Puu Waawaa hunts to open

The state Division of Forestry and Wildlife announces the opening of the hunting season in the Puu Waawaa Forest Reserve for the Youth and Disabled Hunt and Makai Sections.

The hunt will be open in the safety zone above the Puu Lani subdivision on weekends and state holidays for the month of August. Only children who are 15 years of age or younger and disabled hunters may hunt in this area. Only one adult licensed hunter may accompany each youth hunter and one licensed, non-hunting assistant may accompany each disabled hunter. The bag limit for this 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.

The makai archery season, below Mamalahoa Highway, will take place during the first four consecutive weekends in August, and during Statehood Day on Aug. 21. The bag limit for this hunt is one pig, one non-typical ram, and three goats per hunter per day.

The makai muzzleloader season will take place during the three weekends following the archery season, and during labor Day on Sept. 7.

The 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. The bag limit will be one non-typical ram and two goats, either sex, per hunter per day. For safety purposes, a maximum of 50 permittees will be allowed per day.

Additional information and copies of permit applications may be obtained at both the East and West Hawaii DOFAW offices or online at https://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/.

Hunters may also contact the DOFAW office in Waimea at 887-6063.