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CLICK HERE FOR 2010-2011 Hunting Season Dates
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FWC responds to widespread cold-weather saltwater fish kills with temporary closures
Snook closure extended until September, temporarily closes bonefish and tarpon season until April
Catch-and-release fishing still allowed
• Executive Order 10-02 (Dead Fish) Click here
• Executive Order 10-03 (Snook, Tarpon, Bonefish) Click here
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued executive orders to protect Florida’s snook, bonefish and tarpon fisheries from further harm caused by the recent prolonged cold weather in the state, which has caused widespread saltwater fish kills. The FWC has received numerous reports from the public and is taking action to address the conservation needs of affected marine fisheries. The orders also will allow people to legally dispose of dead fish in the water and on the shore.
One of the executive orders temporarily extends closed fishing seasons for snook statewide until September. It also establishes temporary statewide closed seasons for bonefish and tarpon until April because of the prolonged natural cold weather event that caused significant, widespread mortality of saltwater fish in Florida. The other order temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow people to collect and dispose of dead fish killed by the cold weather.
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Food plots planted in Point Washington State Forest
encourages wildlife habitats
One of the recently planted food plots on a closed road in the Point Washington State Forest. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors
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.
Click here to continue and view maps of plots
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FWC moves ahead with proposed hunting rules,
adding new public hunting lands
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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Outta’ the Woods: December’s holiday hunting traditions
- 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.
Know your bag limits when hunting waterfowl
by Tony Young
There’s finally a chill and a certain festiveness in the air as most of us try to take time off from work to enjoy spending quality time with family and friends and reflect on the passing year. Children will be out of school on winter break soon, and while the holiday season’s upon us, so are several traditional hunting opportunities.
The second phase of waterfowl and coot season comes in statewide Dec. 12 and runs through Jan. 31. In addition to the usual hunting license and permit requirements, duck hunters also must have a Florida waterfowl permit ($3) and a federal duck stamp ($17.50).
The daily bag limit on ducks is six, but you need to know your ducks before you pull the trigger, because there are different daily limits for each species. For instance, within the six-bird limit there may be only one black duck, one mottled duck, one fulvous whistling-duck, one pintail and one canvasback.
Only two of your six-bird limit may be redheads or scaup, and three may be wood ducks. And you may have no more than four scoters and four mallards (of which only two may be female) in your bag. All other species of ducks can be taken up to the six-bird limit, except harlequin ducks.
Read More…
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Opening day of general gun season productive for local hunter
Randy Humphreys bagged these 100 and 130 lb. wild hogs on Bruce Creek in Northeast Walton County early on Thanksgiving Day.
It didn’t take long on Nov. 26 for local hunter, Randy Humphreys to successfully bag two feral hogs within a few hours along Bruce Creek. Randy said he didn’t have to go far from the boat launch before he spotted the two hogs. Randy has been hunting most of his life and lives in Niceville with his wife Angel.
General gun season is Nov. 26-29, 2009 and Dec. 12, 2009 – Feb. 17, 2010.
Click here for a map of the Choctawhatchee River Wildlife Management area.
FWC reminds hunters to be careful cleaning wild hogs: Click here for information
About wild hog:
The wild hog, (Sus scrofa) also called the wild boar or feral pig, is not a Florida native, and may have been introduced by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They may weigh over 150 pounds, and be 5-6 feet long. They travel in herds containing several females and their offspring. Read More…
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The gentleman’s sport of quail hunting offered at
Quail Ridge Hunting Preserve
First class retreat in Ponce de Leon offers the perfect hunt
Just north of Highway 90 in Ponce de Leon, Florida the Quail Ridge Hunting Preserve boasts the perfect setting for quail hunting. With more than 600 acres of rolling hills, open fields and panoramic views, this preserve offers a first class, top notch experience.
Owned by Walton County businessman, Bill Bell, the retreat runs hunts from October to March and caters to families and children who are old enough to hunt.
As the hunters arrive at the preserve, orientation is hosted at the Power House. Safety is the number one priority, as the personal guides, Lynn Watson and John Foster brief visitors on the many hunt options available at Quail Ridge, and get a feel for what the hunter is looking for. Pheasant hunts are also available with advanced request.
The skeet/trap combo shooting range is available to warm up before a hunt on any one of four well-separated fields, or piney woods. Read More…
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Outta the Woods: Give thanks for hunting seasons galore
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.
November means the 2009-10 huntin’ season’s in full swing. This month, general gun, fall turkey, quail and gray squirrel, snipe and the second phase of mourning and white-winged dove hunting seasons open.
The first thing you need to do is pick up a $17 Florida resident hunting license. Nonresidents pay $46.50 for a 10-day license or $151.50 for 12 months.
If you plan to hunt one of Florida’s many wildlife management areas (WMAs), you’ll also need a $26.50 management area permit, but don’t forget to study the brochure for the specific area you plan to hunt, because dates, bag limits and rules differ greatly from area to area.
You can get these brochures at tax collectors’ offices and regional Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offices in close proximity to the WMA, or you can download them from MyFWC.com/Hunting.
You can buy your license and permits over the telephone by calling toll-free 888-HUNT-FLORIDA or online at www.wildlifelicense.com/fl. Just have your credit card ready. You also can purchase them from tax collectors’ offices and most retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing supplies.
The general gun season runs Nov. 14 – Jan. 24 in the Central Hunting Zone. In the Northwest Zone, it comes in Thanksgiving Day and lasts four days through Nov. 29. Two weeks later, the season reopens Dec. 12 and runs through Feb. 17. For readers hunting the South Hunting Zone, the general gun season’s already in and lasts through Jan. 10.
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Apply for spring turkey quota hunt permits Nov. 1
Hunters looking to turkey hunt on Florida’s wildlife management areas during the 2010 spring turkey season need to apply for quota hunt permits beginning 10 a.m. Nov. 1.
Quota hunt permit worksheets are available now from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regional offices and online at MyFWC.com/Hunting (click under “Limited Entry Hunts”).
Applicants must apply through the FWC’s Total Licensing System. Hunters may apply online at www.wildlifelicense.com/fl or present their completed worksheets to any tax collector office or license agent.
All applicants, regardless of when they apply, have the same chance of being selected, as long as they submit their applications within the application period. Applicants must apply by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30 to be included in the random drawing.
“When you submit your application, you will receive a receipt showing the hunts you have applied for and your preference status,” said FWC quota hunt coordinator Eddie White.
Hunters also may apply as a group. A group leader must first apply to create the group. The group’s number will be printed on the group leader’s receipt. Each person wishing to join the group must submit his own application using the unique group number assigned to the leader.
If chosen, applicants will receive, by mail, a spring turkey quota hunt permit. Applicants not chosen in Phase I may reapply during Phase 2 for any hunts not filled and will still be eligible for the preference drawing next year. Applicants may check drawing results at MyFWC.com/Hunting, under “Limited Entry Hunts” click “Check Permit Availability and Drawing Results.”
For more information on how to apply for spring turkey quota hunt permits, visit MyFWC.com/Hunting.
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Florida stone crab season open through May 15
Menippe adina species of stone crabs are most common in the western Florida Panhandle area.
Season runs from Oct. 15 – May 15
The commercial and recreational harvest season for stone crab claws in Florida opens on Thursday, Oct. 15. The season will remain open through May 15.
Stone crab claws must be at least 2 3/4 inches in length to be harvested legally, and claws may not be taken from egg-bearing female stone crabs. Recreational harvesters are allowed to use up to five stone crab traps, and there is a daily bag limit of one gallon of claws per person or two gallons per vessel, whichever is less.
More information regarding the recreational harvest of stone crab claws is available online at MyFWC.com/Rules (click on “Fishing – Saltwater”).
Commercial stone crab regulations and licensing information is available at: click here
To learn more, click here
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Crossbows, muzzleloaders and doves, oh my
Outta’ the Woods
By Tony Young
Football season’s in full swing, and the 2009-10 hunting season’s starting to crank up. Archery season’s been going on in most of the state, and in this issue, I want to talk about three other seasons about to start: crossbow, muzzleloading gun and the first phase of dove.
Crossbow season occurs between archery and muzzleloading gun seasons in the South and Central hunting zones, lasting five days: Oct. 12-16 and Oct. 26-30, respectively. In the Northwest zone, it comes in later, on the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 30), and lasts one week through Dec. 6.
This season’s for any hunter who’d like to use a crossbow or continue using a bow on private lands. This is not just for disabled hunters. Crossbow season doesn’t apply to most wildlife management areas (WMAs), however. Click here to continue
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Pinnacle Place Outdoors and Lily Pad Ranch an all-inclusive hunting destination and country get-a-way
Lily Pad Ranch
The Lily Pad Ranch in Alford, and Campbellton, Florida boasts 1,700 acres of pristine Northwest Florida private hunting land, along with 300 acres of conservation in the rolling hills north of Panama City.
Guided private hunting for deer, dove, quail, boar and turkey, the Lily Pad Ranch also offers accommodations with three private cottages offering full amenities for up to 12 people. A game room and meeting hall area can accommodate corporate retreats or country-style weddings. A large outdoor patio area boasts a grill and smoker a few steps away from a large swimming pool.
A stocked pond with island gazebo offers for the perfect backdrop for a wedding where a bride can make her entrance on a horse-drawn carriage available at the ranch. Click here to continue
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Outta The Woods:
Florida hunting season is upon us
By Tony Young
Media Relations Coordinator
Division of Hunting and Game Management
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Even though you can hardly tell – summer is officially over. Finally – the time of year we’ve been waiting for is here – football season – and the beginning of hunting season, specifically archery. Most of us have finished our preseason scouting, and we’ve hung our tree stands along well-traveled deer trails, hopefully next to a mature oak tree that’ll begin dropping acorns soon.
And to let some of you early-season hunters in on a little secret – not all acorns are created equal when it comes to white-tailed deer. Most of us have heard that deer prefer the acorns from a white oak tree, and if you can find one, great – but those oaks aren’t so common in Florida. The reason deer prefer white oak acorns is because they contain the least amount of tannic acid. Click here to continue
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Click here for free tree stand hunter safety course
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2009-2010 Hunting regulations and maps for
Wildlife Management Areas
Click here for brochures and maps
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FWC announces 2009-2010 bird hunting season
Rail and Common Moorhen
Season: Sept. 1 – Nov. 9, 2009
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag Limits (daily/possession):
Clapper & king rails – 15/30 (singly or in aggregate)
Sora & Virginia rails – 25/25 (singly or in aggregate)
Common moorhen – 15/30
Purple gallinule – No Open Season
Waterfowl and Coot Seasons
First Phase – Nov. 21-29, 2009
Second Phase – Dec. 12, 2009 – Jan. 31, 2010
Youth Waterfowl Days – Feb. 6-7, 2010
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag Limit (daily/possession): Six (12 in possession) duck daily bag limit shall consist of no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be females), one black duck, one mottled duck (Florida duck), one fulvous whistling-duck, one pintail, one canvasback, two redheads, two scaup, three wood ducks and four scoters. All other species of duck (except harlequin ducks) may be taken up to the six-duck daily limit. Taking or attempting to take harlequin ducks is prohibited.
Coots – 15/30
Mergansers: Daily limit 5, only two of which may be a hooded merganser; possession limit 10, only four of which may be hooded mergansers.
Canada Goose (Statewide)
Season:
First Phase – Nov. 21-29, 2009
Second Phase – Dec. 1, 2009 – Jan. 30, 2010
Bag Limit (daily/possession): 5/10
Snow, blue and Ross’ geese (Statewide)
Season: First Phase – Nov. 21-29, 2009
Second Phase – Dec. 12, 2009 – Jan. 31, 2010
Bag Limit (daily/possession): 15/no limit
Migratory bird regulations for dove, snipe, woodcock, rail, moorhen, crow and early waterfowl seasons: Click here
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Northwest Florida hunting season dates announced for 2009-2010
(Seasons and dates are not applicable to wildlife management areas)
Season for Northwest Zone
Archery
Oct. 17 – Nov. 15, 2009
Deer-dog training
Oct. 31 – Nov. 19, 2009
Crossbow
Nov. 30 – Dec. 6, 2009 Click here to continue
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Outta The Woods: Safe hunting is NO Accident
With the dog-days of summer fully upon us, it’s hard to think about hunting quite yet. But if you’re between the ages of 16 and 34, and haven’t completed the state’s hunter safety course requirement, now’s just the time to be thinking about it. If you’ve been putting off taking a hunter safety class, August is the best time to sign up for one in your area.
Many of these classes, offered statewide, fill up fast during hunting season while people scramble to get certified. Often, August and the preceding summer months offer smaller class sizes and make for a better opportunity for students to take a class while they have more free time before school gets cranked up, and they get busy with homework and school-related activities. Click here to continue
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Shoreline anglers need to buy license by Aug. 1
Florida’s resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore or a structure affixed to shore will need to buy a $7.50 (plus administrative and handling fees) shoreline fishing license by Aug. 1, unless they have a regular resident saltwater fishing license.
The new license applies only to Florida resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore. Resident anglers may prefer to purchase the regular recreational saltwater license that covers them, no matter where they fish for saltwater species in Florida. Click here to continue
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Lobster season begins
Recreational and commercial harvest seasons for spiny lobster in Florida are set to reopen soon. The special two-day spiny lobster sport season comes first, July 29-30 this year, followed by the regular lobster season Aug. 6 – March 31.
The special two-day sport season occurs on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July each year to let recreational fishermen collect spiny lobsters before commercial lobster traps are placed in the water. Commercial fishermen may begin putting their traps in the water Aug. 1, and recreational and commercial fishermen may harvest spiny lobsters starting Aug. 6. Click here to continue
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Special deer and wild hog hunt permits in St. Marks NWR will be available through FWC
Outta The Woods
By Tony Young
There’s some special deer and wild hog hunts in Northwest Florida that have been taking place at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) since 1978 and a unique hunt that occurs on the island of St. Vincent NWR since 1987.
You used to have to go through the landowner, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), to apply for and obtain a permit for one of these great hunts. This year, however, the application and issuance process will go through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Total Licensing System. Click here to continue
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FWC shortens snapper season
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on Thursday voted to adjust the recreational harvest season for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico state waters to account for over-harvests in 2008. The Commission took this action after receiving support from several fishing groups and conservation organizations at its public hearing in Crystal River. Click here to continue
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Recreational bag limit is two red snapper per person per day
From FWC: Red snapper is one of the most important recreational and commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and has been for over a century, particularly in the Florida Panhandle. In Florida, red snapper are primarily caught by recreational anglers fishing from charter boats. However, there is a substantial commercial fishery. Click here to continue
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Be aware of changes to quota system, gator permits and applications
Most hunters know you have the best chance of catching that monster buck off guard during the beginning of hunting season. That’s why many of us enjoy hunting the archery and muzzleloading gun seasons – and why we can’t miss opening weekend of the general gun season. After that, a whole lotta gunfire breaks out, and those big boys start getting nocturnal, making hunting ‘em a lot more difficult. Click here to continue
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Go fishing with the pros!
Your guide to the best fishing in the Walton County area
For those that like to cast a line out in the water, it goes without saying that fishing is always good in Walton!
Most anytime of year, a good angler is bound to catch something – whether surf fishing for pompano, catching snapper in the Gulf, or reeling in a redfish in the Bay. The Gulf of Mexico, the Choctawhatchee Bay, the Choctawhatchee River, and its many tributaries offer a variety of both salt and fresh water fishing.
Visitors can stay and fish in South Walton, without the bustle of driving to Destin or Panama City Beach before dawn to catch a charter boat.
All of the local fishing guides/captains have years of experience under their belt and offer a unique experience for the visiting angler. Something the local captains say keeps folks coming back.
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Outta The Woods: Hunting opportunities
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Deer Management Team is ready to gather input from Florida’s hunters on potential changes to the state’s current hunting zones and corresponding deer hunting season dates, which if approved, could come into effect as early as the 2010-2011 hunting season.
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Gene Wesley and his friend Peck Cawthon with their pompano catch. Photo courtesy Gene Wesley
Old friends reminisce about the early days of Grayton Beach fishing
Gene Wesley and his friend Peck Cawthon with their pompano catch. Photo courtesy Gene Wesley
Locals in Walton County have enjoyed fishing from Grayton Beach for generations. With a panoramic view of the Gulf, gentle breezes, it doesn’t get any better.
Two long-time friends Van Ness Butler, Jr. and Gene Wesley remember the days when Grayton Beach had just a handful of residents.
Van Ness Butler, Jr. grew up in the area and has fond memories of the early days fishing on Grayton Beach.
Butler remembers locals, Herbert and Olin Miller as one of the first to launch a boat from Grayton Beach in the 1940s. A New England style dory, with a Model A engine, was rolled over logs across the sand to get to the Gulf of Mexico.
“Western Lake rarely opened to the Gulf even back then. It was hard work getting that dory in and out of the water,” Butler recalls.
CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE STORY
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Quota permits no longer transferable
At its meeting in Destin, the seven members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted in favor of proposed recommended changes to its Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Quota Hunt Permit Program. An amendment to the new rules provides that the changes will no longer be in effect after 2012, unless the Commission reauthorizes these changes or approves an extension.
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Outta the Woods: What does the future hold for Florida’s hunters?
To start the new year off, I’d like to tell you about a recent Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report titled “Wildlife 2060: What’s at stake for Florida?” The report is based on a study by 1000 Friends of Florida – a nonprofit organization that monitors our state’s growth, and it contains some pretty alarming things we hunters need to be aware of.
Florida has the fourth-highest population in the country at 18 million, and this report predicts that by the year 2060, it will double to 36 million. Consequently, estimates are that 7 million of the state’s 34 million total acres will be converted from natural and rural lands to urban uses during the next 50 years. Seven million acres is equivalent to the entire state of Vermont.
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Hunting in Walton Wildlife Management Areas
There are three Wildlife Management Areas available in Walton County on which hunting and fishing is available. The WMAs are Choctawhatchee River Wildlife Management Area, Lafayette Creek and the Point Washington State Forest and Wildlife Management Area.
For a download of the Choctawhatchee WMA map, rules and regulations- CLICK HERE
For a download of the Lafayette Creek WMA map, rules and regulations – CLICK HERE
For a download of the Point Washington WMA map, rules and regulations – CLICK HERE
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By Bob Wattendorf, with Jason Dotson, FWC
Florida Fish Busters – What is a creel survey?
You might wonder why someone in a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) boat is stopping you and asking to participate in a “creel survey.” Two questions come to mind. What is a creel? And why does it require a survey? Very good questions – one answer involves tradition; the other answer involves a healthy fishery.
A creel is a wicker basket used for holding fish that an angler has caught, or a wicker fish trap. Today, we still use the expression derived from that old-fashioned, but very stylish, basket. Somehow we haven’t adapted to asking if we can do “a live-well,” “ice-chest” or “catch-and-release” survey.
So bear with us when we ask for your participation. Your answers to our questions are important to the future health of Florida’s fisheries.
A traditional creel basket, used to hold an angler's catch. (FWC photo)
The FWC’s fisheries biologists need to know what you have been catching. Despite using old-fashioned terminology, the sophistication of these vital surveys has grown over the years, and they are now a critical source of information for determining how Florida’s fisheries are doing.
Since creel clerks who conduct these interviews cannot talk to every angler, biologists and statisticians work together to carefully determine a sampling scheme of when and where we momentarily interrupt an angler’s recreation to gather this information. Each angler asked to participate represents many other anglers that we cannot talk to, so it is very important that we get the most accurate information possible. The interviewer will want to know how long you’ve been fishing, and what you caught and harvested as well as what you released. They may also measure your fish, check them for tags and ask some questions about where you live and other information that helps to explain results, including information on your age, which, for instance, relates to license sales.
This information is used to determine what anglers want to catch, what they are catching (species, size and numbers), whether they are keeping them, and other factors that allow biologists to estimate the health of a fishery. Combined with other data, such as information from electrofishing samples, biologists can determine what regulations are needed for size and creel limits, what is needed for habitat restoration, supplemental fish stocking, and where additional access, such as boat ramps, shoreline access, or fishing piers, may be needed.
A creel clerk measures an angler's bass before returning it. (FWC photo)
For biologists to make the decisions that ultimately impact the quality of your fishing, they need honest, accurate information. False responses that over- or underestimate your catch can lead to unnecessary or unrealistic solutions. For example, an underestimate of angling success could lead to stricter creel limits (the number or size of fish anglers may legally harvest) when they aren’t necessary and stunting of the fish population because too few big fish are harvested to allow the others to grow rapidly. In case of an overestimate of angling success, the decision may be made that habitat improvements aren’t needed because the fishery is doing so well, delay a proposed fish stocking, or prevent appropriate harvest regulations from being implemented.
Of course, biologists consistently use multiple sources of data to reduce the chance these types of errors will occur. But with recurring budget cuts, creel surveys and angler-attitude surveys become increasingly cost-effective. As other options – such as electrofishing, seining or trawling – are reduced to save money, or sampling – such as block nets and gillnetting – are reduced because of adverse public perception, the need for honest, accurate answers to creel surveys becomes more and more important.
So the next time someone tells you they are conducting a creel survey, remember you are representing many anglers and helping to ensure the safe and sustainable future of quality recreational fishing in Florida when you give a few minutes of your time and accurate information to the creel clerk.
Instant licenses are available at MyFWC.com/License or by calling 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356). Report violators by calling *FWC or #FWC on your cell phone, or 1-888-404-3922. Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing/Updates for more Fish Busters’ columns.
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by walton outdoors on January 7, 2010
