Division of Forestry and Wildlife

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

For Immediate News Release June 5, 2015

DLNR ANNOUNCES GOAT HUNTING TO OPEN ON KAUA‘I
Deadline for regular rifle and muzzleload applications is Friday, June 19

HONOLULU — The Department of Land and Natural Resources is pleased to announce the openings in July of archery, muzzleload rifle, and high-powered rifle hunting seasons for feral goats on the island of Kaua‘i. Dues to the recent signing of new Chapter 123 Statewide Game mammal hunting seasons and rules by Governor David Y. Ige, the 2015 Kauai goat rifle and muzzleloader lottery hunting season was amended to start the new hunts in July. Pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123 “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting,” the following rules and conditions will be in effect for the hunt:

Payments via mail must be in the form of a personal check or a money order. No cash will be accepted through the mail. All qualified applicants will be issued permits and all application fees and tag fees are non-refundable.

REGULAR RIFLE SEASON: Applications for the 2015 Kaua‘i Goat Rifle season in Unit B are available starting Monday June 8 at all participating hunting license vendors on Kaua‘i and all DOFAW offices. Each Hawai‘i resident hunter will be charged $15.00 which includes processing the lottery application and rifle tag ($30.00 for non-resident hunter). A maximum of eight (8) hunters may apply together as a hunting group (no exceptions). Rifle hunters will be assigned two weeks. The season duration is July 4^th to August 31^th on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Specific information may be obtained on the application form. Hunters will have the option of using a conventional rifle, muzzleloader rifle, handgun or archery equipment on their assigned hunting week, but may carry only one means of take while actually hunting. The deadline for submitting applications for the regular rifle hunt is 4:00 p.m., Friday, June 19, 2015. The public drawing to assign hunting dates will be held in the Lihue State Office Building Conference Room at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, 2015.

Unit A Muzzleloader Season: Muzzleload hunters will be assigned two weekends in the Unit A hunting area through public lottery. Applications for the Muzzleload season are in conjunction with the rifle season applications. The season duration is July 4^th to August 29^th on Saturday and Sunday only. The deadline for submitting applications for the muzzleloader hunt is 4:00 p.m., Friday, June 19, 2015.

Specific information may be obtained on the application form. Hunters are allowed limited access through the corn fields to access Hunting Unit A using the “water tank valley” access road or the Polihale road junction below Mana Ridge. Hunters must first sign-in at the Polihale Beach, Polihale road junction or Mana Tunnels hunter checking station and sign-out after hunting. Hunters are advised to keep their firearms cased and unloaded while driving through the corn fields. Unit A is open to muzzleload firearms only. For more information on the access, please call the Kauai Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) office at 274-3433.

All hunters who participate in the rifle/muzzleload season must have a valid 2015-16 Hawaii State hunting license on their person while they are hunting. Hunters will also be allowed to take pigs on their assigned hunting weekend and the bag limit will be one pig per hunter per day.

Each firearm hunter is required to wear a blaze-orange shirt or vest, sign-in and out at a hunter checking station, observe legal hunting hours and safety zones and the lawful carriage of firearms during the goat hunting season

ARCHERY ONLY SEASON: Kaua‘i archers must present their 2015-16 Hawai‘i Hunting License in order to obtain their permits starting Monday, June 29, 2015 in the Lihu‘e DOFAW office at 3060 ‘Eiwa St., Room 306. Another person may pick up your permit, but must present your license. Neighbor island archers may pick up an application form now at the DOFAW office on their island and mail it to the Lihu‘e DOFAW office at the address above. Specific instructions are on the application form. Validated archery permits will be mailed to each hunter after application has been received. Unit F and K bow hunters must sign-in and sign-out at either the Waimea Heights, Mango Tree or the Koke‘e Hunter Checking Station. Unit G bow hunters must obtain a Unit G-Archery Pass from the Lihu‘e DOFAW office. Each pass is good for three (3) consecutive days and is free of charge.

Permit-tags are non-transferable between hunters. Hunters must immediately tag their animal upon taking it. Boning of game will be permitted, but the unskinned tail must be left attached to the carcass.

Hunters are reminded to review Title 13, Chapter 123 “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting,” prior to hunting.

Kaua‘i 274-3433 O‘ahu 587-0166
Kamuela 887-6063 Maui 984-8100
Moloka‘i 553-4515
Lana‘i 565-7916
Hilo 974-4221

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Media Contact:

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