through our back yard earlier this year...It was cute until they were a few hundred pounds and I turned around one day to find one right behind me when I was weeding around the ti trees in my back yard.

I called Forestry to see what could be done. The person I spoke with gave me the number of someone who could bring a trap to set up in the yard. Local guy with his son, about 6 (?), stopped by one day and set the trap and filled it with mac nuts. He came by every few days after work and replaced the nuts with more nuts or papaya. Once we figured out when they were coming into the yard, we let him know. One day when I was at work, my SO called, very sad, and told me that the man and a few friends had come by and trapped the pigs. I still don't understand how exactly it all worked out.

But they didn't ask for any payment...just the pigs. Again, I didn't ask. This was a bit difficult for my SO, who witnessed the event, as he is an animal lover. But we were very greatful for their assistance and willingness to help! And I've seen no pigs since then in our area.

[kani-lehua]

like you said, they're cute when they're babies. but, what do you do when they turn into a BIG BABY? yikes!

my SO grew up on a dairy (o'ahu) and had a PET BULL?! says that he was the most gentle creature?! i don't believe a word of that. wants to get a pot belly. i hear that those can get pretty heavy, too?!

[Jungjohann]

Friend of mine had a 38' sailboat on Maui back in the late 70's. We'ld get some folks together, charter the boat and sail to Lanai, camp at Manele Bay for a few days. There were public restrooms, showers, BBQ pits there, pretty nice, don't even know if camping is allowed there any longer. We've been there a day or so, staying up really late at night, some guys had camped way down from us, were on Lanai for a turkey hunt. They weren't having much success. Around sunrise, on the day we were going to sail back to Maui, I'm in my sleeping bag, half moi moi, look up, and here's the turkey hunters, all dressed in camouflaged stuff, bow and arrows at the ready, heading out. I kind of drift back to sleep, hear some wierd sounds, there's about 15 turkeys cruising up the beach, about 5 minutes behind the fearless turkey hunters, wonder who was hunting who??????

Aloha and okolemaluna

[TedH71]

Tell your SO that once pigs roam loose, they turn feral and ruin landscape and are bringing in avian malaria and other diseases that are killing off the endangered birds in Hawaii. I hunt feral pigs in Texas and those hogs are very dangerous. They can stab, bite, slash with their tusks. They kill dogs regularly and have bitten off fingers, broken hands, etc. They are not domesticated like the Babe the pig in that movie. That pig was very tame. Most pigs are not like Babe and it would be to your SO's benefit to realize this. Best of luck.

[cynmkolohe]

Windward Oahu Fishermen Catch Feral Pig - Video - KITV Honolulu

Speaking of pigs!! Hawaii was briefly on CNN.com's main page this afternoon...See the video by clicking above. There is a commercial first, but it's worth watching to the end of the clip!!

"I thought he was saying 'fish, fish'....."

Only in Hawaii!

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by TedH71

Tell your SO that once pigs roam loose, they turn feral and ruin landscape and are bringing in avian malaria and other diseases that are killing off the endangered birds in Hawaii. I hunt feral pigs in Texas and those hogs are very dangerous. They can stab, bite, slash with their tusks. They kill dogs regularly and have bitten off fingers, broken hands, etc. They are not domesticated like the Babe the pig in that movie. That pig was very tame. Most pigs are not like Babe and it would be to your SO's benefit to realize this. Best of luck.

is it possible for the avian flu to cross species?

will agree with you though, that they are very destructive. the forests are suffering and the somebody hired hunters from new zealand to help control the feral population on moloka'i. the local hunters aren't too happy.

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by cynmkolohe

Windward Oahu Fishermen Catch Feral Pig - Video - KITV Honolulu

Speaking of pigs!! Hawaii was briefly on CNN.com's main page this afternoon...See the video by clicking above. There is a commercial first, but it's worth watching to the end of the clip!!

"I thought he was saying 'fish, fish'....."

Only in Hawaii!

that was great!

[Nativehayan]

Aloha everyone, This is my first time posting here, but what got my attention is jungjohann :>). I remember those good old time your speaking about.
I have a question for jungjohann, do you still live in Hawaii or on Maui? 2nd and last question is I saw something posted that you have or someone had written a book? Any how Kids fighting and no can think now. I will come back at a later time.
Mahalo for all you stories.

Aloha,
Meilani