Hunting Laws

Hunting laws have long been a part of Hawaii’s hunting history. Ancient Hawaiians recognized the need to protect our fragile resources and created “Kapus.” The chiefs would mandate the Kapus, which were as good as law. Instead of police officers or conservation enforcement officers, the Kapu was enforced by the King’s Guard. Some of the ancient Kapus are still followed in Hawaii’s resource laws. An example would be the Mullet or Ama Ama closed season. It’s the same closed season from ancient Hawaiian times to ensure that the fish are able to spawn near shore.

There are three types of hunting laws.

• Safety laws
• Conservation laws
• Behavioral laws