Pūpūkea Forest Reserve

Pūpūkea Forest Reserve consists of approximately 782 acres of public land located on the north shore of Oʻahu. The reserve was established by Governor’s Proclamation in 1910 to conserve and protect the remaining forest and increase local water supply. Several non-native timber plantations were established in the reserve as part of a reforestation effort in the early 1900’s . Today, vegetation is dominated by non-native forest, although some native forest and native shrublands still exist in the southeast portion of the reserve.

Game mammal and Game bird hunting opportunities are offered on the six major islands in the State of Hawai‘i: (Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i and the big island of Hawai‘i). Each of these islands has one or more State-designated public hunting areas (called Hunting Units), which are open for hunting at certain times during each year. Game mammal and game bird hunting opportunities are also available on private lands as well. Occasionally, the Division of Forestry & Wildlife (DOFAW) may modify or cancel a hunting season in a particular area to adjust for changes in weather conditions or animal populations.

Division of Forestry and Wildlife Hunting Website

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/hunting/

Game Mammal Hunting Rules and Exhibits

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/files/2013/09/HAR-123-Game-Mammals.pdf

Game Bird Hunting Rules and Exhibits

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/files/2013/09/HAR-122-Game-Birds.pdf

Additional Information

Activities

Hiking

Hunting

Rules & Regulations

Dogs Permitted

No Illegal Substances

No Unmanned Aircrafts

Accessibility Description

Public access to Pūpūkea Forest Reserve is available via Pūpūkea Road, which terminates at the gated entrance to the reserve. Public vehicular access is not permitted in the reserve.

The Kaunala trail is the only trail within Pūpūkea Forest Reserve. Managed by Nā Ala Hele, the State of Hawai‘i trail and access program, the 2.5 mile trail is restricted to hikers and mountain bikers for use on weekends and holidays. Additional information can be found at the Nā Ala Hele website.

Management

Current management activities carried out by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife include:

Nā Ala Hele trail maintenance
Infrastructure maintenance
Rare plant exclosure fence maintenance
Resource monitoring
Sandalwood Research
Public Hunting

HUNTING

DOFAW manages public hunting on all Forest Reserve System lands. DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE) carries out enforcement of hunting regulations (Chapter 122 Rules Regulating Game Bird Hunting, and Chapter 123 Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting). General hunting regulations can be found in Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Title 13 Chapter 121. Current information regarding hunting rules, seasons and bag limits for all game species can be obtained by contacting the DOFAW Oahu office at 2135 Makiki Heights Dr. Honolulu, Hawai‘i, (808) 973-9782. All persons are required to have a valid Hawai‘i hunting license on their person to hunt or have a bagged game mammal in their possession. Hunting licenses may be purchased online from http://www.ehawaiigov.org/DLNR/hunting/, from any DOFAW office or from any registered hunting license vendor. All hunting license applicants must show proof of having successfully completed a hunter education course that is recognized by the National Hunter Education Association.