Hawaiʻi Island hunting Unit A: rules, bag limits and map
Hawaii Island Unit A is 75,086 acres of DOFAW public hunting land (Mauna Kea Game Management Area (GMA) and Forest Reserve), by the Hawaii Statewide GIS Program's hunting areas layer. DLNR's rules open it to feral pigs, wild sheep and feral goats. Bag limit for feral pigs (rifle, muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, archery): Four pigs per hunter per day. No season limit. It is also a game bird unit (bird unit A). DLNR's adaptive management rules in force since May 18, 2026 set these rules. The nearest town is Paauilo, 9.3 miles away.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: DLNR's exhibits of HAR 13-123 and 13-122 and adaptive management changes. Boundaries and acres: Hawaii Statewide GIS Program.
This unitUnit landOther public hunting areaSafety zone or no huntingHighway
| Island | Hawaiʻi Island |
|---|---|
| Size | 75,086 acres (2.9% of the island) |
| Game mammals | feral pigs, wild sheep and feral goats |
| Game birds | Open (bird unit A) |
| Open periods | Year-round, except on legal game bird hunting days; Year-round |
| Open days | Daily, except on legal fall game bird hunting days, and during spring turkey season (Mar 1- Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.** |
| Safety zones and closed areas | 4 in or touching the unit |
| Nearest towns | Paauilo (9.3 mi), Waimea (10.7 mi) and Laupahoehoe (11 mi) |
| Highways within a mile | Infantry Rd, State Hwy 200 and Humuula Rd |
What are the hunting rules in Hawaii Island Unit A?
DLNR's rule for Unit A, row by row, in its own words. DLNR lists the unit as: Mauna Kea Game Management Area (GMA) and Forest Reserve.
| Game | Means of take | Bag limit | Open period | Open days | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feral pigs | Rifle, muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, archery. Dogs not permitted. | Four pigs per hunter per day. No season limit. | Year-round, except on legal game bird hunting days. | Daily, except on legal fall game bird hunting days, and during spring turkey season (Mar 1- Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.** | Evidence of sex and species waived for sheep and goats. |
| Wild sheep and feral goats | Rifle, muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, archery. Dogs not permitted. | No bag limit. No season limit. | Year-round | Daily, except on legal fall game bird hunting days, and during spring turkey season (Mar 1- Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.** | Evidence of sex and species waived for sheep and goats. |
| Section of Unit A directly across Daniel K. Inouye Highway from Gil Kahele Recreation Area, commonly referred to as "the slice": Wild sheep and feral goats | Archery only. | No bag limit. No season limit. | Year-round | Daily, except on legal fall game bird hunting days, and during spring turkey season (Mar 1- Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.** | Evidence of sex and species waived for sheep and goats. |
Source: DLNR adaptive management amendment, Hawaii Island; HAR Chapter 13-123. Footnote marks (*, **) refer to the exhibit's own notes.
These are the rows of DLNR's adaptive management amendment, effective May 18, 2026, which replaces this unit's line in Exhibit 11 of HAR 13-123 until May 18, 2028.
The rule before the amendment
| Game | Means of take | Bag limit | Open period | Open days | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feral pigs | Rifle, muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, archery. Dogs not permitted. | One pig per hunter per day. No season limit. | Year-round, except on legal game bird hunting days | Daily, except during spring turkey season (Mar 1-Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.** | Evidence of sex and species waived for sheep and goats |
| Wild sheep and feral goats | Rifle, muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, archery. Dogs not permitted. | No bag limit. No season limit. | Year-round | Daily, except during spring turkey season (Mar 1-Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.** | Evidence of sex and species waived for sheep and goats |
What land makes up Hawaii Island Unit A?
| Section | Acres | Status in the GIS layer |
|---|---|---|
| Mauna Kea F.R. & G.M.A. | 75,086 | Hunting Area (Mammal and Bird) |
Source: Hawaii Statewide GIS Program, Hunting Areas (from HAR 13-122 and 13-123; closures after the 2015 rules are marked, later additions may not be). Acres: the layer's own.
Where can't you hunt in or near Unit A?
- Closed section: CLOSED (105 acres)
- Closed section: CLOSED (3,312 acres)
- Closed section: CLOSED (48 acres)
- Closed section: CLOSED (984 acres)
Safety zones and no hunting areas from the same GIS layer. Signs on the ground and DLNR's rules come first.
Which towns and roads are near Hawaii Island Unit A?
Nearest Census places: Paauilo (9.3 miles), Waimea (10.7 miles), Laupahoehoe (11 miles) and Honokaa (11.4 miles). Highways within a mile: Infantry Rd (it crosses or touches the unit), State Hwy 200 (it crosses or touches the unit) and Humuula Rd (it crosses or touches the unit).
Towns and highways: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line and Gazetteer 2024.
License, stamp and hunter education rules: see Hawaii hunting.
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt in Hawaii Island Unit A?
Feral pigs, wild sheep and feral goats, by DLNR's adaptive management exhibit in force since May 18, 2026 for Hawaii Island.
What is the bag limit in Hawaii Island Unit A?
Feral pigs: Four pigs per hunter per day. No season limit. Wild sheep and feral goats: No bag limit. No season limit. DLNR's rules are the final word.
When is Hawaii Island Unit A open?
Feral pigs: Year-round, except on legal game bird hunting days; Daily, except on legal fall game bird hunting days, and during spring turkey season (Mar 1- Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.**. Wild sheep and feral goats: Year-round; Daily, except on legal fall game bird hunting days, and during spring turkey season (Mar 1- Apr 15), when firearm mammal hunting is restricted to elevations above treeline.**. By DLNR's rule.
How big is Hawaii Island Unit A?
75,086 acres, 11% of Hawaii Island's public hunting land and the fourth largest of its 10 units, in the Hawaii Statewide GIS Program's hunting areas layer: Mauna Kea F.R. & G.M.A. (75,086 acres).
Are there closed areas or safety zones in Hawaii Island Unit A?
Yes. The GIS layer marks 4 safety zone or no hunting areas in or touching the unit, including Closed section, Closed section and Closed section.
Get a Hawaii hunt plan when they open
Hawaii plans are not open yet. They are coming soon. Join the waiting list; the first 50 hunters get one plan free.
Use the map while you wait for your plan.
Where these facts come from
- Rules: DLNR exhibits of HAR 13-123 and HAR 13-122, from DLNR's Hawaii Island hunting page.
- Units, sections and acres: Hawaii Statewide GIS Program, Hunting Areas. Towns and highways: U.S. Census Bureau.
FilledTag is not part of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
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