Hunt Hawaii: 2026-2027 Season Dates, Licenses & Big Game Opportunities
If you’ve been waiting for a clean breakdown of the Hawaii hunting schedule, this is the page for you. Below, We will walk you through the 2026-2027 calendar exactly as the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) has published it — open dates, method-specific windows, lottery draws, junior days, and the small legal details that trip people up every year. Whether you live here year-round or you’re planning a one-off island trip, take ten minutes before you pack a rifle. Hawaii’s regulations don’t look like anything on the mainland, and a missed signature can turn a legal pursuit into a citation real fast.
📅 Quick Reference Points
Before the deep dive, here’s the at-a-glance summary so you can decide what you actually want to read next.
| Species / Hunt Type | Open Window (2026-2027) | Allowed Methods | Youth Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Deer (Lānaʻi) | Feb 4 – May 31, 2026 (lottery) and July 15, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027 (archery) | Archery, muzzleloader, rifle | March 6 – March 8, 2026 |
| Mouflon Sheep (Lānaʻi) | Lotteried annual season – apply in advance | Rifle muzzleloader | Selected youth applicants |
| Feral Pig (most units) | Year-round on private land; Unit A Feb 1 – May 31, 2026; select units Sept – Dec | Firearms, archery, dogs | With adult supervision |
| Feral Goat (Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi) | Year-round in many units | Rifle, shotgun, archery | Same as adult |
| Wild Turkey (Hawaiʻi Island) | Spring: March 1 – April 15, 2026 / March 1 – April 15, 2027 (46 consecutive days) | Shotgun, archery | N/A (must be adult-proportioned permit) |
| Game Birds – Francolin & Dove | First Saturday in November → last Sunday in January (weekends & state holidays) on most units; extended spotted/barred dove openers on Hawaiʻi Island | Shotgun, archery | Youth may participate when accompanied |
| Migratory Waterfowl | Aligned to the federal framework – opens in early October, closes late January | Shotgun (plugged), non-toxic shot required | Same bag limits as adults |
Bag limits, lottery deadlines, and unit-by-unit splits are confirmed on the DOFAW Hunting Announcements page before you head out.
🦌 Big Game Overview – Axis Deer & Mouflon Sheep
Hawaii doesn’t have elk. It doesn’t have bear, pronghorn, moose, or bighorn ram. What it does have is axis deer (introduced in 1867) and mouflon-feral hybrids that roam Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, and pockets of Hawaiʻi Island. These are the marquee big game pursuits the state runs each year, and they’re tightly controlled because herd numbers, rainfall, and private ranching leases all factor into tag allocation.
Archery Season
| Island | Dates | Permit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiʻi Island | July 15 – July 26, 2026 | None (open public land, routine checks) | Daily hunting, no lottery |
| Hawaiʻi Island | July 31 – Aug 2, 2026 | None | Youth hunt weekend (under 18 w/ adult) |
| Lānaʻi | July 15 – 26, 2026 + Sept – Feb (lottery) | Landowner’s tag from Lānaʻi Co. | Limited non-resident slots |
| Molokaʻi | Typically Aug – Nov depending on unit | Public land permit | Check unit-by-unit map |
Rifle / Modern Gun
| Island | Dates | Permit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lānaʻi Draw Hunts | Feb 4 – 8, 2026, Feb 11 – 15, 2026 | Lottery required | Online application via Go Hunt Hawaii |
| Lānaʻi General Rifle | March 20 – May 31, 2026 (weekends only) | Hunting license + rifle endorsement | Hunters drawn in lottery |
| Hawaiʻi Island | Aug 15 – Oct 11, 2026 | None (open public land) | Longest continental window for deer |
| Molokaʻi | Aug – Nov (weekends & holidays) | Public land permit | Some units require goat/deer combo |
Muzzleloader
| Island | Dates | Permit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiʻi Island | Aug 7 – 9, 2026 | None (open public land) | Three-day window only |
| Lānaʻi | Two muzzleloader draws (Married & Sept windows) | Lottery required | Public drawings usually in December |
| Molokaʻi | Limited muzzleloader weekends inside Aug – Nov | Public land permit | Check the unit-specific map |
To avoid a wasted trip, run your final eyeball check on the 2026 Lānaʻi Axis Deer hunting announcement PDF. That single document lists the application deadline, the lottery venue, and the exact muzzleloader/riffle splits that get missed on most calendars circulating online.
🦃 Turkey Dates – Spring, Fall and Youth Hunts
The wild turkey, descended from birds stocked by the state in the 1950s, lives almost entirely on Hawaiʻi Island between roughly 2,500 and 6,500 feet elevation. There is no fall turkey season in Hawaii as you’d see on the mainland. The only legal hunt is a tightly managed spring gobbler opener.
| Phase | Dates | Permit / Stamp | Bag Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Bearded Turkey | March 1 – April 15, 2026 | Hunting license + special spring turkey permit | 1 bearded bird per day, 3 per season | Shotgun, archery – no rifles |
| Spring Bearded Turkey (2027 mirror) | March 1 – April 15, 2027 | Same as 2026 | Same as 2026 | Shotgun, archery |
| Kipuka Ainahou Unit | March 1 – March 31 daily | Walk-in permit from DOFAW Hilo | 1 bearded bird/day | Shotgun only |
| Restricted Youth Hunt | Operating in select Kipuka areas annually | Selected by lottery | Strict 1-bird limit | Same as adult |
The 2027 spring season is expected to mirror 2026 verbatim, given how stable the calendar has been for nearly a decade. Still, browse the Hawaii Turkey Season state page before booking flights — DLNR reserves the right to shorten or delay the opener if avian influenza or drought conditions warrant.
🦝 Furbearer Opportunities
The phrase “trapline” barely exists in the islands, but a handful of small predators are fair game. Wild cats, mongooses, and feral pigs cause the most ecological damage to native forests, so the state encourages control harvests wherever they’re safe.
| Species | Open Dates | License Required | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feral Pigs (Private Land) | Year-round | Standard hunting license | Snare, rifle, shotgun, dogs |
| Feral Pigs (Unit A) | Feb 1 – May 31, 2026 | Hunting license + goat/deer/pig permit ($10 resident) | Firearms, dog allowed |
| Feral Pigs (Unit D) | Weekends + state holidays, June – August | Same as above | Same as above |
| Feral Goats (Kauaʻi) | Year-round | Hunting license | Rifle, archery (no off-season limit) |
| Coyote | Not present in Hawaii | N/A | N/A |
| Bobcat | Not present in Hawaii | N/A | N/A |
| Raccoon | Not present in Hawaii | N/A | N/A |
Hawaii is unusual in that you’ll almost never need an outfitter, but you do need the right paperwork. The most common mistake is hunting Unit E or H without paying for the $10 resident goat/deer/pig permit. Without it, the harvest is illegal even if you paid for the basic license and conservation stamp.
🐦 Small Game – Game Birds
Hawaii offers an honest upland bird calendar once you set aside your mainland expectations. You’ll find francolin (gray, black, and Erckel’s), three dove species (spotted, barred, mourning), pheasant (limited releases), and California quail mostly on Hawaiʻi Island.
| Species | Unit / Island | Dates | Bag Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francolin | Most islands (statewide) | First Sat of Nov – last Sun of Jan (weekends & state holidays) | 10 per day, 30 in possession | Shotgun, archery |
| Dove (Public Land) | Statewide | First Sat of Nov – last Sun of Jan (weekends/holidays) | 10 per day, 30 in possession | Shotgun, archery, falconry |
| Dove (Private Land) | Statewide | Same as public (weekends honor extended window) | Same | Smooth-bore only on weekends |
| Spotted Dove (Hawaiʻi Island) | Specific Kipuka areas | Oct 2 – Oct 25, 2026 | Static-by-unit | Shotgun |
| Barred Dove (Hawaiʻi Island) | Lower-elevation Kipuka | Feb 7 – March 28, 2027 | 10 per day | Shotgun |
| California Quail (Hawaiʻi Island) | Limited habitat | Same as dove fortnight | 6 per day | Shotgun, archery |
| Pheasant (Hawaiʻi Island) | State release areas only | First Sat of Nov – last Sun of Jan | 2 per day | Shotgun |
Mourning dove closes earlier than the rest of the dove complex. For most hunters, the mourning dove window ends January 11 of any given year, even though francolin continues through late January.
Always check the official Game Bird Hunting announcement archive for the 2026-2027 PDF once it’s posted — under federal banding protocols, even small shifts in season window affect possession limits.
🦆 Waterfowl – Migratory Birds
Duck hunting in Hawaii is sparse but real, mostly on the wetlands of Oʻahu (Pearl Harbor area, James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge), Hanalei on Kauaʻi, and Kīlauea on Hawaiʻi Island. Hawaii follows the federal migratory bird framework published in the Federal Register each year, then adds state-specific constraints (no live decoys, non-toxic shot only, no Sunday hunting).
| Species | Dates (estimated, framework-dependent) | Bag Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ducks (most species) | Early October 2026 → late January 2027 | Varies (koloa Maile stilt, mallard, etc.) | Shotgun (plugged, non-toxic shot) |
| Geese | Mid-Oct 2026 → Feb 2027 | Varies | Same as ducks |
| Coots & Gallinules | Same windows | Varies | Same as ducks |
| Snipe | Federal window typically Oct – Feb | 8/day, 16 in possession | Same |
Waterfowl hunters must purchase the $10 State Waterfowl Stamp in addition to the standard license. Federal rules require no live decoys and steel, bismuth, or tungsten shot is mandatory for ducks and geese. A HIP (Harvest Information Program) validation is also still required, even though you’d think Hawaii’s tally is too small to register; skip it and you’ll be cited.
🐗 Other Available Game
A few species confuse even seasoned hunters because they’re treated under different chapters of Hawaii Administrative Rules. Don’t skip this section.
| Species | Open Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Pigeon (rock dove / feral pigeon) | Year-round on private land | No limit; considered nuisance |
| Crow (not present in Hawaii) | N/A | The Hawaiian crow (‘Alalā) is federally protected |
| Sandhill Crane | N/A in Hawaii | Migration corridor is far north of the islands |
| Bullfrog (introduced) | Year-round on private land | No bag limit; considered invasive |
Wild Cattle (paniolo feral herds) | Limited; only by special DOFAW authorization | Protected unless DOFAW opens a control hunt |
If you came to Hawaii chasing elk or black bear, you booked the wrong flight. Save those trips for Colorado, Oregon, or Idaho, where big-game species are managed like the mainland.
🗺️ Hunting Zones (Game Management Areas)
Hawaii organizes the islands into roughly sixteen Game Management Areas (GMAs) and subdivisions labeled Unit A through Unit P. These units decide what species you can target and during what window. Most of the state-managed property is in the upland forests — that’s where the deer come down at dawn and where the francolin cluster around native food sources.
- Kauaʻi: Units A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M
- Oʻahu: Units A, B, C (firearms + archery in different splits)
- Molokaʻi: Units A, B, C, D
- Lānaʻi: Single island, lottery-managed
- Maui: Units A, B, C, D, E, F
- Hawaiʻi Island: Units A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K
Visit the DOFAW Game Management Areas map page for the latest polygon overlays. A single unit closure will wreck your trip, so don’t trust last year’s screenshot — verify before you hike in. Always confirm whether you are hunting public or private land; trespass citations are common around Lānaʻi and the Big Island slopes where ranch fences run invisible.
🎟️ Permits, Tags & Licenses
The license structure is the part most hunters get wrong. Hawaii’s menu has a lot of small items, and each of them unlocks a separate door. A resident who buys the base license will not magically have a muzzleloader stamp. A non-resident needs to plan ahead for the lottery hit.
| License / Permit | Resident | Non-Resident | Senior (65+) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Hunting License | $10 | $95 | $5 (resident only) | Valid July 1 – June 30 |
| Wildlife Conservation Stamp | Included | Included | Included | Don’t buy separately |
| Game Bird Stamp | $10 | $10 | $10 | Required for upland birds |
| State Waterfowl Stamp | $10 | $10 | $10 | Required for ducks |
| HIP Validation | Free | Free | Free | Federal migratory bird program |
| Goat / Deer / Pig Permit (Units E & H) | $10 | $25 | $10 | Required for some public land |
| Lānaʻi Axis Deer Tag | $20 | $100 | $20 | Selected by lottery |
| Mouflon Sheep Ewe Tag | $20 | $100 | $20 | Lottery application |
| Spring Turkey Permit (Hawaiʻi Island) | Free | Free | Free | Issued at DOFAW Hilo office |
| Military / Disability | Same fee as civilians; reduced where flagged | Same | Same | Active military not auto-discounted |
A non-resident living outside the state for fewer than 12 months is treated the same as a resident — that’s it, the rule. Plan early enough that your Hawaii hunting license arrives via the online portal well before you board your flight. To lock in everything in one place, including fees, the application portal, and the link to bag-stamp photos, use the Hawaii Hunting License guide.
❓ Hawaii Hunting Quick FAQ
Q1: Do I need a hunter education card before buying my license?
Yes. Hawaii honors a hunter education card issued by any US state, Mexico, or Canada. Without it, the online portal won’t unlock the application.
Q2: Can I ship my harvested axis deer back to the mainland?
You can ship processed venison after a state meat inspector signs off. Field-dressed carcasses are inspected at approved processors on Oʻahu and the Big Island.
Q3: What is the best island for an out-of-state first-timer?
Lānaʻi for axis-deer lottery hunters; Kauaʻi for a relaxed pig/goat DIY experience; Hawaiʻi Island for upland birds and turkey.
Q4: Are blackpowder rifles treated differently than modern rifles?
Yes. Muzzleloaders have their own weekend windows on Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island, and they require a separate signed approval.
Q5: How do I run a lottery application?
Everything goes through Go Hunt Hawaii. Set up an account, link your proof of residency, and submit before the deadline. Late entries are not put in a bucket.
Q6: Is there an elk, bear, or wolf hunt in Hawaii?
None of these exist in the islands. There are no elk to chase, no feral bears, and no wolves — this is a tropical archipelago.
Q7: Can I hunt Sunday in Hawaii?
Migratory waterfowl, francolin, and dove are weekend hunts, so Sunday is included. Game mammals like axis deer and mouflon are weekends and state holidays only, never plain weekdays — except in the firearm season Hawaiʻi Island keeps open Friday-through-Monday during August.
Conclusion
Hawaii runs a tight, well-documented calendar, and the cleanest way to have a successful 2026-2027 season is to pick one species, study its unit split, and commit a single permit fee. Lottery hunts (Lānaʻi axis deer, mouflon sheep, special Kipuka turkey units) close weeks before the season opens, so don’t wait. Public land game mammals on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, and Molokaʻi are far more flexible — buy the permit, study the map, and start scouting access roads well before the bell. Always recheck the DOFAW Hunting Announcements page before each weekend, confirm with the field office when in doubt, and trail out with license, stamp, photo ID, hunter-education card, unit map, and a printed announcement. Bookmark this page. Update dates each June. And remember — Hawaii’s wild spaces are fragile; a clean field dress and a tag-in at the check station keeps the seasons running for everyone.