Stray Maui livestock face
hunters in copters on April 29

KAHULUI » The state is renewing an aerial hunting program on Maui in an effort to control wild cattle and goats that are threatening native forest habitats and watersheds.

The state Division of Forestry and Wildlife has notified ranchers whose cattle might have escaped pastures below state forest reserves in East and West Maui that they need to round up their animals.

The hunt, which involves animal control officers shooting the animals from a helicopter, is set to begin April 29, the first of five separate days.

"There is a lot of concern with the cattle up there," said John Cumming, forestry/ wildlife branch manager for the Maui District of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. "We've got cattle tromping around up there where they're destroying the forest and the watershed.

"They've managed to elude hunters and they've continued to multiply, with increasing numbers and continued trampling," he said, without estimating the numbers of animals roaming free in the area.

Some ranchers have been able to round up stray cattle, but there are still "random pockets of animals in really remote areas" that are damaging the forest habitat, Cumming said.

Feral goats are a problem primarily in forest reserves in West Maui, he said.

"The goats are essentially in inaccessible areas, along steep gulches, and the cattle are in forested areas away from any roads and trails," Cumming said.

Cumming acknowledged there will be some opposition to aerial hunting but said there was no other way to eliminate the invasive animals safely.

"For the safety of the animal control hunters, aerial is the most effective way. We have to fly them into the threatened forest areas anyway," he said.

With aerial hunting, hunters fire from the open door of a helicopter hovering over the target. It is a hazardous activity, especially with goats found along steep valley walls, where there is no safe landing if a problem occurs, Cumming said.