10845587, 68A-15.062 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 10845587

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

Chapter:

TYPE I WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS

Overview

RULE:

68A-15.062

Specific Regulations for Wildlife Management Areas - North Central Region

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the proposed rule amendment is to revise specific area regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the North Central Region and conform to calendar year date changes. The effect of the proposed rule amendment will be to enable the agency to better manage fish and wildlife resources and public use on WMAs.

SUMMARY:

The proposed rule amendments would adjust season dates to conform to calendar year changes and revise specific area regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the North Central Region as follows:
Bayard WMA – remove the requirement for hunters to check in and check game at the check station.
Belmore WMA – add a 2-day family hunt with a bag limit of one antlered and one antlerless deer per quota permit (quota 20, no exemptions).
Big Bend WMA, Jena Unit – establish a 30-day archery season (take of antlerless deer and turkeys other than gobblers or bearded turkeys prohibited, no quota permit required).
Cary WMA – establish two 3-day wild hog-still hunts (quota 100, no exemptions).
Citrus WMA – Add one day to each muzzleloading gun hunt to establish two 3-day hunts; add one day to each general gun hunt to establish two 3-day hunts; add 1 day to each spring turkey hunt to establish three 4-day hunts; and add four days of quail hunting in the field trial area.
Four Creeks WMA – establish a 4-day wild hog-still hunt (quota 75, no exemptions).
Goethe WMA – begin the muzzleloading gun season six days later; add a 4-day general gun still hunt (quota 300); add a 4-day general gun dog hunt (quota 125); add a 7-day spring turkey hunt (quota 130); and remove the requirement for hunters to check game taken at the check station.
Gulf Hammock WMA – allow the take of wild hog with no size or bag limit.
Hatchet Creek WMA – remove the requirement for hunters to check in and check game at the check station.
Homosassa WMA – add one day to each archery hunt to establish three 4-day hunts; and convert the wild hog-still hunts to small game hunts with wild hog legal to take (quota 30 each day at check station, no exemptions).
Jennings Forest WMA – establish a 28-day bird dog training season in the quail enhancement area; establish a 2-day family hunt with a bag limit of one antlered and one antlerless deer per quota permit (quota 25, no exemptions); prohibit the take of wild hog during small game season; establish five 3-day wild hog-still hunts (quota 60, no exemptions); and prohibit the take of wild hog in the quail enhancement area during the February wild hog-still hunt.
Little River WMA – allow nighttime raccoon and opossum hunting during small game season with access by permit from the Suwannee River Water Management District; and expand small game season from 10 to 44 days (take of quail after the first 16 days is prohibited).
Log Landing WMA – allow the use of motorized vehicles at designated parking areas; expand period open to hunting from 56 to 83 days (no quota permits required); reduce the archery season from 25 to 20 days (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only; take of antlerless deer, gobblers or bearded turkeys allowed only during the first 14 days); expand the muzzleloading gun season from 3 to 17 days (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only); expand the small game season from 17 to 27 days (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only); expand the spring turkey season from 11 to 19 days (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only).
Lower Econfina River WMA – allow nighttime raccoon and opossum hunting during small game season with access by permit from the Suwannee River Water Management District.
Middle Aucilla WMA – allow nighttime raccoon and opossum hunting during the last 30 days of the small game season with access by permit from the Suwannee River Water Management District.
Ralph E. Simmons Memorial WMA – remove the requirement for hunters to check in and check game at the check station; and establish a 2-day family hunt with a bag limit of one antlered and one antlerless deer per quota permit (quota 15, no exemptions).
Steinhatchee Springs WMA – allow nighttime raccoon and opossum hunting during small game season with access by permit from the Suwannee River Water Management District; increase the muzzleloading gun season quota from 200 to 220; increase the general gun season quota (first 9 days) from 200 to 220; increase each of two spring turkey hunt quotas from 80 to 88; and increase the wild hog-dog hunt quota from 50 to 55.
Proposed rule amendments would also amend or clarify language related to the use of guns for taking wildlife. Additionally, the proposed rule amendments would provide non-substantive technical changes, such as grammatical corrections and language standardization.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution 375.313 FS.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

1/6/2012 Vol. 38/01

COMMENTS:

From 1/6/2012 To 1/27/2012 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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