David Y. Ige

Deadline for permit applications is Wednesday, July 20, 2016

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 (PWW) Youth and Disabled Hunt and Makai Sections pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123, “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting.” DLNR-DOFAW also announces a special Ungulate Control Program for the PWW Mauka section pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123, “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting,” §13-123-9.

The SPECIAL YOUTH AND DISABLED HUNT will be open in the Safety Zone above the Pu‘u Lani subdivision on weekends and State holidays for the month of August 2016. Only youth (children who are 15 years of age or younger) and disabled hunters may hunt in this area. Only one adult licensed hunter may accompany each youth hunter and one licensed, non-hunting assistant may accompany each disabled hunter. The bag limit for this hunt is three (3) non-typical rams and one (1) typical ram per hunter per day. This is also the season limit (See Table 1). Deboning and skinning is allowed. Skull with attached horns must remain intact and genitals must remain attached to the carcass.

The MAKAI ARCHERY (below Mamalahoa Highway) season will take place during the first four consecutive weekends in August, and during any State holidays that occur during that time (i.e. August 19, 2016, Statehood Day). The bag limit for this hunt is one (1) pig, one (1) non-typical ram, and three (3) goats per hunter per day. This is also the season limit. Deboning and skinning is allowed. The tail and genitalia of harvested animals must remain attached for species and sex identification purposes.

The MAKAI MUZZLELOADER season will take place during the three weekends following the archery season, and during any State holidays that occur during that time (i.e. September 5, 2016, Labor Day). The bag limit for this hunt is one (1) pig, one (1) non-typical ram, and three (3) goats per hunter per day. This is also the season limit. Deboning and skinning is allowed. The tail and genitalia of harvested animals must remain attached for species and sex identification purposes.

The PWW MAUKA UNGULATE CONTROL PROGRAM (above Mamalahoa Highway), will be a non-typical ram and feral goat hunt, and will take place concurrently with the Makai Muzzleloader season (during the three consecutive weekends following the Makai Archery season, including State holidays). The bag limit will be one (1) non-typical ram and two (2) goats (either sex) per hunter per day. This will also be a season limit. During this program the whole carcasses (entrails can be cleaned but with attached genitalia on carcass) need to be inspected at checkout. For safety purposes, a maximum of 30 permittees will be allowed per day.

Hunters interested in participating in the PWW MAUKA UNGULATE CONTROL PROGRAM must apply for a permit. Applications may consist of a maximum of 5 licensed hunters. Applicants may only submit their name once for this program. Duplicate entries, after the first entry, will be discarded. The deadline for permit applications will be Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Kamuela DOFAW office by this date. Hard copies of applications may be obtained at both the East and West Hawai‘i DOFAW offices OR online at https://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/.

Permit assignments for the PWW Mauka Ungulate Control Program will be selected through a random lottery drawing to be held on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at the DLNR Hunter Education Building in Kamuela, HI. Results of the random lottery drawings will be made available at the West Hawai‘i DOFAW office, as well as online at https://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw.

Hunters that are not selected for the PWW MAUKA UNGULATE CONTROL PROGRAM, or those that were selected but are unable to hunt on their designated day, may stand-by on a first-come-first-serve basis as space is available in the hunting area. ALL hunters in the PWW MAUKA UNGULATE CONTROL PROGRAM will be limited to ONE (1) trip throughout the entirety of the program.

Hunters will need to purchase 2017 goat and ram tags to legally hunt these species in these areas. Tags may be purchased from any Hawai‘i island Division of Forestry and Wildlife office and at the PWW Hunter Check Station during the hunt. Exact change of $10/tag (resident hunters) and $25/tag (non-resident hunters) is required when purchasing tags at the hunter check station. The harvest tags will be non-transferable and non-refundable and must be placed through the hind leg of the animal immediately after each kill, and remain tagged until the hunter checks out of the hunting area and arrives home or to their final destination.

Hunters are to check in at the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a check station beginning at 5 a.m. the day of the hunt and must be checked-out 7:45 p.m. There will NO CAMPING allowed in the hunting area on any night before or during the hunt. Stand-bys for the PWW Mauka program will be allowed after 9 a.m. as slots become available. Non-permittees and ATVs are not allowed.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the DOFAW office in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063.

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For more information news media may contact

Deborah Ward

DLNR Communications specialist

Phone: (808) 587-0320