Game Bird Hunting Season Opens

By Sonia Isotov

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced yesterday that the 2011-2012 game bird hunting season will open Saturday, November 5.

The fall game bird hunting season will run through Monday, January 16, 2012, with legal hunting days on Saturday, Sunday, and state holidays. A December 31, 2007 appellate court ruling determined that no game bird stamp sales are allowed for hunting. A valid hunting license only is required for all game bird hunting on public and private lands. All game bird hunting is regulated by Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 13, Chapter 122, online at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw, under Administrative Rules.

Department biologists are predicting a below average season of bird hunting, with lingering drought impacts in many parts of the state.

On the island of Maui, the Kula Forest Reserve and Cooperative Lease Area and the Kahakuloa GMA and West Maui Forest Reserve, and the Kahakuloa Natural Area Reserve will be open for game bird hunting on Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays for the entire season. Game mammal hunting will be closed on open game bird season days.

On the island of Molokai, the Molokai Forest Reserve will be open for game bird hunting on Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays for the entire season. Game mammal hunting will be closed on open game bird season days.

On the island of Lanai, the Cooperative GMA will be open for game bird hunting Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays for the entire game bird season. The following special conditions apply: 1) access to hunting unit #3 will be only by the main perimeter roads (“Guard Road” and “No. 57 Road”), 2) abandoned field plot roads are closed for safety reasons; and 3) hunters are also reminded that no hunter vehicle access or parking will be allowed on Polihua Road, Kaumalapau Highway, or Keomuku Highway. The only exception is the use of Polihua Road to access Kaena and #7 Road.