The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) has announced the opening of hunting season in the Pu’u Wa’awa’a Forest Reserve (PWW) Youth and Disabled Hunt and Makai Sections.

DLNR-DOFAW has also announced a special Ungulate Control Program for the PWW Mauka section.

The special Youth and Disabled Hunt will be open in the safety zone above the Pu’u Lani subdivision on weekends and state holidays during the month of August 2017. Only youth ages 15 and under and disabled hunters may hunt in this area.

Only one licensed adult hunter may accompany each youth hunter and one licensed, non-hunting assistant may accompany each disabled hunter. The bag limit for the youth and disabled hunt is three non-typical rams and one typical ram per hunter per day. This is also the season limit. Deboning and skinning is allowed. Skull with attached horns must remain intact and genitals must remain attached to the carcass.

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The Makai Archery (below Mamalahoa Highway) season will be open during the four consecutive weekends in August, and during any state holidays that occur during that time (i.e. Aug. 18, 2017; Statehood Day). The bag limit for this hunt is one pig, one non-typical ram, and three goats per hunter per day. This is also the season limit. Deboning and skinning is allowed. The tail and genitalia of harvested animals must remain attached for species and sex identification purposes.

The Makai Muzzleloader season will take place during the three weekends following the archery season, and during any state holidays that occur during that time (i.e. Sept. 4, 2017; Labor Day). The bag limit for this hunt is one pig, one non-typical ram, and three goats per hunter per day. This is also the season limit. Deboning and skinning is allowed. The tail and genitalia of harvested animals must remain attached for species and sex identification purposes.

The PWW Mauka Ungulate Control Program (above Mamalahoa Highway) will be a non-typical ram and feral goat hunt and will take place concurrently with the Makai Muzzleloader season (during the three consecutive weekends following the Makai Archery season, including state holidays). The bag limit will be one non-typical ram and two goats (either sex) per hunter per day. During this program, the 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 interested in participating on the PWW Mauka Ungulate Control Program will be issued permits at the hunter check station on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hunters will need to purchase 2018 goat and ram tags to legally hunt these species in these areas. Tags may be purchased from any Hawai‘i Island DOFAW office and at the PWW Hunter Check Station during the hunt. Exact change of $10 per tag (resident hunters) and $25 per tag (non-resident hunters) is required when purchasing tags at the hunter check station.

The harvest tags will be non-transferable and non-refundable and must be placed through the hind leg of the animal immediately after each kill, and remain tagged until the hunter checks out of the hunting area and arrives home or to their final destination.

Hunters are to check in at the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a check station beginning at 5 a.m. the day of the hunt and must be checked-out by 7:45 p.m. There is no camping allowed in the hunting area on any night before or during the hunt.

For more information, contact the DOFAW office in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063.