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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More than 400 people showed their support for Hands Across The Sand in Seaside, Fla. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

State of Florida shows its support for
Hands Across The Sand

More than 400 people showed their support for the Hands Across The Sand in Seaside, Fla. on Feb. 13.  The protest was to raise awareness about pending Florida legislation to drill for oil along Florida’s coastal waterways. The protest gained incredible momentum as there were thousands across the state who shared support. More than 80 in Blue Mountain Beach, 3oo in Key West, 262 at Siesta Key as well as many other locations across the state.

Posted under Beaches

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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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.
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Travel safe and wear bright colors while hiking

A reminder to hikers in the Point Washington State Forest and the Florida Trail on Eglin Reservation, general gun season is Nov. 26-29, 2009 and Dec. 12, 2009 – Feb. 17, 2010.

For Point Washington Wildlife Management area Click here
Choctawhatchee River Wildlife Management area Click here
Layfayette Creek area Click here
Eglin information from Florida Trail Association Click here

Posted under Hunting, Trails/Hiking

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.

Give thanks for hunting seasons galore

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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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

Special September Duck Season: Sept. 26-30, 2009

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset 
Legal to Take: Wood duck, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal
Bag Limit (daily/possession): 4/8. The 4-duck daily bag limit shall consist of no more than two wood ducks.
September Canada Goose
Season: Sept. 5-30, 2009 Canada geese may be taken statewide
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Bag Limit (daily/possession): 5/10. Taking or attempting to take brant or geese (except as described above) is prohibited.
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August best time of year to sign up for hunter safety courses

By Tony Young

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.
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Photo courtesy FWC.

New rule changes to the Quota Hunt Program that improves the state’s regulation of hunting on wildlife management areas

The following major changes to the quota program were approved by the FWC Commission on Feb. 4, 2009 and will be in effect for the 2009-2010 hunting season.
To obtain quota permit application worksheets,  Click here
Apply for a quota permit now! Click here

Has there been an increase in the number of quota hunt types?
Yes. The number of hunt types has changed from three types (Archery/muzzleloading Gun, General Gun and Spring Turkey) to five types (Archery, Muzzleloading Gun, General Gun, Wild Hog and Spring Turkey).

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No need if you already posses a regular saltwater fishing license

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.
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Posted under Fishing, Hunting