JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

HUNTER SAFETY
Hunter safety requirement
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975 cannot
purchase a hunting license without fi rst
successfully completing a hunter safety
course. Proof of satisfactory completion
of Florida’s Hunter Safety Course or an
approved course provided by another state
or province is required when purchasing a
hunting license without using the mentoring
exemption option (see Hunter Safety
Mentoring Exemption section below).
Children under age 16 may hunt with adult
supervision without having to take a hunter
safety course. Persons needing proof they
have passed FWC’s Hunter Safety Course can
print out duplicate certifi cates at MyFWC.
com/huntersafety.
Hunter safety course
Everyone born on or after June 1, 1975 must
pass an approved hunter safety course before
they can purchase a Florida hunting license.
Successful completion of the FWC course is
accepted in all states where hunter safety is a
requirement to hunt.
Whether you have been hunting all your
life or are a newcomer to the sport, the FWC
Hunter Safety Course has something for you.
The free, 16-hour course does more than just
teach you how to handle fi rearms. Topics
include outdoor ethics, wildlife identifi cation
and management, survival, fi eld fi rst aid,
fi rearm laws and the Florida Wildlife Code.
The basics of archery and black powder
(muzzleloader) hunting also are taught
in the course, and for those interested in
bowhunting certifi cation, a limited number of
advanced archery courses also are available
throughout the year.
To fi nd out more about these courses,
contact the hunter safety administrator at an
FWC regional offi ce (see page 4) or register
for a class at MyFWC.com/huntersafety.
Getting into fall classes can be diffi cult, as
there is more demand and class sizes are
limited. You can avoid the rush, however, by
taking the course in the spring or summer.
Hunter safety course
To fi nd hunter safety courses in your
area, visit MyFWC.com or contact your
nearest regional offi ce (see page 4).
Do you need a duplicate
hunter safety card?
You can now obtain a duplicate Hunter
Safety Card at MyFWC.com. If you do
not have Internet access or are unable
to print the duplicate card, contact an
FWC regional Hunter Safety offi ce (see
page 4).
Hunter Safety Mentoring
Exemption
Anyone 16 years or older and born on or after
June 1, 1975 can hunt under the supervision
of a licensed hunter, 21 or older, without
having to complete the state’s hunter safety
certifi cation.
The “Hunter Safety Mentoring
Exemption” enables those persons to
purchase a Florida hunting license and hunt
while that license is valid.
Individuals taking advantage of this trybefore-you-buy
approach would have to take
and pass a hunter safety class to be eligible to
purchase their next hunting license and hunt
the following year.
Hunters with an active mentoring license
who pass the hunter safety training class may
hunt without a supervisor provided they have
a copy of their hunter safety certifi cate with
them.
The 2006 Florida Legislature passed
the mentoring exemption rule to give more
people the opportunity to experience hunting.
It is designed to encourage experienced
hunters to teach novice hunters about safety,
ethics, wildlife, hunting skills and respect for
Florida’s outdoors.
Children and fi rearms –
Florida law
Section 790.22 states as follows:
(3) A minor under 18 years of age cannot
possess a fi rearm, other than an unloaded
fi rearm at his or her home, unless:
(a) The minor is engaged in a lawful
hunting activity and is at least 16 years of age;
or under 16 years of age and supervised by
an adult.
(b) The minor is engaged in a lawful
marksmanship competition or practice or
other lawful recreational shooting activity and
is at least 16 years of age; or under 16 years
of age and supervised by a parent or an adult
who is acting with consent of minor’s parent
or guardian.
(c) The fi rearm is unloaded and is being
transported by the minor directly to or from
an event authorized in paragraph (a) or
paragraph (b).
(4)(a) Parents or guardians of a minor
or other adults responsible for welfare of a
minor who knowingly and willfully permit
the minor to possess a fi rearm in violation of
subsection (1) commit a felony of the third
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082,
s. 775.083 or s. 775.084.
Section 790.174 states in part as follows:
(1) Requires that fi rearms be locked and/
or stored in a secure manner to prevent
minors from gaining access to them without
parental permission and adult supervision.
(3) As used in this act, the term “minor”
means persons under age 16.
Youth Hunting Program
The FWC is seeking landowners, hunting
clubs, volunteers and organizations to help
grow its recently established Youth Hunting
Program. The program aims to provide
quality hunting experiences for 12- to
17-year-olds to increase the number of youths
involved in hunting.
Landowners and hunting clubs are
needed to help host weekend youth hunts,
while volunteers are needed to be trained
as huntmasters, hunter safety instructors,
cooks or guides. Organizations also are being
solicited to help sponsor this innovative
program.
While introducing Florida’s youth to the
hunting tradition, the Youth Hunting Program
also can benefi t landowners by assisting them
with their management of deer, hogs and
other game species they want to control on
their property. All the landowners or hunting
clubs need to do is provide access to their
land and the volunteers will do the rest.
If you are a landowner or hunting club
wishing to donate a weekend youth hunt
on your property, an individual who can
volunteer time and expertise in planning
and leading youth hunts or an organization
that can help sponsor this unique program,
contact the FWC Hunter Safety Section at
(850) 413-0084 or by email at
renee.hays@MyFWC.com. For more
information on how to get involved in
Florida’s Youth Hunting Program, visit
MyFWC.com/huntersafety.
Only general wildlife management area
(WMA) regulations are covered in this
booklet. For specifi c WMA regulations,
obtain individual WMA brochures
published annually for each area. WMA
brochures are available at FWC regional
offi ces, county tax collectors’ offi ces,
license agents or MyFWC.com/hunting.
Deerfield Plantation
South Carolina
3 day hunt
Wild Boar—$1000
Whitetail—$1200
Wild Turkey—$1200
Meals & Lodging included!
1-800-417-HUNT (4868)
Deerfield Plantation
709 Gum Branch Road
St. George, SC 29477
deerfieldplantation@yahoo.com
www.deerfieldplantation.net
12 2008-2009 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission