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Wildlife Management Area Changes

Wildlife management area regulation changes
Hunters should obtain WMA brochures for the area in which they intend to hunt. The latest rule changes are notated by bold print in these brochures. WMA brochures are available at county tax collectors’ offices and MyFWC.com/hunting.

Public small-game hunting areas (SGA)
Small-game public hunting areas offer the opportunity to hunt hogs, doves, waterfowl and small game. SGA brochures are available at MyFWC.com/hunting or an FWC regional office (see page 2).

Dove hunting opportunities are provided on Apalachee, Apalachicola WEA, Babcock/Webb, Blackwater, Dinner Island Ranch, Dupuis WEA, Joe Budd, Lakes Wales Ridge WEA - Royce Unit, Okaloacoochee Slough and Hilochee Osprey Unit.

Waterfowl hunting is provided on Alligator Lake, Orange Creek, Ocklawaha Prairie, Emeralda Marsh and Stormwater Treatment Areas (STA) 3/4 and 5. A no-cost STA permit is required to hunt on areas 3/4 and 5. These permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 10 a.m. (EDT) Aug. 29 at MyFWC.com and at locations that sell hunting and fishing licenses. A $25 SGA permit is required to hunt on Orange Creek, Ocklawaha Prairie and Emeralda Marsh. SGA permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis at MyFWC.com and at locations that sell hunting and fishing licenses beginning 10 a.m. (EDT) Sept. 19. An SGA permit is not required to hunt waterfowl on Alligator Lake.

Hog hunting and small-game hunting opportunities
are available on Lower Econfina River, KICCO, Myakka and Punta Gorda. The Punta Gorda hog hunt requires a quota permit. Hog management quota permits are issued by random drawing from applications submitted 10 a.m. (EDT) Feb. 1 through midnight Feb. 10.

Hunting Florida’s military bases
Three military bases in Florida are open to public hunting. For information on hunting these lands, contact:

• Eglin Natural Resources, Jackson Guard, 107 Hwy. 85 North, Niceville, FL 32578; (850) 882-4164.
• Avon Park Air Force Range, Hunt Information, 347 RQW, DET1, OLA/CEVN, 29 South Blvd., Avon Park Air Force Range, FL 33825-5700; (863) 452-4254.
• Tyndall Air Force Base, Natural Resources Flight, 325 CES/CEN, 119 Alabama Ave., Tyndall Air Force Base, FL 32403; (850) 283-2641 or (850) 283-2822.

Hunting Florida’s national wildlife refuges (NWR)
Six national wildlife refuges in Florida are open to public hunting. These refuges are operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For information, contact:

• A.R.M. Loxahatchee NWR, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437-4796; (561) 732-3684. Waterfowl only.
• Lower Suwannee NWR, 16450 NW 31st Place, Chiefland, FL 32626; (352) 493-0238.
• Lake Woodruff NWR, P.O. Box 488, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130; (386) 985-4673.
• Merritt Island NWR, P.O. Box 6504, Titusville, FL 32782; (321) 861-0667. Waterfowl only.
• St. Marks NWR, P.O. Box 68, St. Marks, FL 32355; (850) 925-6121.
• St. Vincent NWR, P.O. Box 447, Apalachicola, FL 32329; (850) 653-8808.

Quota permits
Florida’s quota program prevents overcrowding and controls the harvest of game on wildlife management areas thus providing hunters with quality hunting experiences. Quotas (maximum number of hunters permitted on WMAs) are based on an area’s size, habitat, game populations and rules. Hunters wanting to use WMAs during quota periods must submit the appropriate quota permit application. Most quota permits are issued by random drawing. There are several types of quota permit applications, and eligible applicants are allowed to submit one of each type. Quota permits are issued free; however unless exempt, all applicants must have a valid management area permit or license that includes it when submitting their quota permit application.

• General gun quota permits are required during general gun hunts.
• Archery/muzzleloading gun quota permits are required during archery and muzzleloading gun hunts.
• Airboat quota permits are required to hunt from airboats on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA.
• Track vehicle quota permits are required to hunt from track vehicles on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor, Rotenberger and Holey Land WMAs.
• Spring turkey quota permits are required to hunt on some WMAs during spring turkey season.
• Youth hunt quota permits are required for children ages 8 through 15 to hunt Camp Blanding and Andrews WMAs.
• Mobility-impaired person quota permits are required for disabled hunters certified “mobility-impaired” during general gun hunts. For more information about mobilityimpaired certification, contact the quota office at (850) 488-8573 or click MyFWC.com/permits under “ADA Accessibility and Disability.”
• Quail quota permits are required to hunt Blackwater WMA field trial area and Blackwater WMA Hutton Unit.
• Family hunt quota permits are required for adult and youth hunts at Andrews, Devil’s Hammock, Dinner Island, Matanzas and Lafayette Creek WMAs.
• Hog management quota permits are required to hunt hogs on the Punta Gorda Water Treatment Facility.

Quota permit worksheets
Worksheets are available for each type quota permit approximately two weeks before each application period begins. Worksheets contain the hunt numbers, dates, quotas and spaces to record personal information which is required to be filled out when submitting a quota permit application. If you go through a tax collector or other license agent when submitting your quota permit application, you must present your completed worksheet to the clerk. If you apply on the
Internet, the worksheet will help you in answering questions you will be asked during the application process. A separate worksheet should be completed for each applicant in a group application. All quota permit worksheets are available at MyFWC.com/hunting under “Quota Hunts.” Hard copies of the general gun and archery/muzzleloading gun worksheets are available at tax collectors’ offices and license agents. Hard copies of other quota permit worksheets are available at an FWC regional office (see page 2) or by calling (850) 488-3641.

Quota permit application periods and deadlines
Hunters must submit quota permit applications at license agents, county tax collectors’ offices or MyFWC.com/hunting. Application periods for random drawings begin 10 a.m. (EDT) on the first day of the application period and end midnight on the last day of the period. Quota permit worksheets, showing areas, dates and quotas, are available at MyFWC.com/hunting under “Quota Hunts.”

• General gun and archery/muzzleloading gun hunts: June 1 - 11
• Airboat, track vehicle, youth hunts, quail hunts, family hunts and mobility-impaired person hunts: June 20 - July 7
• Spring turkey hunts: Oct. 31 - Nov. 9
• Hog management hunts: Feb. 1 - 10

Quota permit exemptions
Residents age 65 or older; Georgia residents age 65 or older possessing Georgia Honorary Hunting and Fishing Certificate and proof of age; residents with Disabled Person Hunting and Fishing Certificate; residents in the U.S. Armed Services stationed out of state and home on leave for 30 days or less; and children under age 16 are exempt and not required to have quota permits to participate in many hunts. Due to lease agreements, size and other factors, some hunts do not allow exemptions. Hunts where all persons must have quota permits are listed in bold print on the quota permit worksheets. This also is indicated by the phrase “no exemptions” found under the Quota Permit Information section in WMA brochures. A change to the quota permit regulations now allows children under the age of 16 to accompany any quota permit holder, age 18 or older, on hunts with “no exemptions” provided the youth and permit holder share a single bag limit.

Antlerless deer permits - WMAs
Antlerless deer permits are available in limited numbers on some WMAs. Hunts that offered antlerless deer permits last year are indicated with an asterisk (*) beside hunt numbers listed on the general gun and archery/muzzleloading gun quota permit worksheets. However, antlerless deer permits may be issued for any area, and the areas which will allow them along with the number of permits issued will be determined after a deer census is conducted in August. No wildlife management area offers an antlerless deer season, and antlerless deer may only be taken with an antlerless deer permit or quota permit. To be eligible for antlerless deer permits:

• Applications must be received by the random drawing deadline for the specific type of quota permit application.
• You must check “Yes” to the antlerless deer question on the quota permit application.
• You must be assigned a quota permit for an area that allows antlerless deer permits.
  Group applicants will be treated as individuals in the antlerless
  deer drawing. If one member of a group is selected for
  an antlerless deer permit, it does not mean all group members
  will receive antlerless deer permits.

Recreational use permits
Recreational use permits are designed to provide more revenue to landowners in the WMA system. Money set aside by the FWC to compensate those landowners for hunting use on their lands was not sufficient enough to compete with private hunting leases. Rather than have WMAs drop out of the system, the FWC offers recreational use permits. Fees collected from these permits supplement the private landowners, keeping their lands open to public hunting.

Except for hunting, permit holders and their spouses or dependent children (under age 17) may participate in other activities on designated WMAs. Only permit holders and one dependent child (under age 17) may hunt. If spouses or more than one dependent child (under age 17) wish to hunt, they must purchase a recreational use permit. These permits also substitute for management area permits when hunting public lands not in the recreational use program.

Recreational use permits do not apply to other recreational use program areas. Once permits are issued, they can be renewed annually for two additional years, essentially making them a three-year permit. Permit renewals are mailed May 1. Permits not renewed by May 31 will be forfeited, and they will be made available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

The application process for these permits is automated through FWC’s Total Licensing System (TLS). Applications are no longer accepted by mail and there are no group applications. Permits are issued individually on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 10 a.m. (EDT) July 11. Applications may be submitted at MyFWC.com/hunting, tax collectors’ offices or any license agent. Worksheets are available at MyFWC.com/hunting under “Recreational Use Permits,” at an FWC regional office and tax collectors offices’ in counties surrounding specific WMA. Quota permits are not required on WMAs within the recreational use program since only recreational use permit holders may use the area.

2006-07 Wildlife Management Area Statewide Map

North Central

Northeast

Northwest

South

Southwest

*Waterfowl Areas