Where to hunt pheasant on Kauai, and obtain a Hawaii hunting license

HAWAII Magazine reader Ty Brisgill wrote us with a question about a Kauai outdoor activity we’d never been asked about, but thought other readers might be interested in:

Do you have any information on pheasant hunting on Kauai?  I hunted on Parker Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii a couple years ago. My wife and I are going to Kauai in November.

You ask. We answer.

Kauai has long been known for its abundance of nature and wildlife—game birds included. Partridge, francolin, quail, dove, and, of course, pheasant, all roam the island’s lush landscape.

There are a number of public hunting areas on the island. According to representatives from the Kauai branch of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the best public spot to hunt pheasant is the Kekaha Game Management Area, near Kokee State Park. Several varieties, including the Chinese ring-necked and green pheasant, call the Kekaha reserve home.

Hawaii’s bird-hunting season runs from the first Sunday in November (Nov. 1, this year) through Martin Luther King Day or the 3rd Sunday in January, whichever occurs later (Jan. 18, 2010). During that period you can only hunt on Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays. On Kauai, you’re allowed to bag up to three pheasant a day, and 15 birds total.

For all the rules for game-bird hunting on Kauai, and statewide, click here, or call (808) 274-3433.

Before you embark on your hunt, however, you’ll have to have a Hawaii hunting license. A license is required to hunt or have bagged game in your possession.

Licenses can be obtained online here, through a state Division of Forestry and Wildlife Office or from a registered hunting license agent. Hunting licenses for residents cost $10, non-resident licenses are $95.

License applicants must show proof of having completed a hunter education course recognized by the National Hunter Education Association.  The only exception is if you were born before January 1, 1972, and have a Hawaii hunting license issued prior to July 1, 1990. 

If you want more info about hunter education courses in Hawaii click here, or call (808) 587-0200.