Gov. Green extends emergency axis deer proclamation

Gov. Josh Green has extended a state emergency proclamation, now in its 18th incarnation, to help fight prolific herds of voracious axis deer that damage farm crops, overgraze pasture lands and threaten fragile watersheds.

Now expiring on Feb. 25, the proclamation puts the number of deer in Maui County at approximately 60,000 and says such a population “cannot be sustained by the environment.” Scarce vegetation is exacerbated by ongoing drought conditions.

Hunting efforts alone have not sufficiently reduced the deer population, of which some individuals sometimes wander into urban locations like Kahului Airport’s runways and baggage claim areas. The deer have no natural predators, and efforts to turn deer into an economic boon have fallen short so far. The work of a Meat Processing Task Force is ongoing and needs more time, the proclamation says.

The governor’s proclamation directs state and county agencies to provide emergency relief and support to deer control measures, such as: creating buffers; erecting, reinforcing or repairing fence lines to keep deer away from roadways, airports and runways; and taking action to immediately cull axis deer and reduce herds, to provide protection and relief from losses and suffering.

The proclamation suspends various state laws that, if implemented, would delay action to address axis deer overpopulation.

The proclamation’s deer population estimates are lower than other estimations, which vary. A 2021 estimate provided a range for Maui County’s deer herds from 145,000 to 167,000 individuals (60,000 to 70,000 on Maui; 60,000 on Molokaʻi; and 25,000 to 37,000 on Lānaʻi), according to a February 2024 study by the Arizona State University Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems.

The economic impact of deer overpopulation on agricultural crops could be $50 to $275 loss per deer or $80 to $20,000 loss per crop acre, depending on the type of crop, according to the study.

A 2016 University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization study determined that the economic impact of deer on Maui was $2.1 million per year.