Department of Land and Natural Resources

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR

SUZANNE D. CASE CHAIRPERSON

For Immediate News Release March 8, 2016

DLNR ANNOUNCES 2016 LANA‘I MOUFLON SHEEP HUNTING SEASON 

HONOLULU —  The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will have applications for the 2016 Lana‘i Mouflon sheep hunting season, together with instruction sheets, available at all its forestry and wildlife offices statewide beginning Monday, March 21, 2016. 

Applicants may also apply online.  A $10 dollar application fee will be assessed each person applying for the hunt.  This fee MUST accompany each application for the hunt at the time of filing.  Applications received without the required application fee will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant.  A tag fee will be assessed at the time of hunter check in.  Hawai‘i residents will be assessed $20, and non-Hawai‘i residents $125 for each sheep tag.  No fee will be assessed for the non-typical ram tag.  It is imperative that hunter applicants obtain and pay careful attention to the hunt instruction sheet and addendum for any changes in the application process.

Pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123,”Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting” (§ 13-123-4) the following special conditions and procedures will be in effect for this hunt:

The 2016 Lana‘i Mouflon sheep season will consist of four (4) hunts:

            The Archery Only Hunt will be held over eight (8) consecutive days, beginning July 30, 2016 and ending on August 6, 2016.

            **A Special Youth Hunt will be conducted for one (1) weekend (Saturday and Sunday), August 13 and 14, 2016.

            The Muzzleloading Hunt will be conducted for one (1) weekend (Saturday and Sunday), August 20 and 21, 2016.

            The General Rifle Hunt will be held over nine (9) consecutive weekends (Saturday and Sunday), beginning on August 27, 2016 and ending on October 23, 2016.

Hunter assistants will only be allowed to accompany hunters who are senior citizens (age 65 or older) or disabled.

The bag limit for the 2016 Lana‘i Mouflon sheep season will be three (3) Mouflon sheep (one (1) ewe, one (1) non-typical ram and one (1) either sex) per hunter per authorized hunt.  Hunters will be required to purchase a ewe tag and have the option of purchasing an either sex tag.  A non-typical ram tag will be issued at no charge.  All heads of non-typical rams (polled, deformed, mu‘umu‘u*) must be disposed of at the Lana‘i hunter check station.  Department of Land and Natural Resource personnel have final say on the non-typical ram designation.

There will be no lottery drawing of permits conducted for the Archery Only Hunt and no limit on the number of archers who will be allowed to participate.  However, interested archers must apply for this hunt by submitting an application for a permit.  Hunters participating in the Archery Only Hunt will be allowed to apply for and participate in either the Muzzleloading Hunt or the General Rifle Hunt lotteries.  Archery hunters may check in on the Friday preceding the first day of the hunt or dailythroughout the hunt period during the check station hours listed below to validate permits and receive their tags. 

• Friday, July 29, 2016 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 30, 2016 to Saturday, August 6, 2016 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

All archery hunters must report their take or their intent to hunt the next day providing their tags remain unfilled.  Upon completion, archers MUST return their application cards to the Lana‘i hunter check station documenting, if applicable, number of animals taken, including sex and unit harvested.

SPECIAL MOUFLON HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH HUNTERS:

**A SPECIAL YOUTH HUNT

• Youth hunters must be 15 years of age or younger (HAR13-123-2), possess a valid 2016-17 State of Hawaii hunting license and be accompanied by a non-hunting adult (18 years of age or older) who also possesses a valid 2016-17 State of Hawai‘i hunting license.  Only the youth hunter will be required to submit an application.  A permit will be issued to the adult at the time of hunter check in.
• Youth hunters will be issued tags at the time of hunter check in.  Tags are valid only for the type of hunt applied for.
• A total of 165 youth hunters will be drawn for the weekend.  If the total application of youth hunters exceeds 165, a lottery will be conducted to establish going and standby positions.
• Youth hunters will be limited to carry one (1) type of hunting equipment while in the hunting area.  Blaze orange is required for all youth hunters and accompanying adults.
• One (1) adult may accompany one (1) youth for this special hunt.
• Youth hunters will also be allowed to apply for and participate in the archery only hunt and either the muzzleloader hunt or general rifle hunt.  Youth hunters must submit a separate application for each hunt.

Participation in the Muzzleloading Hunt may be assigned by lottery if application levels exceed the allotted number of hunters allowed in the hunting area.  The General Rifle Hunt will be assigned by lottery drawing.  Interested hunters may apply for either the Muzzleloading Hunt Lottery or the General Rifle Hunt Lottery, but may NOT apply for BOTH.

Applications for all hunts may be submitted in-person or mailed, to the Maui Division of Forestry and Wildlife office, 1955 Main St., Rm. 301, Wailuku HI 96793.  Lana‘i residents only are to mail or deliver their applications to the Lana‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife Office at 917 Fraser Ave., P.O. Box 630661, Lana‘i City, HI 96763.  To apply online for this hunt, go to https://hunthawaii.ehawaii.gov. 

The DEADLINE for submitting applications will be 4 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2016.  Interested hunters are encouraged to submit their application well before the application DEADLINE to insure proper processing.    

The public drawing to assign a going status, and if necessary, to establish stand-by positions for the Special Youth Hunt and Muzzleloading Hunt lottery may be held on Friday, June 3, 2016 at 11 a.m. at the J. Walter Cameron Center.  A simultaneous drawing may be held at the Lana‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife office for Lana‘i residents. At 12 noon at both locations, apublic drawing to assign a going status, and if necessary, to establish stand-by positions for the General Rifle Hunt lottery will be held.  Hunters, who have been assigned a stand-by number, will be allowed to replace no-show hunters that do not check in on their assigned hunting date.

All eligible Youth, Muzzleloader and General Rifle participants must check in at the Forestry and Wildlife office in Lana‘i City to validate permits and receive their tags either on the Friday preceding their assigned hunting date or on Saturday during the check station hours stated below. 

• Fridays: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturdays: 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Stand-by hunters must be present at the Lana‘i City, Division of Forestry and Wildlife office at 6  p.m. on the Friday prior to their assigned hunting date to be eligible to replace no-show hunters.  Once each hunter fills their bag limit, they will not be eligible to participate for the remainder of the 2016 Lana‘i Mouflon Sheep Season.  Both Hunting Unit 1 and 2 will be open to Archery, Youth, Muzzleloading, and General Rifle Hunts.  Unit 3 will be open to Archery hunters only.

Additional details for this season are available at the Division of Forestry and Wildlife offices at the following telephone numbers:

            O‘ahu: 587-0166                                 Maui: 984-8100

            Hawai‘i: 974-4221(Hilo)                       Moloka‘i: 553-1745

            Kaua‘i: 274-3433                                 Lana‘i: 565-7916

(*in this context the first meaning of mu‘umu‘u is: cut off, shortened, amputated or maimed)

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Media Contact:

Deborah Ward
DLNR Communications specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320