Hunters Needed to Control Feral Cattle in Hilo Watershed

A request has been extended to Friday, Oct. 25, for hunters to help control feral cattle in the Hilo Restricted Watershed.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said access to the area off the Daniel K. Inouye Saddle Road will be granted to one hunter group each Saturday beginning Nov. 16, and running through the end of March 2014.

DLNR officials said feral cattle have been creating environmental problems in the watershed for decades by eating and trampling vegetation.

They said access to the area has been improved recently, which allows the public an opportunity to help the state remove the animals from the forest.

Applications may be obtained at either the East or West Hawaii offices of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, or online at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw.

Applications must consist of a minimum of five and maximum of 10 licensed hunters as a group. Only a single application may be filed by each group and duplicate entries will be discarded.

Hunters will be selected through a random drawing to be held Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the East Hawaii DOFAW office at 19 E. Kawili St. in Hilo.

A four-wheel drive vehicle is required for access to the Hilo Restricted Watershed at Pu‘u ‘O‘o at the 22-mile marker.  ATVs will be allowed on the access roads and parking area. There will be a bag limit of two cattle of either gender per licensed hunter.

Those chosen will also be able to hunt pigs and sheep. No dogs are allowed in the area, however.

Selected applicants must confirm acceptance of their assigned hunt period by calling the East Hawai‘i DOFAW office at (808) 974-4221 no later than noon Wednesday preceding their assignment.

If selected applicants decline or do not call to confirm by the deadline, then a stand-by group will be chosen from the original list of applicants and notified by phone.

For more information, call DOFAW in Hilo at (808) 974-4221.