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FWC offers free fishing weekends, expands bay scallop season

Weekend of June 4 – 5, and June 18 – 19, 2011 saltwater fishing license not required statewide Florida is the fishing capital of the world, bringing more than $5.4 billion to our economy.  Today at the Cabinet meeting in Panama City with the support of Governor Rick Scott and the Cabinet, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced an exciting resource for anglers.  FWC announced two weekends in June when a saltwater fishing license will not be...

FWC offers free hunter safety course in Okaloosa County

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety course in Okaloosa County. The course will be at The Harbor, 4006 Highway 87 in Holley.  Instruction is from 6 to 9 p.m. April 18, 19, 20 and 21.  The range portion of the class will be April 23 from 8 to 11 a.m. An adult must accompany children under age 16 at all times.  Students should bring a pencil and paper with them to take...

National wildlife refuges offer special hunts

This fall, Northwest Florida offers some special deer and wild hog hunts at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and a unique “big-game” sambar deer hunt on the island of St. Vincent NWR. The application period for these hunts begins at 10 a.m. May 3 and continues through 11:59 p.m. June 9. There are two archery hunts, two general gun hunts and one mobility-impaired gun hunt on St. Marks NWR, which covers 60,000 acres in Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties. Five-day...

Turkey season for Florida Panhandle Mar. 19 – Apr. 24

Outta The Woods by Tony Young Better start brushing up on your turkey calling, because spring gobbler season is here.  Whether you prefer to use a mouth call, box call, slate or any combination, March means it’s time to start talkin’ turkey. Youth hunters are sure to benefit from a new rule passed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) that established a two-day Youth Spring Turkey Hunt on private property the weekend prior to the opening of...

FWC resolution highlights gopher tortoise conservation

Threatened gopher tortoise may become listed as federally endangered The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) signed a resolution Thursday in Apalachicola urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to recognize Florida’s strong conservation measures and actions to protect the gopher tortoise. The resolution asked the Service to not list the gopher tortoise in Florida as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Because the Service was petitioned to list the gopher tortoise as threatened in the eastern...

FWC proposes increase to red drum bag limit in northern Florida

Redfish bag limit to be raised from one to two per person The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on Wednesday proposed a draft rule that would raise the recreational daily red drum bag limit from one fish to two per person in northern Florida.  In addition, the FWC is proposing to create three regional management areas for red drum and establish a statewide eight-fish red drum daily vessel limit.  The Commission also intends to develop ways to modify...

Youth hunters to benefit from turkey hunt on private lands

Beginning this spring turkey season, young hunters can take advantage of a special two-day youth turkey hunt on private lands the weekend prior to the opening of spring turkey season. In Zone D this special youth hunt is March 12-13. Only those under 16 years old may harvest a turkey while supervised by an adult, 18 years or older. And as long as the adult supervisor doesn’t actively participate in the hunt, no license or permit is required for either...

Spring turkey hunting season has 2 new rules

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds hunters that there are changes this spring turkey season Because of safety concerns among Florida’s turkey hunters, the FWC passed a rule that limits the methods of take allowed during spring turkey hunts on wildlife management areas (WMAs). The new rule restricts guns to shotguns and muzzleloading shotguns (using shot no larger than No. 2) and allows bows and crossbows. All rifles, pistols, buckshot and slugs are prohibited during spring turkey...