NAWILIWILI — In other states, the hunters donate meat, said Terri Goo, vice president of the Koke‘e Pig Hunting Tournament. “We wanted to give some of the meat from the tournament, but state regulations prevent us from doing that, so
NAWILIWILI — In other states, the hunters donate meat, said Terri Goo, vice president of the Koke‘e Pig Hunting Tournament.
“We wanted to give some of the meat from the tournament, but state regulations prevent us from doing that, so we hope this helps,” Goo said.
Goo was joined by the tournament’s president, Ed Taniguchi III, and secretary, Kahelelani Visitacion, as they dropped off two cartons of canned goods, yesterday, that was contributed by hunters to the Kaua‘i Food Bank.
Additionally, Goo’s son Keiki presented James Hughes of the Kaua‘i Food Bank with an envelope containing $100.
The collection of 125 pounds of food was done during the organization’s tournament in November.
James Ornellas and Keola Picerno took top honors in that hunt, placing first and second overall, respectively. But beyond the placements, Ornellas’ 145-pound boar netted “Longest Tusk” honors with a 2-inch length.
Picerno’s 97-pound sow was the heaviest sow in the tournament that featured 121 hunters trying their luck in the Koke‘e hunting grounds.
“Next year, we’re going to add a women’s category since there were several women at this year’s tournament,” Goo said. “Normally, we try to limit the field to 125 hunters.”
She stressed that the Koke‘e Pig Hunting Tournament group is one of the few groups that adhere strictly to the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources’ hunting policies and regulations.
“We’re not some yee-hah group,” Goo said. “We’re the only group in the state that allow only licensed hunters who have an understanding of all the DLNR hunting rules.”
Goo said the Koke‘e hunters also have the distinction of being approved by the state DLNR.
In addition to Ornellas and Picerno, Shaun Grace submitted a 78-pound sow for third place honors, a tie with Terry Rosare who ended the outing with a 78-pound boar boasting an inch-long set of tusks. Jason Bagain rounded out the leaderboard with a 73-pound sow for fifth place.
The Koke‘e Pig Hunting Tournament celebrated its sixth annual tournament last month, and Goo is already looking forward to next year’s tournament which she said is scheduled for the first weekend in November.
