Why It Matters: If they are left unmanaged, axis deer populations can grow to unsustainable rates on Maui Nui, harming the local watersheds and native wildlife and their habitat. Maui Nui, consisting of the Maui County islands of Maui, Lana’l, Moloka’I and Kaho’olawe, has experienced large populations of axis deer leading to several emergency proclamations and state management programs. As a part of this overall management effort of this invasive species, the Hawaii DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) recently announced monetary incentives for landowners willing to help control the axis deer population.
Highlights:
- If left unmanaged, axis deer populations will continue to grow at a rate that is unsustainable, impacting native plant species and native birds.
- Hawaii’s DOFW is incentivizing landowner participation in the effort to manage the population.
- Axis deer control contracts will run for one year from December 2024 through December 2025 for qualifying landowners.
Causing over $1 Million dollars in damage to watersheds and native plants, Axis deer populations had previously exceeded what the ecosystem can support on Maui Nui and continue to be an issue if their populations are allowed to grow unchecked. The Hawaii Division of Forests and Wildlife (DOFAW) recently celebrated population numbers surveying at 18,000, a great reduction from the estimate of 60,000 in 2022. DOFAW aims to keep the population at or below 20,000 to strike a balance for landowners, watersheds, habitat, native birds, and axis deer. While the new population count fits within the state’s goals, there is still more work to be done. Unmanaged populations of axis deer can increase by 20-30% each year, making a well-managed active hunting program a key component to maintaining healthy populations of axis.
With a large portion of the Axis deer congregating on private land, the support of landowners will be vital to the success of any population management program. In recognition of this need, DOFAW recently announced the renewal of their Axis Deer Landowner Incentive Program. The award of $25-$50 per axis deer tail encourages landowners to hunt axis deer so that the population can be maintained at sustainable levels. This is somewhat similar, in practice, to big game landowner vouchers that are issued in other western states to encourage public access and sustainable hunter harvest. The parameters of the program ensure that deer will be harvested utilizing legal hunting and take methods and that the removals fit into DOFAW’s 10% deer to acreage take ratio. Take for the program is calculated by dividing the total acreage being submitted in an application by 10 using an acreage ratio of 10%. For example: If a landowner requests a proposal to conduct deer control on 30,000 acres, then utilizing the 10% ratio, that landowner’s calculated take is 3,000 deer. Landowner proposals are due to the state on November 25, 2024, and winning proposals will be granted around December 15, 2024. Those contracts will remain open for one year.
Under the managerial capability portion of the program’s evaluation criteria, landowners are asked if they currently allow any form of hunting on the parcels identified in their application. Land access for hunters can be one of the largest hurdles to successful management under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. As Hawaii continues its work to manage axis deer population on Maui Nui, it will be important to look at programs that encourage hunter access to maintain a steady population rate as opposed to boom and bust cycles. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) will continue to encourage regulations that support a balanced approach to the North American Model of Wildlife Management while promoting hunter participation and access.
