Maui Nui Venison Culls 40-55 Axis Deer Nightly as Hawaii Battles 60,000 Invasive Animals
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 20
Maui Nui Venison Culls 40-55 Axis Deer Nightly as Hawaii Battles 60,000 Invasive Animals
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 20
Summary
Maui Nui Venison is harvesting 40-55 axis deer a night on Maui ranches, turning each animal into about 42 pounds of meat for steaks, ground venison, jerky and other products.
USDA-supervised crews use night vision, infrared drones and strict head-shot rules to cull the invasive deer, whose year-round breeding and lack of predators have helped push the population across Maui, Lanai and Molokai to an estimated 60,000.
The overpopulation has stripped native plants, damaged crops and cattle feed, and worsened drought pressure enough that Governor Josh Green declared an emergency in January—the 25th such proclamation tied to axis deer.
Through its Holo 'Ai program, the company also hunts for community distribution every two weeks, freezing free ground venison for residents in a state that imports 85%-90% of its food.
The effort is framed not as eradication but population balance, with ranch reforestation already helping endangered trees, native birds and aquifer recovery in parts of Maui.