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The Process for Bringing Your Bird Dogs to Hawaii – The Journey Within, A Bird Hunter’s Diary

Mark Peterson
|  
  • Mark Peterson

In a previous blog I mentioned that if you, as an upland hunter, wanted to bring your bird dogs to Hawaii, that I would give you some pointers of what we learned from our experience. There are 4 keys:


1. Your local vet can assist in steering you through the regulations.
2. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture has the AQS-279 (Dog & Cat Import Form) available online, along with a checklist that helps you navigate through what you need to do prior to departure and what you need to complete form AQS-279.
3. How to arrange for Direct Airport Release (DAR) upon arrival at one of Hawaii’s airports.
4. Lastly, and most important…check and re-check every step. One thing wrong, or incomplete, will keep your dog in quarantine upon arrival into Hawaii.

Hawaii is free of rabies and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture has set up a program so that the islands remain so. If a person arrives in Hawaii without completing all of the proper steps, your dog or cat will either go into quarantine, at the owner’s expense, for up to 120 days until requirements are met for release or be transported out-of-state at the owner’s expense. There are no exceptions.

Based upon what we learned, you should start the process no less than 4 months prior to entering Hawaii. Here is a summary of our step by step process. You MUST, however, work very closely with your vet as he or she has the current requirements that can be verified online. My information is only a summary of what we did to be successful; I did not cover every detail of every form and process. There are a lot of steps and every detail must be timely followed by you and your vet if you want to successfully bring your upland dog to Hawaii.

MICROCHIP. Your dog needs one that your vet can scan and verify. Your dog will be scanned upon arrival in Hawaii and the scan # must be the same as listed on 100% of your other documentation and tests or the dog will not be allowed entry.

RABIES SHOTS. Your dog has to have a minimum of 2 rabies shots with the original signed certificates dated and verified with your dog’s scan number. The shots must be a minimum of more than 30 days apart. The most recent vaccination must not be more than the booster interval from the previous one and not less than 30 days before the pet’s arrival into Hawaii.

FAVN RABIES ANTIBODY TEST. The blood is drawn by your vet and sent direct to one of three approved US labs. We used Kansas State University (KSU). The blood sample test cannot be more that 36 months prior to your trip or less than 30 days before your arrival in Hawaii. KSU sends the results directly to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. The sample results must be greater or equal to 0.5 IU/ml. Ideally this process is completed 60 or more days prior to your arrival.

AQS-279. This is a three-page document, from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, that you complete online and then make a copy. One form per dog is required. You fill in details about your dog and yourself. You fill in the address of where you are staying in Hawaii and the airport you are arriving into. You complete the fee section, enclose a check, your last 2 signed rabies certificates and send by overnight carrier with a return receipt requested. In your envelope you also need a prepaid return envelope so return documentation can be sent back to you. Make sure your information arrives in plenty of time prior to your arrival in Hawaii. You will have your email and phone number on the AQS-279 if there are questions due to your application not being correctly completed. Upon approval of your AQS-279, you will receive documentation for your arrival in Hawaii.

STATE CERTIFICATE OF VERTERINARY INSPECTION.  Within 7 days of flying, your regular veterinarian must perform a health certificate exam where they will administer an approved flea and tick medicine.  This signed state certificate will also have, among other things, your address, your address in Hawaii, your dog’s health history and the date you are flying.

YOUR AIRLINE.  You need to verify ahead of time that you can fly with your dog.  Tickets must be secured early as the flight information is necessary for much of the paperwork involved.  Your dog must fly in an airline approved kennel.

LANDING IN HONOLULU HAWAII.  Hawaii only has regular inbound dog inspection service, administered by the Department of Agriculture, at Honolulu airport.  If you plan to land there first, learn the details of how to do that and the times the inspection services are open.  You must make an appointment prior to arrival.    We landed on the Big Island of Hawaii at Kona-KOA, so I will detail below what you do to land on one of the other islands.

LANDING IN HAWAII AT AN AIRPORT OTHER THAN HONOLULU. If you land at one of the other islands, you must fill out an application and make an appointment with an approved vet to meet you at the airport. Approved vets are listed in the Department of Agriculture information. Our vet at Kona was most helpful and gave us the details of what we would need when she met us at the airport. We returned all of the information requested and paid the fee online. When we had sent our ASQ-279 to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, we had requested inspection in Kona. As a result, we received a Kona Airport Dog Inspection Permit back from them prior to leaving Michigan. With this permit and our State Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, we met our Kona vet at the airport. She approved the paperwork and took it from us, verified the dog’s ID by scan and completed the inspection of the dog. The vet then sent our paperwork and her inspection report to Department of Agriculture, Animal Quarantine Branch. Our dogs were released and were able to hunt on the Big Island and also transport our dogs between islands.

Bringing your bird dog to Hawaii requires advanced planning and following the rules exactly. Was it worth it? Positively, YES! On the Big Island and Molokai we experienced some of the best upland hunting of our lives. Working with our Brittany’s made the hunts even more special.

Call our experts at WTA for details on upland hunting, fishing and big game hunting in Hawaii. There are numerous options available from short trips of 1-2 days to longer excursions of a week or two. Hawaii is a hunter’s paradise that every upland hunter should experience at least once in his lifetime.

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Chasing Waterfowl from North to South

The Central Flyway is a waterfowl superhighway—a vital corridor for migrating ducks and geese—and for those of us lucky enough to be waterfowlers, it offers unmatched opportunities to hunt and experience the migration from September through January.

Over the past 40 years, I’ve had the privilege of chasing ducks around the world, but many of my favorite memories come from following this flyway, especially during those early years when my duck-obsessed father would pull my brother and me out of school every Fall to chase birds.

That’s right! We missed school every year for dedicated waterfowl trips. No regrets.

In the true north country, along the edges of Canada’s boreal forest, early-season hunts are nothing short of magical. The birds are just beginning their journey south—hungry, unpressured, and eager to settle into newly harvested grain fields. It’s a waterfowler’s paradise. The decoy spreads in these northern zones are often among the first the birds see, and their eager, uneducated responses can be absolutely breathtaking.

One of the most unforgettable sights is the famed swirling cyclone of Canada geese funneling down into a field. I can still hear my dad yelling over the deafening honks, his voice barely audible, “They can’t hear us!” The birds were so loud that those at the top of the funnel couldn’t even hear the gunfire below. If you’ve ever experienced it, you know exactly the kind of spine-tingling moment I’m talking about.

When the birds pushed south, so did we.

The prairie pothole regions of North Dakota are pure waterfowl gold. The right pothole on a cold morning—especially if you can find open water—can be magic. And if the water’s frozen? My dad had a fix: get there early, break trail through the skim ice, and push it under itself to create an opening. Voilà…open water.

I’ll never forget one frigid morning. After breaking ice, my hands were bright red and on the edge of frostbite. I looked at my dad for sympathy, but he just grinned as the puddle ducks cupped up and said, “Do you want warm hands, or do you want to shoot ducks?” Like I said, he was a fanatic. I grabbed the old Winchester pump and did my best. That day, I also learned the value of hand warmers and Gore-Tex gloves.

There are so many unforgettable moments:

  • Slipping and sliding at a Nebraska reservoir, laughing hysterically as we wondered if we’d ever get the old Suburban and trailer back up the icy boat ramp. After limiting out on greenheads.
  • Rowing across the Delta Marsh in the dark to find the perfect crescent-shaped bulrush island to set the decoys that the canvasbacks couldn’t resist.
  • Chasing snow geese in South Dakota and realizing we’d finally picked the perfect field, the one that made it worth all those hours spent spray-painting sheet-metal shell decoys in the garage.

These weren’t just hunting trips. They were memories shared with family, with friends, and with the great outdoors itself.

In the end, missing a week of school every year was worth every single minute.

The last duck hunt I shared with my admittedly duck-crazy father was a world away and half a lifetime ago. The hunt may be long over, but the memory will always stay with me.

At WTA, we’re proud to connect our clients with trusted partners so they can experience these same one-of-a-kind adventures.

We offer incredible destinations and outstanding outfitters all along the Central Flyway—from Alberta and Saskatchewan to North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma—so you can create your own lasting memories.

Call Worldwide Trophy Adventures at 1-800-346-8747 today to book your trip of a lifetime.

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Against the Odds: Drawing Back-to-Back Sheep and Goat Tags 

Against the Odds: Drawing Back-to-Back Sheep and Goat Tags 

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I’d been working with Jordan at WTA TAGS for about five years, letting him manage my hunting applications in multiple states while I focused on staying in shape for whatever hunts might come through. When he called about the Tok Range Dall sheep tag (the only non-resident permit out of 10 total), I knew it was special.

After the excitement of drawing my tag settled in, it was time to find the right outfitter to make my hunt a success. WTA recommended one of their top partners for that area and handled every detail. My outfitter made it clear: this would be a backpack hunt in some of Alaska’s toughest sheep country. At 64, with two hip replacements, I can’t run anymore. But I can hike. So that’s how I prepared—I hiked mile after mile with a weighted pack, knowing the Tok doesn’t care about age or medical history.

We went in a day and a half before the season opened and spotted a band of 14 rams, including one heavy-horned giant that immediately caught our attention. Then Alaska did what Alaska does best. Weather rolled in, the rams vanished, and we spent the three days scouring valleys and ridges to find them again.

When we finally relocated them, we had to break camp and make a major move. After a full day’s work, we spotted six rams bedding down as evening fell. The next morning, we made our play.

The wind that day was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It sounded like a freight train roaring up the mountain; gusting, dying, gusting again. At 320 yards, I had to time my shot during the lulls. My first shot went wide in the wind. The second shot dropped him—a beautiful 39″ ram. Honestly, I didn’t care about the number. That’s not why I hunt. I’m in it for the experience and a good animal. This ram was both.

The pack-out was its own adventure. We crossed the glacier-fed Tok River multiple times before Matt showed up with a Korean War-era military vehicle that could go just about anywhere. After nine days in the mountains, that slow, bumpy ride was a step up from travelling another 10 miles on foot. This was a trip I’ll never forget.

When Jordan called me in February 2025 to tell me I’d drawn a mountain goat tag, I actually laughed. “Figure out something for next year,” I told him, knowing the odds of a three-peat were one in a million. But first, it was time to prepare for my goat hunt.

I flew into Homer at the end of August, expecting to start hunting on Tuesday. By Monday evening, my outfitter, Paul, was warning me about the incoming weather. “We might not get you in until Friday,” he said. He wasn’t kidding. We sat through three days of howling wind, driving rain, and zero visibility before finally getting our chance.

Paul operates from a landing craft that serves as a mobile base camp. But getting from sea level to where the goats live? That was the hardest climb I’ve ever done, and I’ve completed five sheep hunts.

It was only 1,500 vertical feet, but every step came wrapped in devil’s club thorns, soaking brush, deadfall, and rain-slicked cliff bands. We hiked for what seemed like an eternity before stopping for the night to set up camp.

The next morning changed everything. Once above that coastal jungle, the alpine opened up to reveal why we’d suffered through that brutal climb. There were mountain goats everywhere. Good billies. The kind that makes you forget about devil’s club and exhaustion.

I took my billy on August 30, the first day of actual hunting after being sidelined due to weather. While packing him out, we witnessed something I’d never seen: ravens harassing a billy goat. They would swoop within inches of his head, and he’d swing his horns, trying to knock them away. Paul had told me about this strange relationship between ravens and goats, but seeing it firsthand was incredible.

The trip down gave us one more show. A black bear, fat from gorging on berries, army-crawled through the blueberry patches, entertained us from 400 yards away. I had a bear tag, but watching him was worth more than any trophy. Crossing salmon-choked streams on the way out completed the full Alaskan experience.

Both hunts worked because of solid preparation and connections with the right team. Jordan, my WTA consultant, had been helping me strategically build points and select units for years. When the draw results came through, WTA’s network meant proven outfitters were ready and handled every detail. They provided thorough gear lists, arranged logistics, and coordinated air charters. Everything was dialed in.

Some guys chase record books. Others chase hunting milestones. I finished my slam in 2019 with a desert ram, but what excites me most these days is the experience—the hunts that test you, humble you, and stay with you long after the pack is unloaded. When you work with the right people and put in the preparation, amazing things can happen. Jordan’s already working on my applications for 2026, so we’ll see what adventure comes through next.

Contact WTA TAGS to learn more about drawing the tags of your dreams: 1-800-755-8247. 

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South African Plains Game Safari: The Hunt

South African Plains Game Safari: The Hunt

South Africa’s southern tip offers a plains game safari that surprises even the most seasoned hunters with its challenge and variety. As a WTA consultant, I had the privilege of hosting this hunt, traveling alongside the group, sharing the hunt itself, and making sure every detail ran smoothly. By the end, hunters who started as strangers had bonded over long days in the bush and were already planning future trips together.

This hunt delivers true, high-value hunting in rugged, mountainous country. It’s not the type of safari where you ride around and shoot from a truck. Spot-and-stalk is the focus, often through thick brush and thorny cover, and shots can stretch past 200 yards off sticks. The ranch spans 80,000 acres and is home to more than 200,000 self-sustaining animals. You’ll see hundreds of game daily, with 10 to 15 species scattered across the property. Eastern Cape kudu, gemsbok, wildebeest, zebra, springbok, and impala to name just a few of the opportunities you’ll encounter, with plenty of surprises mixed in.

Days start early with breakfast at first light, followed by a drive into the bush with your professional hunter (PH) and tracker. From there, it’s boots on the ground—glassing ridges, stalking through thorn, and working into shooting range. Lunch might be back at the lodge or packed afield, depending on how far you’ve pushed into the property. Afternoons mirror the mornings, with hunting until dark. It’s real, engaging, and rewarding.

The camp itself is comfortable without losing its hunting-camp feel. Sixteen chalets, 8 of them newly built, offer clean and welcoming rooms. Evenings are spent around a central fire in the main lodge, with two game-based meals served nightly and fresh bread baked over the flames. It’s a simple but authentic setting, and every part of camp life is centered around the hunting experience.

Trophy care is well handled. Once an animal is down, your PH and tracker take care of the recovery and skinning. An on-site shed and cooler ensure nothing goes to waste. At the end of the hunt, an exporter meets you in camp to walk through options for dip-and-pack or full taxidermy. Everything is handled face-to-face, including shipping and paperwork, making the process straightforward and stress-free.

One of my favorite memories was an impromptu pistol competition with the local police captain and his deputies, friends of the outfitter. We shared plenty of laughs, a few friendly wagers, and even sent them home with meat in the back of their cruiser. That type of camaraderie and welcome isn’t something you find everywhere, and it speaks volumes about the atmosphere here.

The ranch is family-run, with owner Barry and his son Fred at the helm. Despite Barry’s paralysis from a plane accident years ago, he remains an ever-present storyteller and host, and Fred carries forward the day-to-day operations. Their passion and hospitality make the ranch feel like home.

The hunting in South Africa is unlike anything else in the world, and this safari’s mix of challenge, variety, and value makes it stand out. For hunters looking for a true plains game adventure in breathtaking mountain country, this is a trip that delivers.

Learn More about this Hunt

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