Department of Land and Natural Resources

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR

RYAN KANAKAʻOLE  ACTING CHAIRPERSON

PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ON MAUI NUI SOUGHT TO ASSIST AXIS DEER CONTROL

KAHULUI, Maui – Axis deer continue to negatively impact Maui Nui forested watersheds, agricultural land and communities. To address these issues, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is inviting eligible private landowners and lessees to apply to the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) to helo manage deer populations responsibly.

This program aims to motivate landowners on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi to remove more axis deer from their properties and improve protection efforts for the state’s threatened natural and agricultural resources. Applicants awarded a contract can receive up to $50 for each qualifying deer tail they submit. Awards depend on the availability of funds.

All axis deer harvest/control must abide by applicable laws, including Hawai‘i Administrative Rules Chapter 123, Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting.

The deadline to submit proposals is February 15, 2026, at 4 p.m. Once approved, the LIP for each participant is 12 months. Compensation for deer in any given fiscal year is limited to the annual legislative appropriation for the program, and no additional payments will be made once the funding is exhausted. This is the last opportunity to participate in this fiscal year.

Watershed partnerships spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually building fences to prevent feral ungulates from trampling native plants. If left unchecked, axis deer will gradually decrease overall forest health. Recent harvest rates indicate a promising trend toward reducing environmental and economic damage to property and land as well as lowering the overall deer population.

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RESOURCES

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

For more information and to apply: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/files/2026/01/DOFAW-AXIS-DEER-6_Fillable-2.pdf

Video – Molokaʻi Axis Deer Aerials (December 2021): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kjumendb8em88g1xcmpav/Molokai-Axis-Deer-Aerials-James-Espaniola-SOTs-Dec.-2021-Original-12-11-21.mp4?rlkey=i7r66p24glxcub5w27u8j944l&st=mnc6opn8&dl=0

Photographs – Axis Deer: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ql3pl15r9gwwzkonrdd39/AGQ_aF2Z432KWRWkBwYVxtE?rlkey=0ib9xdwz1h1twdbsbb3prk724&st=qu8zk7bl&dl=0

 

Media Contact: 

Patti Jette

Communications Specialist

Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

Email: [email protected]