DLNR ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF FERAL GOAT AND SHEEP CONTROL PERMITS FOR PU‘U WA‘AWA‘A FOREST RESERVE -- MAKAI AND MAUKA SECTIONS

HILO – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is issuing control permits, starting August 26 for feral goats in the makai portion, and feral sheep in the youth hunt safety zone in the mauka portion of the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Forest Reserve on the island of Hawai‘i.

Makai section
Makai goat control will be conducted on weekends, starting August 29, 2009 and ending October 4, 2009. Because of safety concerns the program will be limited to archery and muzzleloader.

The first three weekends of the program will allow archery for feral goats makai, followed by three weekends of muzzleloader for feral goats makai. Two goats of either sex will be allowed per permittee per day and quartering will be allowed. There will be a four goat limit per permittee for the program.

Mauka section
For feral sheep control in the mauka safety zone, permits will be available for weekends from August 29 through September 20. Because of the large number of applicants expected, participation is limited to only one day per person with 2 polled rams per permittee.

Because of safety concerns, only archery equipment will be permitted. De-boning and quartering will not be allowed; whole carcasses (entrails can be cleaned but with attached genitalia on carcass) need to be inspected at checkout.

Control permits for archery will be assigned by call-ins at Division of Forestry and Wildlife in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on August 26 and September 2 only for the archery portion of the program. A valid hunting license is required to apply for a permit. A maximum of five permittees will be allowed per call for feral goats makai and two permittees per call for feral sheep mauka.

Permittees are to check in at the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a check station starting at 5 a.m. and must be checked-out by 6 p.m.

For the muzzleloader portion of the program, participation will simply be on a first come, first served basis by obtaining a permit at the hunter check station during these hours.

For safety purposes, a maximum of 50 permittees will be allowed per day for feral goats makai and 15 permittees per day for feral sheep mauka. All muzzleloader permittees must wear blaze-orange.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Division of Forestry and Wildlife Offices in Hilo at (808) 974-4221 or in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063.


The announcement for the control hunt is posted on the DOFAW website at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw and is available at the DOFAW Big Island offices.