FWC announces 2010-2011 hunting season dates

Click here for 2010-2011 season dates

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed new rules Wednesday affecting deer hunters, beginning with the 2010-11 season. The new rules modified zone boundaries and season dates for deer hunting on private property.

“These changes will better align the deer hunting seasons with the rut and are intended to increase hunter satisfaction,” said Cory Morea, Deer Management Program Coordinator for the FWC’s Division of Hunting and Game Management.

Morea noted that the majority of stakeholders supported these measures.
Todd Hallman of the Florida Sportsmen’s Conservation Association expressed one concern: “The South Region is a different animal. You’re going to have us hunting in hotter, not cooler weather,” he said of the hunting season changes.

The boundary separating what used to be called the Northwest Hunting Zone (renamed Zone D) from the Central Zone (renamed Zone C) has been moved a little farther west.
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted Wednesday to temporarily prohibit the chasing of foxes and coyotes in enclosures, while moving forward to draft rules guiding such enclosures in Florida. An executive order prohibiting chasing of foxes and coyotes within an enclosure will be issued by Feb. 24.

Before making the decision, Commissioners listened to more than 40 speakers on fox and coyote pens, beginning with Rep. Debbie Boyd, D-High Springs. Boyd urged the Commission to recognize the shortcomings on both sides of the issue, to address those shortcomings and engage stakeholders in the process.

“This issue has been painted with a broad brush,” Boyd said. “I ask the Commission to engage stakeholders and put fox and coyote enclosures into rule rather than through the permit process.”

After listening to emotional appeals from the public, whose comments ranged from calling the practice of hunting foxes and coyotes within enclosures a “heritage” and “a way of life” to making charges of “cruelty” and “mauling” of the animals, Commissioners discussed how to proceed based on staff recommendations and public comment.
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Many wildlife management areas do not require quota permit

If you weren’t lucky enough to get drawn for a spring turkey quota permit, or if you are looking for even more spring turkey hunting opportunity, don’t fret; there are numerous wildlife management areas (WMAs) that don’t require them.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers 42 public hunting areas statewide where hunters need only to “walk on” to hunt spring turkeys.

These hunts are made possible through the FWC’s partnerships with the state’s Division of Forestry, Florida’s water management districts, the U.S. Forest Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the National Park Service, Department of Defense and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, who contribute their lands to the state’s public-hunting system.

Hunters need only a hunting license ($17 for residents, $46.50 for nonresident 10-day license), management area permit ($26.50) and turkey permit ($5 for residents, $100 for nonresidents) to spring turkey hunt on the following areas.  These licenses and permits can be purchased in Florida at county tax collectors’ offices and at most retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing supplies.  They also can be bought with a credit card by calling 888-486-8356 or going online at www.wildlifelicense.com/fl.

Spring turkey season runs March 20 – April 25 in the following areas, unless otherwise noted below. Shooting hours during spring turkey season on WMAs are one-half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.
Click on an area’s name to download its rules and regulations, including a map. Click here for map

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Tony Young's an avid sportsman and native Floridian. He's the media relations coordinator for the FWC's Division of Hunting and Game Management and lives in Tallahassee with his family.

Outta the woods: Northwest Florida deer in rut

Thus far, this deer season has been pretty good to me as far as quantity goes.  I shot two does during doe week, and I got my season limit on fall gobblers, but I have yet to even see horns, much less harvest a buck.  But I still have plenty of room left in my freezer, and I’m not throwing in the towel just yet.  After all, there are still lots of hunting days left in my neck of the woods, and my game camera’s still taking pictures of some pretty good bucks.
So if you’re like me or if you live in the central or southern part of the state and you don’t mind hunting with a primitive weapon, then point your pickup truck north, because the Northwest Hunting Zone’s deer season is still goin’ strong on private lands and on a lot of the wildlife management areas (WMAs).

The second phase, if you will, of muzzleloading gun season runs Feb. 18-28 in this part of the Panhandle.  This unique late season, which occurs only in the Northwest Zone, was established to allow hunters the chance to hunt the rut that runs from late January through February in this part of the state.

A $5 Muzzleloading Gun Permit is required to hunt during this season, where, on private land, hunters have the choice of using a muzzleloader, bow or crossbow.

On WMAs, this post-season’s referred to as the archery/muzzleloading gun season.  Hunters can use bows or muzzleloaders, but no crossbows – unless they possess a Disabled Crossbow Permit.  Hunters who choose to hunt with a bow must have the $5 Archery Permit, and those using a muzzleloader need the $5 Muzzleloading Gun Permit.
The most common game to hunt during this season are deer and wild hogs.  Only bucks may be taken (even if you use a bow), and one antler must be at least five inches in length.  On private land, the daily bag limit is two.  Bag limits and antler size for deer on WMAs can differ, so please consult the area brochure before you hunt.

Wild hogs aren’t considered game animals on private lands, and because of this, they can be taken year-round by most weapons with no bag or size limits.  On most WMAs, there’s also no bag or size limits, and hogs are legal to take during most hunting seasons except spring turkey.  On selected WMAs, specific bag and size limits do apply, so check the area’s brochure to make sure.
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Classes to be held in DeFuniak Feb. 5-7

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety course in Walton County.

The course will be at the Shooting Range, 955 Smith Rd. in DeFuniak Springs. Instruction will be from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 5 and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Feb. 6.  The range portion of the class will be Feb. 7.

Those who have taken the Internet course and wish to complete the classroom portion must bring the online-completion report and attend only the Feb. 5 class from 6 to 10 p.m. and the Feb. 7 range day.

An adult must accompany children under age 16 at all times.  Students should bring a pencil and paper with them to take notes.
The hunter safety course is required before anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, can purchase a Florida hunting license.  The FWC course satisfies hunter safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.

People interested in attending this course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at 850-265-3676.

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Tony Young's an avid sportsman and native Floridian. He's the media relations coordinator for the FWC's Division of Hunting and Game Management and lives in Tallahassee with his family.

That coon dog’ll hunt

Some of my huntin’ buddies and I really live for being out in a wet patch of woods in the middle of a cool night and hearing the not-so-distant sounds of our coon hounds when they open up on a hot trail. There’s just something about those hounds’ voices that sounds both pleasing and eerie at the same time.

We like to brag about whose dog actually struck the trail first and whose got to the right tree first. And boy, you can sure tell the difference when the dogs are just trailing a coon versus when they’ve got one treed. Their barking goes from longer, less frequent howls to just downright choppin’ it down, baying as loud as they can, as quick as they can, with every breath that’s in ‘em. You can really sense the urgency that’s in their voices when they’re sittin’ to the tree.

That’s when it’s time to turn on the flashlights and start making your way through the swamps toward that pleasant, oh too familiar sound in the darkness. Read More…

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One of the recently planted food plots on a closed road in the Point Washington State Forest. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

U.S. Forestry and FWC plant grasses to stimulate turkey brooding habitat

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Point Washington and the Florida Fish and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are working together to promote wildlife brooding habitats in the Point Washington State Forest. 18 food plots have been planted on closed road areas throughout the Forest.

Working with cost share funding from the National Wild Turkey Federation, Forestry and FWC started with warm season grasses in July 2009, with brown top millet, sorghum, pearl millet and iron-clay peas planted. In December, the cool season was planted with clover, wheat, rye and oats.

Eastern portion of food plot map in Point Washington WMA.

“The planting is for young turkey brooding habitats,” said Fred Robinette, District Wildlife Biologist for FWC. “The plots also encourage quail and dove feeding, however take a few years to fully develop. In March, April and May when these grasses go to seed, it provides excellent bugging for the birds,” Robinette continued.

The benefits are two-fold as the plots also provide excellent feeding for sub-tropical migrating birds as well as good feeding for deer.

The plots are spread out along the closed roads and range in size from .2 acre to 2.5 acres and approximately 16 ft. wide, with more than 18 acres planted. Read More…

Posted under Birding, Hunting, Nature, Trails/Hiking

Proposed rules will affect zone boundaries and season dates for deer hunting

The seven-member Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) directed its staff today to proceed with advertising new rule proposals to be voted on at a future Commission meeting.  They would affect the 2010-11 hunting season.

The proposal affecting the most hunters would modify zone boundaries and season dates for deer hunting.  The proposal would move the boundary (that meanders through Tallahassee) separating the current Northwest Hunting Zone from the Central Zone a little farther west.  The proposal also calls for an additional hunting zone, made up in part by the Green Swamp Basin.  This proposal takes into account hunter suggestions and new biological data, and it aims to modify and better align hunting season dates with when deer breed, thereby increasing hunter satisfaction. Read More…

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Hunt 100-acre peanut field near Ponce deLeon

Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. A brief meeting prior to the hunt and depart from our office for the fields no later than 1:15p.m. Hunt is on a 100-acre peanut field, and many birds have been seen.  All participants are responsible for complying with applicable laws and licensing. Limited space hunt, RSVP with Cypress Cattle (850) 548-4700 or Luke (850) 685-5890.

Cypress Cattle Company is located at 2890 R. M. Ward Rd., Ponce De Leon, FL.

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Flooding near Red Bay.

Choctawhatchee River expected to crest just above 15 ft.

From the Walton County Sheriff’s Dept.:

ROADS UNDER WATER: Berrian lake road- under water past the last house. Dead River road- under water @ Bobcat corner. Big Cedar road off of boat ramp road-under water at the relief bridge, all homes inaccessible to vehicles. Choctawhatchee River road-Open @ 1100hrs but will probably be under water at the relief bridge by 2000hrs.

ROAD CLOSURE: River road to Commanders landing (off hwy 81) is underwater from the double culverts to the river. The raod is not passable by vehicles, the road is washing in several places where it normally DOES NOT wash. Should be open by daylight-noon at the latest. Click here for NOAA river level predictions

Posted under Fishing, Home/Garden, Hunting