Contact FWC : Proposed Rule Changes : Quota Hunt : Summary, Comment

Proposed Quota Hunt Program Changes for 2009-10

Notes:  The proposed changes affect the 8 rules listed below. 
As a result of input from mobility-impaired representatives, the public and Commissioners, the proposed changes now include mobility-impaired hunts as well.

You can comment on the rules as a group by clicking on the gray bar at the bottom of this page.

Affected Rules

The proposed rules changes would ...

• change all quota hunt permits from transferable to nontransferable;
• establish a guest permit issued through the FWC Total Licensing System (TLS) for Archery, Muzzleloading Gun, General Gun, Wild Hog, Mobility-Impaired and Spring Turkey hunt types;
• allow one guest permit per quota hunt permit;
• allow an individual to be the guest of only one quota permit holder per hunt; require the guest and host hunters to enter and exit the area together, share the same vehicle and share the bag limit;
•  provide that the guest may only hunt when the host is present on the area; provide that the guest may bring no additional hunters;
• provide that the quota permit holder may bring only one additional hunter (one guest, one youth, one mentor supervisor or one mentor license holder); 
• provide that only permits issued through the TLS are eligible for a guest permit; require the guest to hunt in the same zone as the host (on those areas with zone tags); and
• provide that these changes would not apply to the Blackwater WMA dog hunts or Holton Creek WMA. 

The proposed rule changes also would ...

• expand quota hunt types from Archery/Muzzleloading Gun and General Gun to Archery, Muzzleloading Gun, General Gun and Wild Hog;
• allow up to 5 permits per hunt type (only one of which may be issued during the Phase I or Phase II drawings for each hunt type) and one permit per hunt number;
• expand the application period for Phase I drawing from 11 to 30 days;
• reduce the application period for Phase II drawing from 45 days to 15 days (change from first-come, first-serve to random drawing);
• allow preference points to accumulate for each year an applicant is not selected during Phase I;
• base the issuance of group permits on the group member with the lowest number of preference points;
• allow all quota permits to be returned postmarked prior to the hunt; allow returned permits drawn by preference to have preference points restored and an additional point awarded and those returned permits drawn during Phase I to have a preference point awarded; provide that returned quota permits be re-issued through TLS; and
• eliminate preference points if an applicant fails to apply for 2 consecutive years. 

The proposed rule changes would adjust the number of quota permits issued for some hunts or adjust bag limits on the following wildlife management areas: 

• Croom (Muzzleloading Gun and General Gun from 400 to 300);
• Hickory Hammock (General Gun Hog from 10 to 5);
• KICCO (Spring Turkey from 15 to10); Upper Hillsborough River (Archery and Muzzleloading Gun from 150 to 75);
• Andrews (Archery from 60 to 45, Muzzleloading Gun, and General Gun from 40 to 30 and Spring Turkey from 30 to 25); 
• Twin Rivers (Archery, Muzzleloading Gun and General Gun from 60 to 45 and Spring turkey from 24 to 20);
• Joe Budd (Archery and Archery/Muzzleloading Gun from 50 to 35);
• Dexter/Mary Farms (Archery, Muzzleloading Gun and General Gun from 40 to 30); and
• Guana River (Spring Turkey bag limit from one per day to one per quota permit).  

Other impacts of the proposed rule changes

• The proposed rule changes would delete Section 68A-5.005 and incorporate the quota hunt permit application, issuance, and selection process into Section 68A-15.005. 

Future action and additional information

These proposed changes will be considered for final adoption at the Commission meeting in Destin on Feb. 4-5.

Click here for a detailed presentation.

To comment, please click on the gray bar

Top of page