In our Guide to Guilt-Free Hunting, I mention that Axis Deer are really thriving on the landscape in the Hawaiian Islands—where large browsing herbivores have never existed before. Molokai is 260 square miles and populations of Axis Deer have been estimated between 50,000 and 70,000 animals.
For a remote and isolated ecosystem that has never supported large ungulates, you can imagine the impact this many deer has on the landscape. In many instances they are eating themselves into starvation and altering the biodiversity of the island in the process.
There is a long, rich history of subsistence living in Hawaii and hunting these deer for food is commonplace and a widely accepted practice.
Just a few Axis deer via Remi Warren:
