State to conduct control measures for feral goats, sheep on Big Island mountains

Parts of several areas in the saddle region between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa will be temporarily restricted later this month as the state takes action to control the number of feral ungulates roaming around the Big Island’s mountainsides.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife plans to trap mouflon/feral sheep hybrids and staff control and/or aerial shooting from helicopters for feral goats and sheep as well as mouflon and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids within critical habitat of the palila, an endemic finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreeper, in Unit A of the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve, Unit K of the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve, Palila Mitigation Lands and Unit G of the Kaʻohe Game Management Area.

The animal control efforts are scheduled for Oct. 30.

Public access to the lands named above along with Mauna Kea Hunter Access Road will be restricted, allowed by permit only for animal salvage purposes at 7 a.m. Oct. 30.

The temporary closure is necessary to minimize the dangers of incompatible uses in the forested areas and safely conduct the animal control activities.

The Halepōhaku, Kilohana and Puʻu Koʻohi Unit A and Unit G gated entrances and the gate behind Gilbert Kahele Recreation Area will be locked at 8 p.m. Oct. 29 and reopened at 7 p.m. Oct. 30.

The Mauna Kea Observatory Road will remain open. The portion of Unit A of the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve south of Gilbert Kahele Recreation Area and bordering Pōhakuloa Training Area also will stay open for mammal hunting.

Aerial shooting of the animals is required for compliance with a federal court order mandating the removal of feral sheep and goats from critical palila habitat.

Copies of the map illustrating the area subject to aerial shooting are available for inspection at the Division of Forestry and Wildlife office in Hilo.

Because of expected high public participation, call-ins to the Hilo office at 808-974-4221 for receiving animal salvage permits will be accepted from 9 a.m. Oct. 23 through 10 a.m. Oct 29.

One permit will be issued per call per vehicle for one day. Name of the driver, occupants and license plate number are needed when calling.

A maximum of 15 permitted vehicles will be allowed at each of the Puʻu Mali and Puʻu Ahumoa location.

Applicants can be placed on a standby list for additional days if not already filled; however, no standbys waiting at the gates will be allowed access.

There is no guarantee animals will be available for salvage. Carcasses taken during the shoot will be available for salvage as of 7 a.m. sharp at Puʻu Ahumoa. Those with permits must meet at the Kilohana check-in station.

Four-wheel drive is required. The salvage location also is subject to change.

Contact the Division of Forestry and Wildlife in Hilo at 808-974-4221 for additional details regarding meat salvage or access permits.