5036160, 68A-15.063 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 5036160

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

Chapter:

TYPE I WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS

Overview

RULE:

68A-15.063

Specific Regulations for Wildlife Management Areas - Northwest Region

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the proposed rule changes is to revise specific area regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the Northwest 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 Northwest Region as follows:
Apalachee WMA – allow vehicular access only during periods open to hunting except vehicular access would be allowed year-round on Rock Pond Road and during daylight hours one week prior to the archery season and one day prior to the muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons; increase the number of days that quail hunting is allowed from 12 to 24 days; change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having three or more points on at least one antler, each point one inch or more in length; allow general gun season to be open the Friday after Thanksgiving; and remove daily quota requirement to hunt quail in Zone A.
Apalachicola WMA – establish a quail enhancement area in that portion of the area lying north of Oak Ridge Road, east of State Road 61 and Highway 319, south of State Road 263, and west of State Road 363; allow bird dog training in the enhancement area November 1 through December 31; allow quail hunting in the enhancement area by quota permit only; allow quotas to be established annually by Order of the Executive Director or designee; allow quail hunts on Saturdays only (with a maximum of six Saturdays being hunted); allow up to two quota hunt permits to be issued per day and allow up to two hunters per permit; allow for a bag limit of 12 quail per permit; allow the number of days open for quail hunting to be adjusted each year as needed to achieve a harvest of up to 15% of the fall population, based on an October quail survey; and prohibit shining deer from 12 midnight until one-half hour before sunrise during the general gun season.
Apalachicola WMA – Bradwell Unit – allow antlerless deer to be taken during the archery season; allow wild hogs to be taken during the small game season; and extend the small game season from 9 to 18 days.
Aucilla WMA – allow antlerless deer to be taken during the archery season; allow tent camping along the Aucilla River on property owned by the Suwannee River Water Management District by permit from the District; allow still hunting only on that portion of the eastern dog hunt area north of Goose Pasture Road and east of Oneal Tram; and allow vehicular access to the area at designated entrances only.
Blackwater WMA – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles during spring turkey season; establish a family hunt (quota of 50; still hunting only, no exemptions) in that portion of the area north of Highway 4 and east of Highway 191; and allow the take of up to 3 deer (antlered or antlerless) per quota permit during the family hunt; require hunters to check in and out at a check station during the family hunt; and allow the use of retrievers (dogs) on the Field Trial Area during the dove season.
Blackwater WMA – Hutton Unit – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles during the spring turkey season; establish five 3-day hog-dog hunts (quota of 5 per hunt, no exemptions); allow only wild hog to be taken during the hog-dog hunts; allow the use of no more than 3 dogs per quota permit during the hog-dog hunts; allow up to 2 hunters per quota permit and only one gun per permit during the hog-dog hunts; allow wild hog to be taken during the day or at night by the aid of a light with a firearm provided that no such firearm shall be loaded at any time except immediately prior to the shooting of a bayed hog (hunting of wild hog under this provision by display or use of a light from a moving vehicle, boat or animal is prohibited); no longer require hunters to check in and out at a check station during the spring turkey season; allow limited field trials by permit; and change the quail quota from two groups of three hunters by quail quota application to 8 individual permits at the check station, no exemptions.
Blue Water Creek WMA – allow the take of frogs.
Box-R WMA – allow dove hunting on the opening day of the first phase of mourning dove and white-winged dove season.
Choctawhatchee River WMA – add a new 3-day spring turkey quota hunt (quota of 10; no exemptions).
Econfina Creek WMA – allow vehicular access on certain roads during open seasons and prohibit vehicular access on certain roads during periods closed to hunting.
Eglin WMA – extend the length of time that general gun hunts may occur by 10 days.
Escambia River WMA – allow still hunting only north of State Road 184 in Santa Rosa County and north of Cedartown Road and Daffin Road in Escambia County.
Joe Budd WMA – allow public access from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset.
Lafayette Creek WMA – prohibit vehicular access during periods closed to hunting except vehicular access would be allowed one day prior to and after each season; and move duplications of the rules for Family Hunts from area specific regulations to Rule 68A-15.005, F.A.C.
Ochlockonee River WMA – allow public access throughout the year from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset; and prohibit ATVs.
Perdido River WMA – prohibit launching or loading of boats with a motor greater than 10 hp at Fillingam and Pipes boat ramps; allow public access from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset, except access would be allowed throughout the year on Sand Landing Road, at designated campsites or by permit from the Northwest Florida Water Management District; prohibit vehicular access on Muscogee Regen Road and Red Gate Road from May through September; and move duplications of the rules for Family Hunts from area specific regulations to Rule 68A-15.005, F.A.C.
Pine Log WMA – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles during the spring turkey season; change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having three or more points on at least one antler, each point one inch or more in length; no longer require hunters to check in and out at a check station during the spring turkey season; and allow limited field trials by permit.
Point Washington WMA – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles during the spring turkey season; allow vehicular access on named or numbered roads only; require a quota permit for the last 17 days of the general gun season; and reduce the general gun quota from 300 to 150 (each hunt).
Talquin WMA – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles during the spring turkey season; allow public access from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset; prohibit ATVs; and allow vehicular access only on named or numbered roads.
Tate’s Hell WMA – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles during the spring turkey season; change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having two or more points on at least one antler, each point one inch or more in length; prohibit shining deer from 12 midnight until one-half hour before sunrise during the general gun season; and reduce the number of quota permits from 1,000 for the first 13 days to 750 for the first 13 days.
Tate’s Hell WMA – Womack Creek Unit – prohibit the use of centerfire rifles during the spring turkey season; change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having two or more points on at least one antler, each point one inch or more in length; and allow the possession (not use) of ATVs.
Wakulla WMA – change the definition of legal to take for antlered deer to those having three or more points on at least one antler, each point one inch or more in length; and allow access from 1.5 hours before sunrise until 1.5 hours after sunset.
Yellow River WMA – prohibit vehicular access from May through September on Holt Enhancement Road, North Holt Cross Road and South Holt Cross Road; and no longer require a quota permit for the first 13 days of general gun season or the first 9 days of spring turkey season.
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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