So the law that protects traditional subsistence practices applies, just barely, to a wildly destructive invasive species. Home to the largest population of free range Axis deer, the 90,000-acre Hawaiian island of Lanai is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular hunting destinations in the world. The 2023 State Axis Deer Hunt opened on Wednesday, February 1. In part, this is what makes the challenge of hunting Axis deer so alluring. I anxiously scuffed my boots on the chalky caliche moonscape as a skunk rooted obliviously through nearby prickly pear . But they dont taste so good, he laughed. Copyright Maui News | https://www.mauinews.com | 100 Mahalani Street, Wailuku, HI 96793 | 808-242-6363, We understand that deer populations also contribute to the subsistence hunting lifestyle and cultural practices of residents on Maui, Molokai and Lanai,, Thus, we are asking state lawmakers to appropriate funds to help substantially reduce and manage the axis deer overpopulation provided that the population is managed properly rather than eradicated., I like hunting because culturally and spiritually I love to be close to the land and the ocean and be a part of it all,, I also love the challenge of the hunt and the satisfaction of eating something I worked hard to attain., Best management practices depend on the objectives and community desires,, For Maui, any management strategy should be island-based (a Maui strategy is not appropriate for Molokai or Lanai), community-driven and should include meaningful consultation, input and participation from kanaka maoli., (I had) a split-second decision of whether to swerve into the other lane and hit another car or hold on and hit the deer,, But you hit a deer going 55 (mph) on Haleakala (Highway)?, brake, dont swerve. These cookies do not store any personal information. If motorists see deer, they should look for the rest of the herd because there are probably more, Sellers said. The 2021 Lnai Axis Deer and Mouflon Sheep Season will consist of four (4) hunts: The Archery Hunt will be held over 12 consecutive days, beginning May 26, 2021 and ending on June 6, 2021. A deer species indigenous to western parts of North America, the mule deer was introduced to the Kauai Island of Hawaii by humans. The Lnai resident public drawing will be held at 9:00am at the same above location. Traditional visual and aerial surveys, often used by state Department of Land and Natural Resources for state lands, are probably 50 percent accurate, he said. So the deer provide subsistence, but they also might take some away. All eligible Youth, Muzzleloader and General Rifle participants must check in either on the Wednesday preceding their assigned hunting date between 8:00am and 7:00 PM or on Thursday and Friday between the hours of 7:00am to 9:00am and from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Forestry and Wildlife Office in Lnai City to acquire their tags. There is usually wind on the Hawaiian Islands and keeping the wind in your favor is a must. A lottery drawing for the Archery Hunt will be conducted to assign hunting dates, with no limit on the number of archers who will be allowed to participate. The process of harvesting a wild animal has crazy amounts of overhead that go into it, says Muise. (Courtesy Hawaii DLNR). 2023 Lnai Axis Deer Season Details Posted on Aug 2, 2022 The State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is pleased to announce that applications for the 2023 Lnai Axis Deer hunting season will be available to the public online beginning Monday August 15, 2022. But there are many mammals traversing the eight main islands in the archipelago today. The gift-givers were from Hong Kong, then a colony of Britain. Its time to up your hunting game and get ready to chase big. Game mammal tags can also be purchased online at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/hunting/ by clicking on Purchase Tags and Permits. Bagshaw also said hunters have told him that they dont take does when theyre with fawns. And the axis deer, of course, had arrived a couple of decades prior to that date. I like hunting because culturally and spiritually I love to be close to the land and the ocean and be a part of it all, said Keoni Wong, a Native Hawaiian and Pukalani resident who grew up hunting. Here are the common rules to hunt on both public and private properties: 1.If you are a non-resident, you have to pay a certain amount as the permit fee. Note that unit boundaries and closures may have changed since the creation of these maps. Especially Axis Deer Hunting Hawaii, which is popular due to its high protein meat and demand in the international market. Based on aerial survey data and population target levels, additional doe tags may be available at the Lanai . 3.Apart from the license, you should also carry a safety card and a letter of exception. While Hawaii was perfectly capable of feeding its own population prior to European contact, the late 19th and early 20th centuries destroyed Hawaiian agriculture. Given all of this, its not unreasonable to wonder whether the deer should simply be completely eradicated from Hawaii. On Lanai, for example, the 3,100 or so residents rely in large part on the barges that deliver their food. It is legal to give hunted meat to anyone you want, in the United States, but to sell it, it has to be inspected. Receive news and updates from Pure Hunting straight to your inbox. I failed to remember that on this buck and I was hoping for another opportunity, but its the last day of our hunt and were forced to call an end to our Axis deer adventure. Well done. But Jeff Bagshaw with the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife Maui Branch says there could be more and they're wreaking havoc on the natural vegetation. Its a far cry from chasing late-season elk in Montana and would put you more in the mind of spring turkey hunting with daytime temps reaching into the 70s and 80s. MAKAWAO Experts say axis deer numbers are rising on Maui, and lawmakers are looking for ways to manage an invasive species considered both environmentally destructive and desirable for hunting. There shouldnt be many wild mammals, period; the only endemic mammal in Hawaii, besides marine mammals, is a single species of bat. The overbearing and nonsensical amount of regulation regarding axis deer in Hawaii has been influenced by the liberal Democrat government which has been in place there for many years. On Maui and Molokai, there is no bag limit and there is no season, says Bagshaw. They were presented as a gift from Hong Kong to the ruler at the time, King Kamehameha, and by 1959, they had made their way to Maui. They have been here this long & we a gift. Muise said core areas for deer are Upcountry from Paia up to Ulupalakua from sea level to 7,000 feet along with a large population in Kaupo. of starvation by the hundredsalthough not in large enough numbers to put their population in any jeopardy. In 2001, a working group formed to tackle the problem never got past a draft plan, Penniman said. Axis deer, also known as chital, are indigenous to India but were brought to Hawaii in the 1860s as a present from Hong Kong to King Kamehameha V. Since then, the population of axis deer has skyrocketed, and they can now be found on several Hawaiian islands, including Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. To take on the axis deer problem, Gov. However, for the best hunting experience, one must follow the Hawaii Hunting Tips. The crash also caused about $700 in damage to the company truck, according to Aiko Da Silva, Chris Curtis Landscapes co-owner. I would say the axis deer are an existential threat to the Maui ecology that we know and love Theyre just going to overrun us," Gerry Ross, the owner of Kupaa Farms on Maui, told KHON2. Have areas that are more accessible to hunters. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You can also enter the axis deer season lottery for a chance to win a free tag. 4.If the hunter brings his/her own gun, its compulsory to register it with the local police department before the hunt. There were 20 deer collisions in 2018. I really do not have much to say. The deer population now is garnering the kinds of concerns that were hoping for people to see this is a huge problem on Molokai.. But with no natural predators on Molokai, the population has exploded, and there now are an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 deer on. Vehicle and deer collisions in 2019 more than doubled from the year before, according to Maui Police Department data. Chital, known locally as axis deer, originally hail from South Asia where their populations are moderated by everything from tigers to crocodiles. Much of Hawaiis lands are privately owned DLNRs land only accounts for about 25% of the states lands. There plenty of Axis deer on the Lanai landscape. Axis deer can be hunted on Maui, Lanai, and Molokai from March to October. The first draw hunt will begin on February 1, 2023, and end on February 12, 2023. You could also sell the fur tourists would buy like crazy. 2.Its mandatory to complete a hunter education course and avail a Hawaiian Hunting license from The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to be able to hunt in Hawaii. 1. However, interested archers must apply for this hunt by submitting an application. That same cost of installing fencing can eat into farmers profits too much for it to be worth it. They were introduced from Asia in the 1860's and flourished on the landscape. We understand that deer populations also contribute to the subsistence hunting lifestyle and cultural practices of residents on Maui, Molokai and Lanai, county spokesman Christopher Sugidono said this week. Copyright 2023, State of Hawaii. Stay in your lane; swerving could make you lose control of your vehicle or hit another vehicle., If it is still alive but injured, it could be dangerous to approach,, They dont have the same equipment we have,, Anecdotally, it seems like deer numbers are increasing, but I would not want to hazard a guess as to current population numbers,, So many things can affect population levels: drought, flooding, habitat changes, hunting pressure, disease, etc.,, Longer-term observations, along with collection of other relevant data (e.g., precipitation, hunter harvests, birth and mortality rates), are important for interpreting the data correctly., Deer move around whether its wet or dry, and theyre going to increase or decrease whether its wet or dry,, The reason why we say theyre increasing is because we know their range is continuing to expand from where they were., effective management of a very invasive species is something we support., There are a lot of examples throughout the U.S. and the world that show how you can effectively manage deer or other ungulates,, There are templates out there, and if we are able to implement those (Maui County) could be effective., We want to take an invasive species and utilize that animal,, The state Legislature has promoted local and sustainable food production and agree that axis deer pose a significant threat to local economies by destroying crops and competing with livestock for forage,, Its unfortunate there wasnt sustainable funding for management of axis deer on Maui,. Applications for the 2023 Lnai Axis Deer hunting season will be available for purchase soon. The natural inclination of a hunter is to move on to the next animal, Bagshaw said. Axis deer were first brought to the islands in the 1860s. They have since expanded into 92 Counties and have a current estimated population of up to 125,000 animals according to Exotic Wildlife Association. For the axis deer season, an archery deer tag is $125. When we first started our Axis herd, we bought 11 deer. Download it here. Although the axis deer has been roaming the Hawaiian island of Maui since the 1950s, the invasive species is depleting the island's natural resources. So to tackle this problem, the government allowed axis deer hunting Hawaii in several public and private islands. An Axis deer lottery application is available for $10 from the lottery office. Just before dark, we had to call it a day. Hunter assistants will only be allowed to accompany hunters who are senior citizens (age 65 or older) or disabled. The challenging terrain is undoubtedly going to excite young hunters all the more. They carry a particular parasite that is devastating to the Marine environment on the islands. What if the forrestry service sold the meat locally- commercially. I expectRead more . Then after a few years, they were introduced in other Hawaiian islandsLanai and Maui to increase the hunting opportunities. Also, the Maui County Council this week discussed deer management and called MISC manager Adam Radford as an expert. Muise grew up in an extremely rural part of far northern Alberta, and the self-reliant subsistence he learned there carried over to a place thats about as different, ecologically, as any place on the planet. Axis deer, which are sometimes known as chital, are native to Sri Lanka, parts of India and Nepal. 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