Hawaii Deer Population:    A 2016 to 2019 survey of Hawaii, combined with some previous data, puts the deer population at around 131,500 a significant increase from previous estimates. The annual reported deer kill from the hunt is around 1,000 or less.


Hawaii Deer News

State agencies collaborate to implement axis deer control measures on Maui January 23, 2024 Hawaii, Maui Now

... The increased number of axis deer on the Valley Isle has put immense strain on the island’s natural resources amid ongoing drought conditions.  The scarcity of vegetation throughout parts of the island has caused axis deer to migrate into homestead parcels, pastures, and agricultural lands in search of food and water,..


Officials say axis deer landowner incentive is not a bounty January 11, 2024 Hawaii, KHON Honolulu on MSN

... The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife is accepting applications for the targeted axis deer landowner incentive program. Awardees will be paid $50 per deer but officials said it’s not a bounty...


State of Hawaiʻi seeking landowners in Maui County to harvest non-indigenous Axis deer December 29, 2023 Hawaii, Maui Now

... Landowners in the program will receive a $25 to $50 per deer reimbursement throughout the life of the contract, pursuant to the detailed fee schedule...


Axis deer on the rise, experts say November 7, 2023 Hawaii, The Maui News

... “We understand that deer populations also contribute to the subsistence hunting lifestyle and cultural practices of residents on Maui, Molokai and Lanai,” county spokesman Christopher Sugidono said this week. “Thus, we are asking state lawmakers to appropriate funds to help substantially reduce and manage the axis deer overpopulation ...


Concerns over bounty being offered to control Maui's deer population October 24, 2023 Hawaii, KHON2

... Bagshaw said he thinks they cut the population by 30%, which is their goal annually. He estimated the population at around 65,000 ... a tail bounty.  “We’ve had some (tails) turned in,” Bagshaw added. “They’re not always that effective for various reasons ..,


Office of the Governor State of Hawaii, Tenth Proclamation Relating to Axis Deer September 14, 2023 Governor Josh Green

... WHEREAS, despite ongoing efforts, axis deer have propagated to approximately 60,000 or more, which cannot currently be sustained by the environment in Maui County ..,


Evidence for Irruptive Fluctuation in Axis Deer of Hawai 'i 2022 Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

... : Axis deer on the Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Lāna‘i, and Moloka‘i simultaneously experienced one of the most dramatic population crashes on record in 2020-2021, which coincided with extended drought conditions and prompted an emergency declaration for these islands. This phenomenon has been anecdotally documented during previous drought events in 2011-2012, but

never formally studied...


Emergency period for deer crisis extended November 19, 2022 Hawaii, Maui News

...  the deer population has grown to about 60,000 ... The emergency relief period allows the county and state to continue taking measures to reduce and control the deer ...


How to solve the axis deer problem? Maui mayoral candidates take starkly different stances October 18, 2022 Hawaii, KHNL

... two candidates for mayor  ... Retired Judge Richard Bissen took a hard stance on the issue ... said the solution is eradication... Incumbent Michael Victorino said he wants to get the population to a manageable number...


Video below:  Hawaii Gov. David Ige declared a new disaster relief period due to the Axis deer overpopulation crisis in Maui County.  September 20, 2022, Hawaii

Funding, fencing on the horizon for farms, ranches hurt by axis deer June 28, 2022 Hawaii, The Maui News

... Funding will soon be available for local farmers and ranchers to apply for, and plans are in the works to put fencing around locations like the Kula Agricultural Park to help protect crops from foraging deer...


Molokai Residents Raise Concerns Over Plans to Reinforce Deer Fencing April 4, 2022 Hawaii, Honolulu Civil Beat

... Conservative estimates put their current population around 60,000 on Molokai, according to a survey by Maui Nui Venison ... Hunters are concerned about fences limiting the access to and supply of game meat, while community leaders fear it will force them back down into residential areas..,


Highest Deer Density On Record For Kiawah Island March 24, 2022 Hawaii, The Island Connection 

...Town biologists recently completed the winter deer survey, and the 2021 deer density estimate is 127 deer per square mile... slightly increased from the 2020 ... [graph below]

Sugimura: preliminary data shows there are 46,743 axis deer from ʻUlupalakua to Pāʻia February 20, 2022 Hawaii, Maui Now

...  Preliminary data from a recently completed Axis Deer Assessment for the area from ʻUlupalakua to Pāʻia was included in these updates.  The assessment estimates that there are 46,743 axis deer within this area spanning 147,483 acres [Maui}... New aerial footage of Molokaʻi shows just how extensive the axis deer population has gotten ..,


Kula water, axis deer, and downhill bicycle tours are topics at KCA meeting February 18, 2022 Hawaii, Maui Now

... The County is proposing to spend money to begin addressing this issue. Council member Yuki Lei Sugimura will discuss the plans, starting with the fencing of the Kula Ag Park...


Deer on Kahului Airport runway prompts additional fencing January 24, 2022  Hawai'i Public Radio

... A reinforced fence has been installed around Kahului Airport after a deer blocked a runway earlier this month...


State leaders disagree on who should spearhead Maui County's axis deer problems January 20, 2022 Hawaii Public Radio

... Drought conditions a year ago forced large numbers of deer into agricultural and populated areas seeking food and water. On Molokaʻi, many deer died, their carcasses creating a public health issue..,


Aerial assessment shows deer overpopulation on Molokai January 14, 2022 Hawaii, The Maui News

... One of the most effective ways to keep axis deer out of forests is fencing, DLNR said. While the fencing in place across 111,000 acres of Maui Nui continues to be mostly effective ...


Work of Maui Axis Deer Task Force a priority for new year January 1, 2022 Hawaii, The Maui News

... Last January, Gov. David Ige issued an emergency proclamation ... As stated by Ige, “the large number of axis deer in Maui County have devastated pasture forage and most vegetation already scarce due to drought conditions.” ...


Modeling Scenarios for the Management of Axis Deer in Hawaii  2021 Pacific Science

... Only nine deer were introduced in 1959, but recent estimates of >10,000 deer suggest population growth rates (r) ranging between 0.147 and 0.160 even ... Effectively reducing axis deer will most likely require an annual removal of approximately 20–30% of the population and with a greater proportion of females to increase the population decline. Selective removal of males may not only be inefficient, but also counterproductive to population reduction goals...


Acting Hawaii governor signs emergency proclamation for Maui drought November 10, 2021 Hawaii News Now

... The state also said the drought conditions have led axis deer to migrate into new areas, leading to added concerns...


Maui officials are seeking proposals on how to manage the county October 3, 2021 Hawaii, KITV

... A county survey estimated there are currently 50,000 deer on the Valley Isle ...  the county is seeking proposals from non-profit and for-profit groups for its feral animal control grant program...


Funding for Deer Management March 24, 2021 Hawaii, Molokai Dispatch

... six grants to assess and manage feral animal populations, including axis deer, throughout Maui County... These grants will help to assess the scope of the problem and employ humane ways to keep deer populations in check ...


Is Hawaii’s Lanai the Most Impeccable Island Getaway in the U.S.? March 25, 2021 Wall Street Journal

... ON LANAI, the smallest Hawaiian island, deer outnumber people about 10 to one ...  Larry Ellison, the billionaire tech mogul, owns 98% of the island, so he has about as much run of the place as the roughly 30,000 deer do...


$775,000 to Assist with Axis Deer Management in Maui County March 16, 2021 Hawaii, Maui Now

... invasive species [brought to Hawaii] ... These grants will help to assess the scope of the problem and employ humane ways to keep deer populations in check ...


Emergency funds available for Maui, Molokai farmers affected by drought-driven deer March 5, 2021 Hawaii, Honolulu Star-Advertiser

... “The drought has hit Maui County hard, and I am declaring it a disaster area so we can take immediate measures to reduce and control the axis deer populations and to remove and dispose of the carcasses quickly,” said Ige ...


County seeks solutions for deer February 26, 2021 Hawaii, Maui News

... The population and movement of axis deer, which collectively may number over 100,000 in Maui County, according to some experts, have been a problem for years but have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months as deer dying from starvation because of drought ...


Informational Meeting on Upcountry Maui Axis Deer February 20, 2021 Hawaii, Maui Now

... a virtual informational meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. to further address the struggle to control axis deer challenging our farmers, ranchers, hunters and residents with loss of crops ...


Deer Culling Concerns February 19, 2021 Hawaii, Molokai Dispatch

... The Axis deer population on the west end has been extensively culled by starvation already...  in my humble opinion, the total population has been reduced by over 70 percent! ...


Deer native to India starve to death amid drought in Hawaii February 10, 2021 Hawaii, Seattle Times

... Axis deer, a species native to India presented as a gift from Hong Kong to the king of Hawaii in 1868, have fed hunters and their families on the rural island of Molokai for generations... an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 deer on the 260 square mile island ..,


Ige declares Maui County a disaster area January 30, 2021 Hawaii, Thegardenisland.com

...“The drought has hit Maui County hard, and I am declaring it a disaster area so we can take immediate measures to reduce and control the axis deer populations and to remove and dispose of the carcasses quickly,” ...


Ranchers hope for greener pastures amid Maui County's 'extreme' drought January 29, 2021 Hawaii News Now

... Ranchers on Molokai say the ongoing drought has magnified the deer issue facing the islands.  “Because of extreme drought, the deer population is coming out of their habitats and searching for feed,”  ...


Molokai’s Fabled Axis Deer Are Starving To Death In Droves January 24, 2021 Hawaii, Civil Beat

... For more than a century, the axis deer that roam Molokai have played an integral role on the island... starving and dying at what locals say is an unprecedented rate. The herds are fleeing their normal pastures, decimated by drought ...


Lawmakers working to manage deer population in Maui County  January 23, 2021 Hawaii, KHON2

... they are hoping to create a plan to effectively bring the numbers down without eradicating them since they are considered a vital food source for the Molokai community... severe drought through summer and fall caused hundreds to starve to death ...


Molokai legislators say they will continue to help with axis deer carcasses piling up January 12, 2021 Hawaii, Honolulu Star-Advertiser

... carcasses are being found along highways and on private land, and DOFAW is working with landowners and agencies to excavate and bury them.  ... The deer, with no natural predators on Maui and Molokai, are considered by DLNR as game, and can be hunted daily, year-round with no bag limits...


Elected Officials Release Statement on Recent Deer Deaths on Moloka‘i January 12, 2021 Hawaii, Maui Now

... State wildlife officials believe that severe drought conditions on Molokaʻi are to blame for recent instances of deer dying ... in 2019, we introduced HB265 to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for the management of the axis deer population and substantial reduction of these invasive species,” ...



Hawaii Deer Archive:    Population and Management

Hawaii Data    About 131,500 deer in Hawaii based on a recent detailed survey from 2016 to 2019 reporting that Molokai has 50,000 to 70,000 deer, Lanai has 25,000 to 30,000 deer, and Maui has about 35,000 to 50,000 deer.  A 2023 estimate of 65,000 deer in Maui.  An early 2022 survey estimates 46,743 axis deer in Maui with another estimate at 60,000 at the end of the year. A two year drought resulted in a significant reduction in the Axis deer population in 2020.  A small herd of blacktails live on Kaua'i. The blacktail population on public land was estimated to be about 1,100 from 2013 to 2018 and 1,000 in 2019 and 2021.


A 2014 estimate of 8,000 to 10,000 axis deer in Hawaii.  In 2014 at least 2,500 were killed by the Maui Axis Deer Working Group which estimated the island's Axis population at 7,500 in 2013.  


Native to South Asia, Axis deer were brought to Maui in the 1950s to provide hunting for veterans. In 2012, a helicopter pilot pleaded guilty to moving Axis deer from Maui to the Big Island.  


As illustrated in the chart below there is a small population of blacktail deer, about 1,000, imported from Oregon in 1961.  The data.  Source:  Western Association of Fish and Wildlife.

Other useful links:

- Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

- Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Goal of Department of Land and Natural Resources: Enhance, protect, conserve and manage Hawaii’s unique and limited natural, cultural and historic resources held in public trust for current and future generations of visitors and the people of Hawaii nei in partnership with others from the public and private sectors." 


There are black tail deer and deer hunts in Hawaii, deer are non native species. The management philosophy is: " Maintaining or restoring the dynamic natural processes is the goal of native ecosystem protection and restoration programs. Without a clear understanding of what native ecosystem management involves and why it is needed, public support for these programs will be difficult to obtain. Information and education should be incorporated into protection efforts whenever possible. Sound scientific research should be the base for management programs and activities." From Managing the NARS