Department of Land and Natural Resources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 13, 2020

KAUA‘I TEMPORARILY adds hunting days for COVID-19 response

Beginning Monday Daily Hunting Temporarily Allowed by Permit

(Līhue) – Kaua‘i hunters are invited to apply for special use permits to hunt goats, pigs, and deer on closed hunting days in State Forest Reserves, Natural Area Reserves, and Game Management Areas. Usually, most hunting areas on Kaua‘i are open only weekends (Friday-Monday). Beginning on Monday, May 18, people who want to hunt on closed days can submit an online application at www.KauaiForestUsers.com. Call 808-274-3433 for help in filling out online applications and the overall process that is entirely digital. Permits will be processed several times a week.

“Hunters have asked us to increase open hunting days to help them feed our community,” said Sheri S. Mann, Kaua‘i Branch Manager for the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW). “With so many people out of work, and concerns about national meat shortages, it is likely many folks are interested in hunting during the middle of the week.  We want hunters to practice social distancing recommendations. Opening up daily hunting should spread hunting trips out and reduce the likelihood of overlaps.”

DOFAW will be collecting detailed hunter harvest data so it can evaluate what impact weekday hunting may have on animal populations and their impacts to native forests and rare species. All existing rules covering seasons, bag limits, or numbers of take and type of game mammals allowable in a unit remain the same. 

The new forest user website allows people to send questions and comments directly to the Kaua‘i DOFAW branch. It will also have information about proposed or ongoing projects. The website includes an interactive map and projects organized by region. It also contains information on native plants and animals, trails, and land management classifications. DOFAW lands on Kaua‘i span over a third of the island. 

Applicants must have a current hunters license and permits will be issued for a one-month period, with opportunity to reapply for future months after submitting harvest data.

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Media Contact:

Dan Dennison
Senior Communications Manager
(808) 587-0396
[email protected]