LIHU‘E — The state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Tuesday the guidelines for the upcoming feral goat hunting season on Kaua‘i, reminding hunters that permits must be obtained beforehand. Pursuant to Hawai‘i Revised Statues, Title 13, Chapter 123,
LIHU‘E — The state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Tuesday the guidelines for the upcoming feral goat hunting season on Kaua‘i, reminding hunters that permits must be obtained beforehand.
Pursuant to Hawai‘i Revised Statues, Title 13, Chapter 123, “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting,” no permit or tag fees will be assessed during the 2012 Kaua‘i goat hunting season, the DLNR states in a press release.
Archery season
Kaua‘i archers must present their 2012-13 Hawai‘i Hunting License in order to obtain permits starting June 25 in the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife office at 3060 Eiwa St., Room 306, Lihu‘e. Another person may pick up the permit, but must present the hunter’s license.
Unit K season goes from July 21 through Oct. 28 on weekends and state holidays. Bow hunters must sign in and sign out at either the Waimea Heights or the Koke‘e Hunter Checking Station.
Unit G is open year-round daily, but bow hunters must obtain a Unit G-Archery Pass from the DOFAW office. Each pass is good for three consecutive days and is free of charge.
Unit F is open from July 1 through Nov. 25 on weekends and state holidays.
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 from July 14 to Sept. 2 on weekends only.
The deadline for submitting applications for the muzzleloader hunt is June 8 at 4 p.m. Specific information may be obtained on the application form. Hunters are allowed limited vehicle 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. Call DOFAW at 274-3433 for more information on the access.
Regular rifle season
Applications for the 2012 Kaua‘i Goat Rifle season in Units B, E and H are now available at all participating hunting license vendors on Kaua‘i and all DOFAW offices.
A maximum of eight hunters may apply together as a hunting group (no exceptions).
Rifle hunters will be assigned two weekends: One weekend in Hunting Unit H on the Na Pali Coast and another weekend in Hunting Units B and E of Waimea Canyon.
The season duration is from July 14 to September 2 on weekends only. Specific information may be obtained on the application form. The deadline for submitting applications for the regular rifle hunt is June 8 at 4 p.m.
The public drawing to assign hunting dates will be held in the Lihu‘e State Office Building Conference Room June 13 at 4 p.m.
All hunters who participate in the rifle season must have a valid 2012-13 Hawai‘i State hunting license on their person while they are hunting. Hunters will have the option of using a conventional rifle, muzzleloader rifle, handgun or archery equipment on their assigned hunting weekend, but may carry only one means of take while actually hunting.
Pigs and tails
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.
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.
Each firearm hunter is required to wear a blaze-orange shirt or vest, sign-in and out at a designated hunter checking station, observe legal hunting hours and safety zones and the lawful carriage of firearms during the goat hunting season. Hunters are reminded to review Title 13, Chapter 123 “Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting,” prior to hunting.
Report game law violators to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement by calling 643-DLNR (3567).
