DLNR PLANS A NEW LOTTERY DRAWING FOR SPECIAL ACCESS FERAL CATTLE CONTROL IN HILO RESTRICTED WATERSHED
Posted on Feb 27, 2014Deadline for applications will be Thursday, March 13, 2014
HILO – As part of its core mission, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is charged with protecting watershed areas from damage caused by feral cattle. To accomplish this, DOFAW requests the continued participation of the hunting community. The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will be extending opportunities for special access to the Hilo Restricted Watershed for the control of feral cattle. Special access will be granted for Saturdays only beginning on 5 April 2014 and running through the end of June 2014. Hunters will be selected through a random lottery drawing to be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at the East Hawaii DOFAW office at 19 E. Kawili Sreet Hilo, HI. The deadline for applications will be Thursday, March 13, 2014. Applications may be obtained at both the East and West Hawaii DOFAW offices OR online here.
These actions are pursuant to Hawaii Administrative Rules 13-124-7, Indigenous, Endangered, Threatened, and Injurious Wildlife, and Introduced Wild Birds, and as authorized by Hawaii Revised Statutes; 183-19 Exclusion of Livestock From Forest Reserves, Game Management Areas, and Public Hunting Areas and Title 13, Chapter 123, Unit D, Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting. Feral pigs and sheep may be hunted as usual. No dogs allowed.
Special access will be temporarily granted into the Pu`u `O`o area of the Hilo Restricted Watershed BY PERMIT ONLY on the following dates:
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
June 7, 14, 21, 28
Applications must consist of a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 licensed hunters as a group. Applicants may only submit their name on a single application. Duplicate entries will be discarded. Results of the random lottery drawing will be made available at the East Hawaii DOFAW office, as well as online at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/. The lottery drawing will assign positions to all applications received by the deadline. The first thirteen applications drawn will be awarded the available Saturday hunt dates (as listed above) in their respective order. The remaining applicants on this lottery drawing list will be offered additional hunt dates if/when they become available, in their respective order. Applications will continue to be accepted at the East Hawaii DOFAW office beyond the March 13, 2014 deadline and will be added to the bottom of the list in the order they are received.
Selected applicants must confirm acceptance of their assigned hunt period by calling the East Hawaii DOFAW office at (808)974-4221 no later than 12:00 pm on the Wednesday preceding their assignment. At that time, the Primary Hunter may also substitute or add licensed hunters up to the maximum of ten. No hunter may participate in more than one Pu`u `O`o Special Access hunts during this lottery. Permits will be issued and/or validated at the entrance gate into Pu`u `O`o near the 22 mile marker along Saddle Road on the Saturday morning of the assigned hunt. If selected applicants decline or do not call to confirm by the deadline, then the hunt will be offered to the next application on the list. These applicants will be notified by phone. No stand-bys waiting at the gates will be allowed.
Access to the Hilo Restricted Watershed will be provided at Pu`u `O`o and a 4×4 vehicle is required. ATVs will be allowed on the access roads and are highly encouraged. No dogs will be allowed. There will be a bag limit of 2 cattle of either sex per licensed hunter and hunters should make every effort to harvest and utilize all useable meat.
During the previous four (4) months that this special access hunt has been conducted at Pu`u `O`o, a total of 124 hunters have assisted in removing 88 feral cattle from the Hilo watershed. The department appreciates these past efforts and would like to extend the opportunity.
Contact Division of Forestry and Wildlife in Hilo at (808)974-4221 for additional details regarding the feral cattle control program, application process and/or special accommodations.