Hawaii Axis Deer smuggling case

Hawaii Axis Deer Smuggling | A third man is charged in connection with transporting invasive game animals from the Big Island to Maui.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Big Island rancher Daniel Rocha is charged with providing the 14 mouflon rams that were transported via helicopter to Arrow One Ranch on Maui in 2009.

Maui helicopter pilot Thomas Hauptman admitted to Hawaii Axis Deer Smuggling by flying Axis Deer from Arrow One Ranch on Maui to the Big Island, then returning to Maui with Mouflon 14 rams. The State of Hawaii DLNR had no knowledge of this transfer between Islands. A concerted effort has been made over the past 10 years to eliminate all Axis Deer on Hawaii Island as there are concerns with regard to native species and damage to agriculture.

Maui hunting ranch owner Jeffrey Grundhauser last month pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor for taking an unlicensed hunter to shoot game animals in a case stemming from a broader investigation into the interisland smuggling of harmful invasive species for hunting. He admitted supplying the axis deer and accepting the mouflon rams. Thats a NO-NO!