Can You Kill Wild Chickens in Hawaii? HB980, Methods, Penalties

Can you kill wild chickens in Hawaii? Legally, it sits in a gray area. No state law clearly authorizes it the way Hawaii law authorizes killing mongoose, and the state’s animal cruelty statute could apply if the killing is deemed unnecessary or inhumane. A bill that passed the Hawaii House in 2025, HB980, would plainly permit killing feral chickens on private property with the landowner’s consent, but as of early 2026 it is still pending in the state Senate.¹

Why the Law Is Unclear

Feral chickens are not native to Hawaii, so they receive none of the protections given to indigenous Hawaiian birds. They also do not appear on the federal list of birds covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which means no federal permit is involved in managing them.²

Lacking special protection is not the same as being free to kill. Hawaii’s cruelty statute, HRS 711-1109, applies to all animals. It is an offense to kill “without need” any animal other than insects, vermin, or other pests, and even then the method must follow standard pest control practices and all applicable laws.³ Whether a feral chicken qualifies as a “pest” under that language has never been clearly settled, which is why the legislature keeps revisiting the question.

What HB980 Would Change

HB980 would amend HRS 142-93.5, the statute that currently lets anyone kill a mongoose “in any manner not prohibited by law, including by trapping.”⁴ The bill would extend the same permission to feral chickens on private property, provided the landowner consents.¹

Read the key phrase carefully. “In any manner not prohibited by law” means the cruelty statute and local ordinances still act as guardrails, even if the bill becomes law. HB980 passed the House in March 2025 and was referred to the Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee, where it was deferred and then carried over to the 2026 regular session.¹ Until it passes the Senate and is signed by the governor, it is not law.

Your Options on Private Property Right Now

On Oahu, you have a clear path. The City and County of Honolulu contracts with a private pest control company to cage and dispose of feral chickens on private property, with the city funding part of the cost. Residents request the service through the Department of Customer Services.⁵ For most Oahu homeowners this is the safest route: a licensed contractor handles the trapping and removal, which takes the cruelty-complaint risk off your shoulders.

On Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island, the picture is thinner. One Big Island resident reportedly contacted animal control, their homeowners association, and even the attorney general and got the same answer each time: there is no law for that. The absence of county programs on the neighbor islands is one reason statewide legislation has been in play. If you live outside Oahu, call your county animal control office before acting on your own.

Shooting feral chickens in a residential area is almost certainly illegal regardless of county. Hawaii regulates firearm discharge strictly, and local ordinances in populated areas prohibit it. Air rifles and pellet guns may face similar restrictions, and noise ordinances can apply as well. If you are going to act yourself on your own property, live-trapping followed by a quick, humane dispatch in a controlled setting is the defensible approach.

Methods That Are Allowed and Methods That Aren’t

Live-trapping, followed by humane killing or professional pickup, is the method most clearly on the right side of the cruelty statute today. If HB980 passes, the “in any manner not prohibited by law” language would mean any method that doesn’t violate another statute is permitted on private property with the owner’s consent.⁴

Egg oiling is a nonlethal alternative worth knowing. Coating eggs with corn oil blocks the shell’s pores so embryos do not develop, and because the hen keeps sitting on the clutch, she does not lay a replacement. USDA considers this more effective than destroying nests or removing eggs, since birds re-nest after those disruptions. Corn oil is exempt from federal pesticide registration under FIFRA, though you should check with Hawaii’s state pesticide agency before using it on property that isn’t yours.⁶

Several methods will get you in trouble. HRS 711-1109 prohibits torturing, tormenting, beating, starving, or poisoning any animal, and poisoning is listed by name.³ Scattering rat poison or any other toxicant to kill feral chickens is illegal. Federally registered avicides like DRC-1339 exist, but they are restricted-use pesticides limited to USDA-certified applicators and not available to the public.⁷ Glue traps, stoning, and anything that injures without killing would almost certainly qualify as torment or torture. Kill quickly and cleanly, or hire a professional.

Public Land Is Off-Limits to Individuals

You cannot go onto state parks, school grounds, conservation areas, or county facilities and trap or kill feral chickens on your own. Each department is responsible for nuisance issues on its own properties: the Department of Land and Natural Resources handles state parks, the Department of Education handles school campuses, and county agencies manage local parks.⁵ If birds are a problem on public land near you, report it to the agency that controls that property.

Penalties If You Get It Wrong

The most likely charge for an illegal killing is cruelty to animals in the second degree under HRS 711-1109, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.⁸ An enhancement to a class C felony with fines up to $10,000 exists for incidents involving ten or more “pet animals,” but feral chickens are unlikely to be classified as pets, so the misdemeanor exposure is what matters in practice.⁹

Handling and Disposal

Feral chickens can carry salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli, and histoplasmosis, and poultry contact is a common source of salmonella outbreaks. Children are especially at risk.¹⁰ Wear waterproof gloves when handling a trapped or killed bird, double-bag the carcass, and dispose of it in the trash. For larger numbers, check with your county waste agency, since state and local rules on carcass disposal vary and some landfills will refuse animal remains.¹¹ The CDC recommends an N-95 respirator when handling poultry carcasses in enclosed or contaminated areas and washing any clothing worn during handling separately from regular laundry.¹²

1
LegiScan. HI HB980 2026 Regular Session
2
eCFR. 50 CFR 10.13 – List of Birds Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
3
Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 711-1109 – Cruelty to Animals in the Second Degree
4
Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 142-93.5 – Mongoose Killing Allowed
5
City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services. Feral Chickens
6
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Egg Oiling: A Bird Population Control Tool Wildlife Services Tech Note
7
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The Use of DRC-1339 in Wildlife Damage Management
8
Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 706-663 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Misdemeanor and Petty Misdemeanor
9
Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 706-640 – Authorized Fines
10
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Backyard Poultry
11
US EPA. Carcass Management of Non-Diseased Animals
12
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safety Guidelines – Disposing of Dead Animals After a Disaster