Hunting

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Two Northwest Florida national wildlife refuges offer special hunts

Special deer and wild hog hunt applications begin May 4 This fall, Northwest Florida offers some special deer and wild hog hunts at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and a unique “big-game” hunt on the island of St. Vincent NWR. The application period for these hunts begins at 10 a.m. May 4 and continues through 11:59 p.m. June 10. There are two archery hunts, two general gun hunts and one mobility-impaired gun hunt on St. Marks NWR, which covers...

Apply for alligator hunting permits on May 5

Alligator hunting season will run Aug. 15 through Nov. 1 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will begin accepting applications May 5 for a chance to obtain highly coveted permits to participate in the statewide alligator harvest. In Phase I, applications will be accepted for a random drawing from 10 a.m. (EDT) May 5 through 11:59 p.m. (EDT) May 18.  Approximately 6,000 alligator harvest permits will be available. During the Phase I random drawing, each person can submit...

Deer hunters get better-aligned zones, season dates

FWC announces 2010-2011 hunting season dates Click here for 2010-2011 season dates The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed new rules Wednesday affecting deer hunters, beginning with the 2010-11 season. The new rules modified zone boundaries and season dates for deer hunting on private property. “These changes will better align the deer hunting seasons with the rut and are intended to increase hunter satisfaction,” said Cory Morea, Deer Management Program Coordinator for the FWC’s Division of Hunting and Game...

FWC decides to draft rules guiding fox and coyote enclosures

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted Wednesday to temporarily prohibit the chasing of foxes and coyotes in enclosures, while moving forward to draft rules guiding such enclosures in Florida. An executive order prohibiting chasing of foxes and coyotes within an enclosure will be issued by Feb. 24. Before making the decision, Commissioners listened to more than 40 speakers on fox and coyote pens, beginning with Rep. Debbie Boyd, D-High Springs. Boyd urged the Commission to recognize the...

Where to hunt spring turkeys without a quota permit

Many wildlife management areas do not require quota permit If you weren’t lucky enough to get drawn for a spring turkey quota permit, or if you are looking for even more spring turkey hunting opportunity, don’t fret; there are numerous wildlife management areas (WMAs) that don’t require them. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers 42 public hunting areas statewide where hunters need only to “walk on” to hunt spring turkeys. These hunts are made possible through the...

Deer season is not over yet in Florida Panhandle

Outta the woods: Northwest Florida deer in rut Thus far, this deer season has been pretty good to me as far as quantity goes.  I shot two does during doe week, and I got my season limit on fall gobblers, but I have yet to even see horns, much less harvest a buck.  But I still have plenty of room left in my freezer, and I’m not throwing in the towel just yet.  After all, there are still lots of...

FWC offers hunter safety course in Walton County

Classes to be held in DeFuniak Feb. 5-7 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety course in Walton County. The course will be at the Shooting Range, 955 Smith Rd. in DeFuniak Springs. Instruction will be from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 5 and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Feb. 6.  The range portion of the class will be Feb. 7. Those who have taken the Internet course and wish to complete the classroom portion...

Outta’ the Woods: Hunting with your favorite coon dog

That coon dog’ll hunt Some of my huntin’ buddies and I really live for being out in a wet patch of woods in the middle of a cool night and hearing the not-so-distant sounds of our coon hounds when they open up on a hot trail. There’s just something about those hounds’ voices that sounds both pleasing and eerie at the same time. We like to brag about whose dog actually struck the trail first and whose got to the...