9596712, 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: 9596712

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 amendment 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 amendment will be to enable the agency to better manage fish and wildlife resources and public use on WMAs.

SUMMARY:

The proposed rule amendment 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:
Apalachicola WMA – clarify that motorized vehicles are allowed only on designated, named or numbered roads and mixed-used roads, except all-terrain vehicles are allowed only on designated motorized trails and mixed-use roads; and establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (no quota permit required).
Apalachicola WMA, Bradwell Unit – remove the limitation of one gun per hunting party during the wild hog-dog season.
Aucilla WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (no quota permit required); remove the small game-only status for the area south of U.S. Highway 98 and designate it as a three points on a side still hunt area (the Pinhook still hunt area) with the following seasons and regulations: two 9-day archery hunts (quota 20 per hunt, no exemptions); a 3-day muzzleloading gun season (quota 20, no exemptions); a 2-day family hunt (quota 20, no exemptions); a 23-day general gun season (divided into 7-, 7-, and 9-day hunts, respectively; quota 20 per hunt, no exemptions); a 16-day wild hog-still season (no quota permit required); a 2-day youth turkey hunt (no quota permit required); other seasons as currently allowed on Aucilla WMA; require that antlered deer have at least one antler with three or more points, each point one-inch or more in length; set the bag limit for deer during the archery season at two deer, only one of which can be antlered, per quota permit; set the bag limit for deer during the family hunts at one antlered and one antlerless deer per quota permit; set the bag limit for deer during the muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons at one antlered deer per quota permit; require hunters to enter the Pinhook still hunt area at a designated entrance; and all other rules that currently apply to the Aucilla WMA.
Blackwater WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (no quota permit required); allow vehicles only on named and numbered roads; prohibit hunting from Bryant Bridge, Norman Riley, Sandy Forest and Pleasant Home roads; exempt individuals hunting raccoons at night in the dog hunt area from quota permit requirements; allow rabbits to be chased during the fox, raccoon, opossum and bobcat season; and convert the quail season on the Field Trial Area from two 4-day hunts with three quotas each, to four 2-day hunts with a quota of four each.
Blackwater WMA, Hutton Unit – remove the quota permit requirement during the wild hog-dog season; remove the limitation of one gun and three free-running dogs per hunting party during the wild hog-dog season; and establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 5, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Box-R WMA – remove the limitation of one gun per hunting party during the wild hog-dog season.
Choctawhatchee River WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt for the entire area and in the quota hunt portion of the area, set a quota of 5 permits (no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Econfina Creek WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt, except in the mobility-impaired area, with a quota of 3 in the Cat Creek and Fitzhugh Carter areas (no exemptions), a quota of 10 in the still hunt and dog hunt areas (no exemptions) and a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Eglin AFB WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (no quota permit required) in areas specified by the Installation Commander.
Escambia River WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (no quota permit required).
Flint Rock WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (Recreational Use Permit required); allow wild hog to be hunted during existing seasons, as well as the small game season, with no height or bag limit restrictions; and allow the use of dogs to hunt wild hogs during the small game season.
Joe Budd WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 20, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Juniper Creek WMA (NEW) 914 acres – establish a new wildlife management area with the following open seasons: five 3-day family hunts; a 2-day youth turkey hunt; establish as legal to take antlered deer, antlerless deer, wild hog and wild turkey (during the spring turkey season only); set the bag limit for deer at one antlered or one antlerless deer per person; set the bag limit for turkey during the spring turkey season at one gobbler or bearded turkey per person; prohibit camping on the area; prohibit hunting with dogs; allow public access during closed seasons by foot (pedestrian) only except that authorized hunters may use motorized vehicles one day immediately prior to each hunt; during hunting seasons, require possession of a U.S. Forest Service zone tag to access and hunt on the property; allow vehicles only on named and numbered roads; prohibit airboats, tracked vehicles, all-terrain vehicles and unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles; and prohibit fires.
Ochlockonee River WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 5, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit; and allow wild hog to be hunted during the small game season.
Perdido River WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 5, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Pine Log WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 5, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit; and allow wild hog to be hunted during the small game season.
Point Washington WMA – allow wild hog to be hunted during the small game season; and prohibit hunting from all named and numbered roads.
Talquin WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 5, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit; and allow wild hog to be hunted during the small game season;
Tate’s Hell WMA, Womack Creek Unit – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 10, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Tyndall AFB WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (no quota permit required) in areas specified by the Installation Commander; and allow the Installation Commander to set dates for supervised youth hunts anytime between the beginning of archery season and December 31.
Upper Chipola River WMA – rename the management area as “Chipola River WMA”; establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 5, no exemptions), except in the Altha tract, with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit; and establish the following seasons and regulations for the new Altha tract: two archery hunts (7 and 9 days, respectively; quota 10 per hunt, no exemptions); a 4-day family hunt (quota 5, no exemptions); a 3-day muzzleloading gun season (quota 10, no exemptions); an 18-day small game season (9 Saturday-Sunday hunts); and three 3-day spring turkey hunts (quota 5 per hunt, no exemptions); establish as legal to take all legal game, fish, frogs and furbearers; allow fishing and frogging year round; allow trapping from December 1 through March 1; set the bag limit for deer during the archery season at one antlered or one antlerless deer per quota permit; set the bag limit for deer during the family hunts at one antlered and one antlerless deer per quota permit; set the bag limit for deer during the muzzleloading gun season at one antlered deer per quota permit; set the bag limit for turkey during the spring turkey season at one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit; prohibit the possession or consumption of intoxicating beverages; and all other rules that currently apply to the Upper Chipola River WMA.
Wakulla WMA – add an additional day of hunting to the second archery/muzzleloading gun hunt to make it a 3-day hunt; and establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt (quota of 5, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Yellow River WMA – establish a 2-day youth turkey hunt in the Burnt Grocery Creek area (quota of 3, no exemptions) with a bag limit of one gobbler or bearded turkey per quota permit.
Additionally the proposed rule amendment would provide non-substantive technical changes, such as grammatical corrections and language standardization. There are also proposed changes to some hunting seasons on FWC-managed areas in an effort to better align season dates with times of peak deer activity associated with the breeding season and other hunter preferences.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution 375.313 FS.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

1/21/2011 Vol. 37/03

COMMENTS:

From 1/21/2011 To 2/11/2011 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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