Hunting Game Mammals in Hawaii

When you are hunting game mammals in public hunting areas in Hawaii, the following rules apply.

When You Can Hunt

You are allowed to hunt from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

What You Must Do When Hunting

According to Hawaii law, you must do the following when you are in a public hunting area.

• You must carry your valid hunting license and required permits or tags with you at all times.
• At established check stations, you must check in before hunting and check out after hunting. If you have a hunter assistant, he or she must do the same.
• While hunting, you are limited to carrying only one legal firearm or archery device that is consistent with the game you are hunting. However, if you are assisting another hunter, you may carry that hunter’s unloaded firearm or archery device.
• If an official representative of the gaming department asks to inspect your gear, you must make it available to him or her.
  • The following are examples of what may be inspected:
    • Firearm or archery equipment
    • Cartridges or muzzleloader firing components
    • Game
    • Hunting license
  • If you refuse the inspection, it is considered a game law violation. This may result in the loss of hunting privileges.

What You Are Not Allowed to Do When Hunting

According to Hawaii law, it is illegal to do the following.

• You may not possess firearm or archery equipment in any public hunting area during a closed season or on non-hunting days.
• You may not possess a loaded firearm or archery device once you have met the bag limit.
• When hunting with a bow, you may not use the following:
  • Longbows with less than 40 pounds of drawing tension at a 28-inch draw
  • Recurved bows with less than 35 pounds of drawing tension
  • Compound bows with less than 30 pounds of drawing tension
• You may not possess any arrows equipped with explosive heads or heads containing drugs or poison. You may only use arrows with a minimum blade cutting diameter width of ¾ of an inch.
• You may not nock an arrow on the bow string if you are not ready to shoot a target. If nocked, the archery equipment is considered loaded.
• You may not possess or use crossbows. Only disabled hunters with a valid permit may use them.

For the complete rules for hunting game mammals and game birds, visit the Division of Forestry and Wildlife website.