The purpose of the proposed rule change is to establish season dates and bag limits for taking ducks, geese, and coots in conformance with federal regulations. Rule wording would be changed to increase the bag limit for hooded mergansers and ...

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

RULE NO: RULE TITLE
68A-13.003: Hunting Regulations for Ducks, Geese, and Coots
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of the proposed rule change is to establish season dates and bag limits for taking ducks, geese, and coots in conformance with federal regulations. Rule wording would be changed to increase the bag limit for hooded mergansers and lengthen the canvasback season. The effect of the rule amendment should be to provide for uniformity between state and federal regulations for these species.
SUMMARY: This rule amends migratory bird hunting regulations to establish duck, goose, and coot season dates and bag limits.
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE TIME, DATE AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
TIME AND DATE: During the regular meeting of the Commission, December 6-7, 2006, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., each day
PLACE: Marriott Key Largo, 103800 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 calendar days before the workshop/meeting by contacting the ADA Coordinator, at [phone]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency by calling [phone].
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: James Antista, General Counsel, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

68A-13.003 Hunting Regulations for Ducks, Geese, and Coots.

The Commission has approved the following regulations and bag limits for taking ducks, geese, and coots:

(1) Duck, light goose, and coot season:

(a) Open season:

1. First phase – Opening the Saturday before Thanksgiving and closing the Sunday following Thanksgiving.

2. Second phase – Opening 50 days prior to the last Sunday in January and closing the last Sunday in January.

3. Canvasback season – The last 30 days of the season as specified in this paragraph (1)(a).

(b) through (e) No change.

(f) Limits: The possession limit for ducks and coots shall be two days’ bag limit. There shall be no possession limit for light geese. Light geese include only snow (including blue) and Ross’ geese.

1. Ducks: The daily bag limit for ducks is six, including no more than four mallards, of which only two can be females, two scaup, four scoters, two wood ducks, two redheads, one pintail, one canvasback (only during the canvasback season and the Youth Waterfowl Hunt), one black duck, one Florida duck (mottled duck), and one fulvous whistling-duck. In addition to the daily bag limit for ducks, the daily bag limit for mergansers is five, only two one of which may be a hooded mergansers.

2. Light geese: The daily bag limit for light geese is 15.

3. Coots: The daily bag limit for coots is 15.

(2) General restrictions:

(a) The taking of harlequin ducks, brant or geese other than light geese as specified in subsection (1) and Canada geese as specified in subsection (4) is prohibited. The taking of canvasbacks is prohibited except during canvasback season and the Youth Waterfowl Hunt.

(b) It shall be illegal to possess shotshells loaded with any type of shot other than steel or other nontoxic shot approved for use by the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, when hunting ducks, geese, or coots.

(3) through (5) No change.

Specific Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History–New 8-1-79, Amended 10-23-79, 8-19-80, 9-29-81, 8-30-82, 7-27-83, 8-13-84, 8-13-85, 10-1-85, Formerly 39-13.03, Amended 8-5-86, 8-24-87, 8-18-88, 12-12-88, 8-17-89, 10-30-89, 8-9-90, 10-31-90, 8-22-91, 10-31-91, 8-23-92, 10-22-92, 9-2-93, 10-28-93, 11-6-94, 10-23-95, 10-20-96, 8-7-97, 10-28-97, 11-12-98, 6-23-99, Formerly 39-13.003, Amended 11-7-00, 5-13-02, 5-1-03, 7-1-04, 7-1-05, 2-1-06, 7-1-06,________.

 

BE ADVISED THAT THESE PROPOSED RULES MAY BE FILED FOR ADOPTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOLLOWING THE COMMISSION MEETING AT WHICH THEY ARE CONSIDERED IF THE RULES ARE NOT CHANGED.  IF CHANGED, THE RULES MAY BE FILED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER PUBLICATION OF A NOTICE OF CHANGE IN THE FAW.

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Mr. Nick Wiley
NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Mr. Kenneth D. Haddad, Executive Director
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: September 13, 2006
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: November 23, 2005