News Release

FWC opens new check stations for area deer hunters

September 25, 2008
Contact: Joy Hill, 352-732-1225

•  List of check stations with addresses, phone numbers

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announces 10 auxiliary check stations for hunters to use to check the deer they harvest during the upcoming hunting seasons on Ocala, Fort McCoy and Gores Landing Unit Ocklawaha River wildlife management areas.

Hunters are required to check all deer harvested from the Ocala Wildlife Management Area at one of the following check stations prior to field-dressing or transporting the carcass out of the hunt area:

• Advantage Sports Center in Salt Springs;
• Scrambletown Country Store in Scrambletown;
• Country Store in Altoona;
• Lake Farm and Feed in Umatilla;
• Forest Hills Grocery in Forest Hills;
• J & S Cowart Bait, Tackle, Etc., in Eureka;
• Ocklawaha River Country Store in Hog Valley;
• Wiggler's Bait and Tackle in Lynne;
• South Moon Fish Camp in Astor; and
• Country Club Hardware & Feed in Altoona.

The check station most convenient to Gores Landing Unit is J & S Cowart Bait, Tackle, Etc., in Eureka.

The two most convenient to Fort McCoy are J & S Cowart Bait, Tackle, Etc., in Eureka and Advantage Sports Center in Salt Springs.

Hunters using Fort McCoy or Gores Landing Unit Ocklawaha River wildlife management areas are not required to check their deer, but the FWC asks that they do. The data collected at the check stations is valuable to wildlife biologists to help them manage the deer populations in those areas. Of particular interest is the number of deer taken, general physical condition, age and weight.