Haven't hunted the big island, but have hunted Kauai and Lanai. I will say that a rifle will dramatically increase your odds, but on such a cool and unique hunt, you'll have 10X more fun with a bow, even if you don't get anything. I rifle hunted once, and it was over real quick (there are a LOT of animals). If you just care about meat, rifle is OK. But if you want the better experience, bow is the way to go. Goats are a blast to spot and stalk!