Species guide · Updated September 27, 2026
Axis deer in Hawaiʻi
Axis axis
Axis deer strip native plants and compete with cattle for forage. DOFAW estimated 26,000 axis deer on Maui Nui (Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi) in 2025, most of them on private land. Deer brought to Hawaiʻi Island in 2009 were removed, and there has been no confirmed sighting there since. Oʻahu and Kauaʻi have no established herd.
What to report
- Deer seen on pasture, roadsides, gulches or in crops, with a count.
- Deer in places where they were not seen before.
- Deer killed on roads (report as roadkill and name the species).
Not this
- A goat or mouflon sheep: the BIISC deer team says both are often mistaken for deer. Axis deer have spotted coats, and males carry antlers rather than horns.
A report is one observation at one place and time. It is not a count of animals and not an estimate of how many live there.
Who to call
Who to contact
FeralMap does not send your report to any agency. If a situation needs a response, contact them yourself using the details here.
- DOFAW Maui Nui branchAxis deer management and hunting on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. It does not do animal control on private property.
- 643-PEST, the statewide pest hotline · 808-643-7378Plants and animals seen where they have not been seen before: a mongoose on Kauaʻi or Lānaʻi, a deer on Hawaiʻi Island. It is not the place for established animals such as feral cats, pigs, goats or chickens.
Links last reviewed 2026-09-27. A wrong link or a missing contact: contact@nene.org.
What to do on each island
Seen somewhere it has not been seen before? The 643Pest Network takes reports of plants and animals new to an island.
| Island | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hawaiʻi Island | ContactAxis deer are not established on Hawaiʻi Island. Call 643-PEST the same day with the location and a photo if you have one, then add it to the map.643-PEST, the statewide pest hotline · Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) |
| Maui | Established on Maui. Report on the map; DOFAW Maui Nui handles management and hunting. |
| Oʻahu | ContactOʻahu has no established deer. Call 643-PEST the same day with the location and a photo if you have one, then add it to the map.643-PEST, the statewide pest hotline |
| Kauaʻi | ContactKauaʻi has no established axis deer. Call 643-PEST the same day, then add it to the map.643-PEST, the statewide pest hotline · Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee (KISC) |
| Molokaʻi | Established on Molokaʻi. Report on the map; DOFAW Maui Nui handles management and hunting. |
| Lānaʻi | Established on Lānaʻi. Report on the map; DOFAW Maui Nui handles management and hunting. |
Reports of axis deer on the map
Public axis deer reports, all time
Open the full map · Select a cell to see its reports. Locations are generalized cells, never exact points.
Common questions
- Is a FeralMap report a count of the herd?
- No. It is one observation. DOFAW runs its own surveys; repeat reports help show where deer are being seen.
- Can DOFAW remove deer from my land?
- DOFAW says it cannot conduct animal control on private property. It issues hunting and control permits and runs a landowner incentive program on Maui Nui.
Sources
Read the project overview, the privacy policy, or download the public dataset.