12487700, 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: 12487700

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:

Andrews WMA – allow the harvest of furbearers during family hunts.
Bayard WMA – change the bag limit for deer from one deer per quota permit to one deer per person, but no more than two per quota permit during archery season and one antlered deer per person, but no more than two per quota permit during muzzleloading gun season.
Big Bend WMA, Snipe Island Unit – change the bag limit for deer from one antlered deer per quota permit per day to one deer (antlered or antlerless) per person per day during archery season; change the bag limit for deer from one antlered deer per quota permit per day to one antlered deer per person per day during muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons; change the bag limit for turkey from one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit to one (either sex) per person, but no more than two per quota permit during archery season quota periods; and change the bag limit for turkey from one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit to one per person, but no more than two per quota permit during spring turkey season quota periods.
Cary WMA – change the bag limit for deer from one antlered or one antlerless deer per quota permit to one deer per person, but no more than two deer per quota permit during archery season; change the bag limit for deer from one antlered deer per quota permit to one antlered deer per person, but no more than two per quota permit during muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons; change the bag limit for turkey from one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit to one per person, but no more than two per quota permit during spring turkey season.
Cedar Key Scrub WMA – allow the use of handguns for hunting.
Citrus WMA – add the special September duck season.
Devil’s Hammock WMA – allow the harvest of frogs; allow the harvest of gray squirrel, rabbit, quail, armadillo and migratory birds in season during the family hunt; and allow the harvest of furbearers during the family hunt and archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun and small game seasons.
Flying Eagle WMA – allow the use of horses on designated roads and marked trails during periods open to hunting.
Grove Park WMA – expand the general gun season from 58 to 65 days and begin on opening day of statewide antlered deer season (Zone C).
Hatchet Creek WMA – change the bag limit for deer from one antlered or one antlerless deer per quota permit to one deer per person, but no more than two deer per quota permit during archery season; change the bag limit for deer from one antlered deer per quota permit to one per person, but no more than two per quota permit during muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons; change the bag limit for turkey from one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit to one per person, but no more than two per quota permit during spring turkey season.
Holton Creek WMA – allow the harvest of furbearers during general gun mobility-impaired season.
Homosassa WMA – group small game season dates from four hunts (23, 16, 4 and 4 days respectively) into two hunts (24 and 23 days respectively) with no change in the total of 47 days.
Little River WMA – allow the harvest of furbearers.
Lochloosa WMA – allow the use of horses during archery, muzzleloading gun, small game, waterfowl and spring turkey seasons.
Osceola WMA – remove requirement to check harvested deer at a check station; expand the fox, raccoon, opossum and bobcat season from 53 days to 114 days and move from summer to the period concurrent with general gun and small game seasons.
Potts WMA – move the first two small game hunts after statewide antlered deer season (Zone C); allow the use of horses during periods open for hunting except wild hog-dog hunts; and change the bag limit for turkey from one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit to one per person, but no more than two per quota permit during spring turkey season.
Raiford WMA – allow public access from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day preceding and the day following archery, muzzleloading gun and archery/muzzleloading gun seasons; and allow public access from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset on the day preceding youth spring turkey and spring turkey hunts.
Ralph E. Simmons Memorial WMA – allow the use of horses on named or numbered roads and designated trails during small game season; change the bag limit for deer from one antlered deer per quota permit to one antlered deer per person, but no more than two per quota permit during muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons.
Thomas Creek WMA, Kings Road Unit – change the bag limit for deer from one antlered or one antlerless deer per quota permit to one deer per person, but no more than two deer per quota permit during archery season; change the bag limit for deer from one antlered deer per quota permit to one antlered deer per person, but no more than two per quota permit during muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons; change the bag limit for turkey from one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit to one per person, but no more than two per quota permit during spring turkey season.
Twin Rivers WMA – change the bag limit for deer from one deer per person per hunt to one deer per person, but no more than two per quota permit during archery season; change the bag limit for deer from one deer per person per hunt to one antlered deer per person, but no more than two antlered deer per quota permit during muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons; and change the bag limit for turkey from one turkey per person per hunt to one turkey per person, but no more than two per quota permit during archery and spring turkey seasons.

Additionally, the proposed rule amendments would provide non-substantive technical changes, such as grammatical corrections, language standardization, or clarification of an existing rule.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution n; Sections 379.2223, 375.313 Florida Statutes.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

1/11/2013 Vol. 39/08

COMMENTS:

From 1/11/2013 To 2/1/2013 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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