OA PHA - 13. Makua Keaau Check Station - Points of Interest

The Check-in station is a constructed mailbox located past two gates along a private access road; hunter access has been agreed upon through easement protocols. Hunters will enter the first gate just off of Farrington Highway with a provided lock combination from Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Hunters will then drive up Keaau Homestead Road and find street legal parking off to the side just before the entrance of Our Lady of Keaau. Hunters will continue to walk up Keaau Homestead Road and pass another gate to lead them up a dirt road to the location of the check station. The Hunting Rules and PHA Map signage are located by the check station. Sign in sheets and pens are provided for this station.

*No Restrooms

On Oahu, the Makua Kea'au Forest Reserve delivers a diverse opportunity for recreational hunting which include: 11 spp. of game birds and two ungulate species (feral pig and goat).

Makua Kea'au Forest Reserve is a mountainous area on the West side of Oahu that is normally arid. There are native plant species such as Ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha), Koa (Acacia koa), Naupaka Mauka (Scaevola gaudichaudiana), and A'a'li'i (Dodonaea viscosa). Invasive plant species are present such as haole koa (Leucaena leucocephala).

The area offers game mammals (feral pigs and feral goats) to be taken by rifles, shotguns, handguns, and archery (dogs are not permitted). There is no season limit, two pigs and two goats of either sex per hunter per day is the bag limit. Open archery hunting period is from February through July, while firearms hunting period is from August through October. Open hunting days for archery is daily during the archery season. Open hunting days for firearms are Saturdays, Sundays, and State Holidays during the firearm season. Further information can be found on Exhibit 3.

Along with game mammals, the area is a game bird hunting unit which is from November to January. There are eleven game bird species in the Makua Kea'au Forest Reserve area. Further information regarding bag limits, open hunting periods, and open hunting days can be found in Exhibit 9 on the Oahu Hunting page.

Helpful Links:

Hunting License

Game Mammal Hunting Rules (Ch. 123)

Game Bird Hunting Rules (Ch. 122)

Additional Information

Activities

Bow Hunting

Hunting

Rifle Hunting

Birdwatching

Wildlife Watching

Running

Trail Running

ACCESS

Station is a constructed mailbox located past two gates along a private access road; hunter access has been agreed upon through easement protocols. Hunters will enter the first gate just off of Farrington Highway with a provided lock combination from Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Hunters will then drive up Keaau Homestead Road and find street legal parking off to the side just before the entrance of Our Lady of Keaau. Hunters will continue to walk up Keaau Homestead Road and pass another gate to lead them up a dirt road to the location of the check station. The Hunting Rules and PHA Map signage are located by the check station. Sign in sheets and pens are provided for this station.

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 https://hunting.ehawaii.gov/hunting/license.html, 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.