5035869, 68A-15.061 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 5035869

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

Chapter:

TYPE I WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS

Overview

RULE:

68A-15.061

Specific Regulations for Wildlife Management Areas - Southwest Region

PURPOSE:

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

SUMMARY:

The proposed rule changes would adjust season dates to conform to calendar year changes and revise specific area regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the Southwest Region as follows:
Arbuckle WMA – change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having at least one antler with three or more points, each point one inch or more in length; prohibit the use of centerfire rifles for taking wild turkey during the spring turkey season; move the muzzleloading gun season from November to December; and convert the general gun hog season to a small game season with no quota and allow the take of wild hog.
Chassahowitzka WMA – allow camping by permit at Ryle Creek for persons paddling segment 7 of the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail; establish a new general gun hog-dog season consisting of two, 3-day hunts (quota of 75 and each permit would allow one gun, two hunters and three dogs); split the existing 9-day spring turkey season (currently a 4-day and 5-day hunt) into three, 3-day hunts, and conduct the turkey hunts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; add geese as legal to take during the waterfowl season; and restrict horses and bicycles to roads and trails, except bicycles will be allowed “off-road” during hunting and scouting periods.
Croom WMA – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles for taking turkey during the spring turkey season; add geese as legal to take during the waterfowl season; and no longer require hunters to check game after the first 9 days of the general gun season.
Green Swamp WMA – allow camping only at designated campsites; require campers to obtain a non-transferable permit for designated campsites; require campers to attach their names and permit numbers to camping equipment; prohibit kitchen stoves, refrigerators and freezers unless contained in mobile campers; prohibit lumber, sheet metal and other building materials; prohibit the operation of generators between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. (create quiet hours); prohibit the possession or consumption of intoxicating beverages; and continue to require deer and wild hog to be checked at the check station, but delete an unnecessary rule that requires them to be marked with a physical tag at the check station.
Hickory Hammock WMA – split the small game season into 2 hunts and start the second hunt (last 42 days) after the close of the zonal general gun season; allow the take of wild hog during the last 42 days of small game season; allow waterfowl hunting all day during duck and coot season; and allow the use of rimfire rifles.
Hilochee WMA – prohibit public access from 1.5 hours after sunset until 1.5 hours before sunrise; increase quotas during archery and muzzleloading gun seasons from 5 to 10 quota permits each hunt; increase quota during general gun hog from 30 to 40 each hunt; clarify a rule that prohibits fishing in certain bodies of water; increase the number of fishing permits from 10 to 20; increase fishing opportunity by allowing fishing by permit on Sundays; remove the quota permit requirement for small game season; allow wild hog to be dismembered before being checked at the check station; no longer require hunters to check in or check game during the small game season; close Yancey road during small game season; allow the take of wild hog during small game season; and remove the special-opportunity dove season, rules associated with that season and the quota.
Hilochee WMA – Osprey Unit (NEW) – establish a new wildlife management area with the following open seasons: archery – two 2-day hunts (quota of 40 per hunt, no exemptions); family hunt – 2-day hunt (quota of 15, 1 adult and 2 children per permit, no exemptions); general gun hog-still – 2-day hunt (quota of 40, no exemptions); general gun hog-dog – two 2-day hunts (quota of 10; one gun, two hunters, and three dogs per permit; no exemptions); two 2-day spring turkey hunts (quota of 5, no exemptions); legal to take – all legal game (except deer), fish and furbearers; turkey may be taken only during the spring turkey season; bag limits for fish: no more than 20 bluegill, 10 black crappie and 6 catfish per person; size limits for fish will be no less than 8 inches total length for bluegill and no less than 10 inches total length for black crappie; prohibit public access from 1.5 hours after sunset until 1.5 hours before sunrise; require all persons to enter and exit at a designated entrance; prohibit airboats, tracked vehicles, motorcycles, ATVs and outboard motors larger than 10 horsepower; allow horses during non-hunting periods on designated trails and named or numbered roads; allow bicycles year-round; allow motorized vehicle access only during hunts and one day prior by persons with a quota permit; motorized vehicles must enter and exit on Robert L. Tanner Grade; prohibit nets, fish traps, trotlines, set lines, minnow seines, cast nets and bush hooks; allow bird dogs and dogs with a shoulder height of 15 inches or less for the take of small game; and allow dogs of any size during the general gun hog-dog season.
KICCO WMA – allow the use of handguns and rimfire rifles for taking wildlife.
Lake Marion Creek WMA – change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having at least one antler with three or more points, each point one inch or more in length; add an additional 3-day general gun hog hunt (quota of 50, no exemptions); move the small game season after the general gun hog season and allow the take of wild hog; no longer require wild hog to be checked before quartering; and no longer require hunters to check in or check game during small game season.
Upper Hillsborough WMA – change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having at least one antler with three or more points, each point one inch or more in length; and continue to require deer, turkey and wild hog to be checked at the check station, but delete an unnecessary rule that requires them to be marked with a physical tag at the check station.
Walk-in-the-Water WMA – expand the muzzleloading gun season from one 3-day hunt to two hunts (4 and 5 days respectively, quota of 25 each hunt, no exemptions); move the muzzleloading gun season from October to December; shorten the small game season from 39 days to 18 days; and no longer require hunters to check in and record all game taken at a check station.
Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb WMA – allow public access from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset; and allow the take of furbearers during the archery and general gun seasons.
Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb WMA – Yucca Pens Unit – allow public access from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset; allow the take of furbearers during the muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons; increase the number of quota permits for general gun and muzzleloading gun from 30 to 50, each hunt, no exemptions; remove the size and bag limits for wild hog; establish scouting days; allow vehicle access for scouting; and expand the time frame when hunting equipment is allowed on the area.
Additional proposed rule changes would simplify and standardize regulations related to the take of wild hog on WMAs; liberalize regulations related to the possession of firearms, in accordance with Florida Statutes; and 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 375.313 FS.

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution 375.313 FS.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

1/4/2008 Vol. 34/01

COMMENTS:

From 1/4/2008 To 1/25/2008 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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