By David Corrigan & Stephanie Salazar

MAUNA KEA, Hawaii: In today’s Mauna Kea report, we have a Department of Land and Natural Resources announcement to pass along.

The opening of the 2011-2012 Game Bird Hunting Season on Saturday, November 5, 2011.

The DLNR says department biologists are predicting a below average season of bird hunting, with lingering drought impacts in many parts of the state. The fall game bird hunting season will run through Monday, January 16, 2012, with legal hunting days on Saturday, Sunday, and State Holidays.

That goes for the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve, Puuanahulu Game Management Area, and Kaohe Leas Cooperative GMA.

Places like the Pohakuloa Training Area will be open for game bird hunting, at the direction of the Department of Defense, subject to training schedule. Hunters are to call the hunter’s hotline at 969-3474 for information on hunting days, open areas and access routes.

Privately Owned lands on the island of Hawaii are open to game bird hunting on weekends, but only with landowner permission.