Ungulate control for feral goat, sheep, and pigs is opening for the Puu Waawaa Forest Reserve in North Kona, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife recently announced.
The special ungulate control program hunts for the reserve’s makai section will run July 18 to 26 for archery and Sept. 19 to 27 for muzzleloader. Hunts for the mauka section are set Aug. 29 to Sept. 27.
The department also announced the opening of the hunting season for youth and disabled hunters and in the makai sections of the reserve.
The youth and disabled hunt season runs Aug. 1 to 30 with the makai archery season from Aug. 1 to 23. The makai muzzleloader season will run Aug. 29 to Sept. 13.
Hunting days for all seasons and ungulate control programs are on weekends and state holidays. Hunters should check in at the Puu Waawaa hunter check-in station beginning at 5 a.m. the day of their hunt and must be checked out by 7:45 p.m. No camping is allowed.
Hunters will need to purchase goat and ram tags to legally hunt these species in these areas. Tags can be purchased by mail or at the Puu Waawaa hunter check-in station on each hunting day between 5 a.m. and noon.
To purchase tags by mail, hunters must send a copy of their 2021 State of Hawaii Hunting License, a check or money order payable to DLNR, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to: 66-1220A Lalamilo Road, Kamuela, HI 96743.
Bag limits for the ungulate control programs are one pig, one nontypical ram, and three goats per hunter per day.