Hunting 80,000 Deer to Save Hawaii | Jake Muise

Jake Muise grew up in rural Canada hunting, fishing, and living off the land. A Division I volleyball scholarship brought him to Hawaii, but a dorm room mix-up changed the course of his life forever.

After being welcomed into a local Molokai family, Jake developed a deep connection to Hawaiian culture and became fascinated by Hawaii's invasive axis deer problem. What began as an obsession eventually became Maui Nui Venison, one of the most innovative food and conservation companies in the world.

Today, Maui Nui operates a USDA-certified wild harvest system unlike anything else in existence, balancing deer populations while providing some of the most nutrient-dense red meat available.

In this conversation, Jake shares the story behind Maui Nui, how he helped remove illegally introduced deer from Hawaii's Big Island, the challenges of building a first-of-its-kind USDA-approved harvesting system, and the leadership principles that power one of the most disciplined teams you'll ever encounter.

This is a conversation about obsession, conservation, entrepreneurship, culture, leadership, and doing meaningful work that lasts.

Thank you to our sponsors

Helix Sleep: http://helixsleep.com/rideout 

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Welcome to Kona

(00:20) Ironman Kona Stories

(02:06) Jake’s Roots in Canada

(02:58) Volleyball to Hawaii

(06:12) Dorm Mixup and Local Life

(09:44) Molokai Culture Explained

(11:34) Meeting His Future Wife

(15:03) Leading Maui Nui’s Team

(20:15) Sponsor Break Helix Sleep

(21:19) Origins of Maui Nui

(23:19) Drought Sparks the Mission

(25:53) Axis Deer Institute Hustle

(26:54) Illegal Deer on Big Island

(29:46) Infrared Night Hunting Tech

(32:30) USDA Approval Challenge (39:16) Practicing Before Inspection

(40:24) The USDA Ride Along (42:20) Remortgage to Scale

(43:42) Pitching Passion Investors

(46:53) Balancing Deer Populations

(50:28) USDA Rules and Marksmanship

(55:45) Inside the Night Harvest

(58:35) Holo Ai Community Giveaway

(01:04:59) Humble Hungry Smart Hiring

(01:14:02) Gamified Discipline Experiments

(01:20:59) Graduation and Farewell

(01:22:52) Podcast Wrap and Subscribe

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