JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

TAKING GAME
Legal methods of taking game
Defi nition of “taking” wildlife: Taking is defi ned to include
taking, attempting to take, pursuing, hunting, harassing, capturing or
killing any wildlife.
Resident game birds and mammals: Rifl es, shotguns, pistols,
longbows, compound bows, recurve bows, crossbows and birds of
prey (falcons, hawks and great horned owls) may be used. Longbows,
compound bows, recurve bows and crossbows must have minimum
draw weights of 35 pounds. Hand-held releases may be used. Arrows
used to take deer, turkeys or hogs must be equipped with broadheads
having at least two sharpened edges with minimum widths of 7/8 inch.
Nonmigratory game can be taken from stationary vehicles.
Hunting deer with a muzzleloader: Muzzleloading guns fi ring
single bullets must be at least .40-caliber. Muzzleloading guns fi ring
two or more balls must be 20-gauge or larger.
Migratory game birds: Shotguns (not larger than 10-gauge)
plugged to a three-shell capacity including a one-piece fi ller that
cannot be removed without disassembling the gun and are incapable
of holding more than three shells in the magazine and chamber
combined, birds of prey, bows and crossbows may be used.
Prohibited methods and equipment for taking
game
■ Centerfi re semi-automatic rifl es having magazine capacities of more
than fi ve rounds
■ Nonexpanding full metal case (military ball) ammunition for taking
deer
■ Firearms using rimfi re cartridges for taking deer
■ Rifl es or pistols for taking migratory game birds
■ Fully automatic or silencer-equipped fi rearms
■ Explosive or drug-injecting arrows
■ Taking or attempting to take game with live decoys, recorded game
calls or sounds, set guns, artifi cial lights, nets, traps, snares, drugs
or poisons
■ Shooting from vehicles, powerboats or sailboats moving under
power. Motors must be shut off or sails furled, and the vessel’s
progress must cease from such motor or sail before hunters may
shoot wildlife.
■ Herding or driving wildlife with vehicles, boats or aircraft
■ Hunting turkeys with dogs
■ Shooting turkeys while they are on the roost
■ Taking migratory game birds over baited areas
■ Taking turkeys over baited areas
■ Taking turkeys when the hunter is within 100 yards of a gamefeeding
station when feed is present
■ Taking spotted fawn deer or swimming deer
■ Hunting with bows equipped with sights or aiming devices with
electronic computational capabilities or light projection (laser)
features during archery season
Help us!
Please help protect the Florida panther.
Florida is the only state in the eastern
United States that has an existing population
of panthers. Many of the known remaining panthers
reside on WMAs and other lands open to hunting. Special
care and vigilance on the part of hunters is necessary to
protect this rare and magnifi cent animal.
Killing free-roaming panthers in Florida is a felony
punishable by imprisonment of up to fi ve years and/or
a $5,000 fi ne.
■ Hunting resident game using bows and crossbows with draw
weights less than 35 pounds
■ Using dogs without collars that identify the owners name and
address
■ Using dogs on private lands without written landowner permission
(see Statewide deer-dog registration on page 15)
■ Taking game with modern fi rearms while hunting during archery,
crossbow and muzzleloading gun season.
■ Placing, exposing or distributing soporifi c, anesthetic, tranquilizer,
hypnotic or similar drugs or chemicals; preparation by baits; or by
other means where game birds or game animals may be affected,
unless authorized by permit from the FWC executive director
Areas closed to hunting
■ Taking or attempting to take wildlife is illegal on, upon or from
rights-of-way of federal, state or county-maintained roads, whether
paved or otherwise. Casting dogs from rights-of-way is considered
attempting to take wildlife and constitutes violation of this
regulation. The exception to this rule is amphibians or reptiles may
be taken without the use of fi rearms from the above mentioned
rights-of-way.
■ Discharging fi rearms over paved public roads, rights-of-way,
highways, streets or occupied premises is prohibited.
■ Shooting or propelling potentially lethal projectiles over or
across private land without authorization in order to take game is
considered criminal trespassing and is a felony.
■ Catching, cutting off and waiting for dogs is illegal on rights-ofway
of federal, state or county-maintained roads, whether paved
or otherwise. Hunters who must catch their dogs on rights-of-way
should leave fi rearms with companions or securely stored in their
vehicle.
■ Taking deer is prohibited by any method in the Florida Keys.
■ Taking deer is illegal in that portion of Collier County lying south
of S.R. 84, west of S.R. 29, north of U.S. 41 and east of the western
boundary of Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.
■ Hunting is prohibited on most sanctuaries and parks.
Antlerless deer permits – private lands
An antlerless deer permit is required to take antlerless deer on private
lands during the crossbow, muzzleloading gun and general gun
seasons in accordance with the following conditions:
■ A person who owns, leases or has written permission to take
antlerless deer on at least 640 acres or not less than 150 acres, if the
property is adjoining land already receiving antlerless deer permits,
may apply for permits. A group with adjoining lands also may apply
together provided the total combined acreage is at least 640 acres.
■ Applications must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the fi -
nal day of general gun season in the hunting zone that the property
is situated. Antlerless deer permit applications are available at an
FWC regional offi ce (see page 4) and MyFWC.com/hunting.
Florida’s CWD watch
1-866-CWD-WATCH (293-9282)
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a progressive fatal
disease of the brain and nervous system in deer. The FWC
has not found CWD in or near Florida but we must continue
to be vigilant. If you see or kill a sickly, extremely skinny
deer, do not touch the animal and immediately contact
the FWC at 1-866-CWD-Watch (293-9282). For more
information about CWD, visit MyFWC.com/cwd.
14 2008-2009 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission