Department of Land and Natural Resources

DLNR ANNOUNCES 2014 BLACK-TAILED DEER SEASON ON KAUA‘I

LIHU‘E –The Department of Land and Natural Resources announces the opening of black-tailed deer hunting season on the island of Kaua‘i. Rules and conditions regulating game mammal hunting in Title 13, Chapter 123, will be in effect.

Due to the Appellate Court ruling, each hunter will be permitted to take only one (1) antlered buck deer (3-inch antler minimum) during the 2014 season, either during the archery, muzzleloader rifle or regular rifle seasons. Both application and tag fees for the 2014 Kaua‘i black-tailed deer season will be waived.

ARCHERY ONLY SEASON: The deer archery season will be in Hunting Units F, J and K from Sept. 13 through Oct. 26, 2014, on Saturday and Sundays only. Archery permits are now available in the Lihu‘e DOFAW office at 3060 ‘Eiwa St., Room 306.

Hunters must present their 2014-15 Hawai‘i Hunting License in order to obtain a deer archery permit. (Another person may pick up your permit, but must present your license for you.)  Neighbor island archers may pick up an application form at the DOFAW office on their island and mail it in. Specific instructions are on the application form. Validated archery permits will be mailed to each hunter after application has been received.

Hunters may either check-in at the Waimea Heights or Koke‘e Hunter Check Station (HCS).  The bag limit will be one (1) antlered buck deer (3-inch antler minimum). A successful bow-hunter who has bagged a deer will have filled their deer season bag limit; however, archers may continue to take pig and goat through the duration of the deer archery only season. The bag limit will be one pig and one goat per archer per hunting day. The use of dogs is prohibited during the deer archery only seasons.

MUZZLELOADER ONLY SEASON: The deer muzzleloader tag season will be in Hunting Units A and H on Sept. 13 and 14, 2014. Kaua‘i residents may acquire their permits starting July 21, 2014, at the Lihu‘e DOFAW office at 3060 ‘Eiwa St., Rm. 306, and must present their 2014-15 Hawai‘i Hunting license when obtaining their permit. (Another person may pick up your permit, but must present your license for you.) Neighbor island archers or muzzleloader hunters may pick up an application form at the DOFAW office on their island and mail it in. Specific instructions are on the application form. Validated permits will be mailed to each archery hunter after the application has been received. Validated muzzleloader permits will be mailed to off-island hunters provided their applications are correctly filled out.

The bag limit will be one (1) deer per muzzle-load hunter per license year. The bag limit will be one (1) antlered deer, 3-inch antler minimum per hunter per license year. Female deer may not be taken during the muzzle-loader season. Wild pig hunting in Unit A during the deer season is restricted to deer hunters possessing valid muzzleloader deer permit/tags.

Unit A hunters may check-in either at Koke‘e, Kekaha or Mana Tunnels hunter check-in stations (HCS). Unit H muzzleloader hunters must sign-in and sign-out at the Makaha Ridge HCS. A successful muzzleloader hunter who has bagged a deer will have filled their deer season bag limit, but may accompany their hunting group without a firearm for the duration of the muzzleloader season. The use of dogs is prohibited during the deer muzzleloader only season.

REGULAR RIFLE SEASON: The regular rifle tag season for deer will be in Hunting Units A and H for six (6) consecutive weekends beginning on Sept. 20 and ending Oct. 26, 2014.  Applications for the 2014 Kaua‘i Deer Rifle season are now available at all DOFAW offices and participating hunting license dealers on the island of Kaua‘i. Each hunter applicant will be drawn for two (2) weekends; one weekend in Unit A and another weekend in Unit H.

The bag limit will be one (1) antlered deer, 3-inch antler minimum per hunter per license year.  Wild pig hunting in Unit A during the deer season is restricted to deer hunters possessing valid rifle deer permit/tags on their assigned hunting date. Unit A hunters may check-in either at Koke‘e, Kekaha or Mana Tunnels HCS. Unit H hunters must sign-in and sign-out at the Makaha Ridge HCS. A successful hunter who has bagged a deer will have filled their season bag limit, but may accompany their hunting group without a firearm for the duration of the season. The use of dogs is prohibited during the deer rifle season.

The application deadline for the regular deer rifle tag season is 3:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, 2014. The public drawing will be held at the Lihu‘e State Office building, second floor conference room 209, at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014. Lottery results will not be given over the telephone. Hunters are encouraged to attend the public drawing to determine the results, or wait for their validated tags to be mailed to them. The Lihu‘e DOFAW office will post the results after the public drawing.

All deer hunters (archery, muzzle-loader and regular rifle) are required to carry their deer tag(s) and valid hunting license on their person at all times while in the hunting area. Deer tags are non-transferable between hunters. There will be no make-up weekends or standby permits. Deer tag(s) must be fastened to the carcass immediately after taking a deer. Successful deer hunters are to bring their animal carcass to the Koke‘e Hunter Check Station for weighing and examination. All hunters shall be required to preserve their game in a condition that will enable the identification of sex and species. No skinning or boning of deer carcasses will be permitted in any hunting area. However, hunters will be allowed to half or quarter their animal.

All other requirements contained in Chapter 123, “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting”apply to the Kaua‘i deer hunting season. For more information, call the nearest DOFAW office:

Kaua‘i 274-3433,  O‘ahu 587-0166, Maui 984-8100, Moloka‘i 533-1745, Lana‘i 565-7916, Hilo  933-4221, Kamuela 887-6063

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Media Contact:

Deborah Ward
Public Information Specialist
(808) 587-0320