Division of Forestry and Wildlife

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

For Immediate News Release January 30, 2015       

FERAL GOAT, SHEEP CONTROL PROGRAM UPDATE FOR PHASE 2 OF THE
PU‘U WA‘AWA‘A FOREST RESERVE-MAKAI AND MAUKA SECTIONS

HILO — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is implementing Phase 2 of ungulate control programs in the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a (PWW) Forest Reserve, pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123, “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting,” §13-123-9, “Nuisance or crop damage.”  

The three programs that will take place will be as follows: PWW MAKAI ARCHERY, PWW MAKAI MUZZLELOADER, and PWW MAUKA TYPICAL RAM INCENTIVE.  These programs will be conducted on weekends only, beginning February 7, 2015 and ending March 15, 2015.  

Hunters were selected for permit assignments for the PWW Makai Muzzleloader and the PWW Mauka Typical Ram Incentive programs through random lottery drawings held on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014 at the DLNR Hunter Education Building in Kamuela, HI. Results of these drawings are available online at https://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw.    

The PWW MAKAI ARCHERY program (below Mamalahoa Highway) will take place during the first (4) weekends of Phase 2 (February 7, 2015 – March 1, 2015).  

The PWW MAKAI MUZZLELOADER program will take place during the last two (2) weekends of Phase 2 (March 7-15, 2015).  

The bag limit on goats for both PWW Makai programs will be two (2) per hunter per day of the program.  Deboning is not allowed, but quartering feral goats is permissible with skin attached for identification purposes.  For safety purposes, a maximum of 50 permittees will be allowed in the PWW Makai section per day.

For PWW MAUKA TYPICAL RAM INCENTIVE (above Mamalahoa Highway).  The SEASON bag limit for typical rams will be one (1) ONLY AFTER one (1) non-typical ram has been harvested and checked-out by the same permittee.  There is no bag limit on feral goats for PWW Mauka during either program.  Whole carcasses (entrails can be cleaned but with attached genitalia on carcass) need to be inspected at checkout.  For safety purposes, a maximum of 30 permittees will be allowed per day.

Hunters that were not selected for the TYPICAL RAM INCENTIVE program, or those that were selected but are unable to hunt on their designated weekend, may stand-by on a first-come-first-serve basis as space is available in the hunting area. Stand-bys for the TYPICAL RAM INCENTIVE PROGRAM will be limited to ONE (1) trip throughout the entirety of the program.

Permittees are to check in at the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a check station between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. and must be checked-out by 6 p.m.  Vehicle passes will be given at the hunter check station.  Stand-bys for all programs will be allowed after 9 a.m. as slots become available.  Non-permittees and ATVs are not allowed.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the DOFAW Office in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063.

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For more information, news media may contact:
Deborah Ward,
DLNR Public Information Specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320

Dan Dennison                                
Senior Communications Manager                
Office of the Chair
Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources
1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 130
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Tel    808-587-0407
Cell   808-295-8749
Fax   808-587-0390
[email protected]