FERAL GOAT, SHEEP, AND PIG HUNT
AND UNGULATE CONTROL PROGRAM ANNOUNCED FOR THE
PU’U WA’AWA’A FOREST RESERVE
HILO — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announces the opening of the hunting season in the
Pu’u Wa’awa’a Forest Reserve Hunting Unit F (PWW) Youth and Disabled Hunt and Makai Sections pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123, “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting.”
Dates and bag limits for each season are listed below:
SPECIAL YOUTH AND DISABLED HUNT SEASON: August 5 – 27, 2023
Season bag limit: One (1) ram, three (3) non-typical rams, one (1) pig. There will be no limits for goats. The Mauka safety zone that includes the cinder cone will be added to the hunting area for this special hunt.
MAKAI ARCHERY SEASON: August 5 – 27, 2023
Season bag limit: One (1) non-typical ram and three (3) goats. Additional goat tags may be purchased after the season limit has been reached as part of the nuisance control program.
MAKAI MUZZLELOADER SEASON: September 2-17, 2023
Season bag limit: One (1) non-typical ram and three (3) goats. Additional goat tags may be purchased after the season limit has been reached as part of the nuisance control program.
DLNR-DOFAW also announces a special Ungulate Control Program for the PWW Makai and Mauka sections pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123, “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting,” §13-123-9.
Dates for the Makai programs are listed below:
MAKAI UNGULATE CONTROL PROGRAMS
ARCHERY: July 22 – 30, 2023
Daily bag limit: One (1) non-typical ram and three (3) goats.
MUZZLELOADER: September 23 – 24, 2023
Daily bag limit: One (1) non-typical ram and three (3) goats.
Hunting days for all seasons and ungulate control programs are weekends and State holidays, with exception of the Mauka Ungulate Control program, which will only open on weekends. Hunters are to check in at the Pu’u Wa’awa’a hunter check station, or online using the OuterSpatial App, beginning at 5:00 a.m. the day of the hunt and must be checked-out by 7:45 p.m. There will be NO CAMPING allowed in the hunting area on any night before or during the hunt.
MAUKA ARCHERY UNGULATE CONTROL PROGRAM September 2-24, 2023
Permitted bag limit: One (1) ram and no limit for goats.
Hunters for the Mauka Archery Ungulate Control Program will be selected through a random lottery drawing to be held on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at the Kamuela DOFAW Office. Depending on the number of applicants, not all hunters may be drawn for the hunt. There will be no stand-by list. All applications must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, July 19, 2023, to qualify for the lottery.
Applicants may only apply individually. There will be 25 permits available for each two-day slot. Hunters that were successfully drawn in the 2022 lottery will be prohibited from applying to the 2023 program. Applications are available online at
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/hunting/hawaiiisland/. Dates for this control program are as follows:
September 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, and 23-24, 2023.
Hunters will need to purchase goat and ram tags to legally hunt these species in these areas. Tags may be purchased online
https://gohunthawaii.ehawaii.gov/public/tags, by appointment at the Kamuela and Hilo DOFAW offices, and at the Pu’u Wa’awa’a Hunter Check Station on each day of the hunt between 5:00 am and 3:00 pm. The cost for each tag is $10 for residents and $25 for non-residents. Exact change of $10/tag (resident hunters) and $25/tag (non-resident hunters) is required when purchasing tags at the hunter check station.
Two additional hunter check stations will be available along Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Highway 19) to allow for access from makai. These stations will be unmanned but will allow hunters to check in and out with having to drive around to the Mauka check station. Please call the Kamuela DOFAW office for details regarding these stations.
There will be no compensation for any hunting days lost due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e., Wildland fire, hurricane, etc.).
Further information may be obtained by contacting the DOFAW Office in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063.
Done at Honolulu this 19th day of June 2023.
Dawn N.S. Chang, Chairperson
Department of Land and Natural Resources
(WHT1420472 6/27/23)
