Open Season for Taking and Bag Limits for Non-Migratory Game and Issuance of Antlerless Deer Permits

 

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Freshwater Fish and Wildlife

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:
68A-13.004Open Season for Taking and Bag Limits for Non-Migratory Game and Issuance of Antlerless Deer Permits

NOTICE OF CHANGE

Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rule in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1., F.S., published in Vol. 39, No. 56, March 21, 2013 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.

(1) through (3) No change.

(4) Issuance of Private Lands Deer Management Permits to landowners – Antlerless and antlered deer may be taken under permit from the executive director from the first day of the zonal deer season till the last day of the zonal deer season for not more than 128 total days (including during archery, crossbow, muzzleloading gun, and antlered deer seasons, and during any periods closed to deer hunting within this time frame) by any gun allowed for deer in 68A-12.002 on property enrolled in the Private Lands Deer Management Permit program. Property enrolled in the program that is bisected by a zone line (permitted lands lie within multiple zones) may have one of the zonal deer seasons apply to all permitted lands as designated by the applicant. Property may be enrolled in this program in accordance with the following:

(a) Only property that meets the criteria listed in this paragraph is eligible to be enrolled in the Private Lands Deer Management Permit program.

1. The property identified for enrollment in an application must be at least 5,000 acres that form one continuous uninterrupted piece of land; an aggregate of properties under different ownership that adjoin one another so as to form one continuous uninterrupted piece of land that together satisfy the acreage requirement will be considered one property for purposes of this program if those properties are the subject of one application.

2. A written Wildlife Management Plan (WMP), developed or approved by a Certified Wildlife Biologist (CWB; certified by The Wildlife Society 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD, 20816) or developed through the Commission’s Landowner Assistance Program, must be provided for the property identified for enrollment in an application.

3. Annual recommendations for the harvest of antlered and antlerless deer that are shall be developed by a CWB and be intended to help reach the stated deer management objectives for the property shall be provided.

4. The annual harvest recommendations shall be developed by a CWB and be based on a deer population survey conducted on the property except as follows:

a. No deer population survey is required for approval of the harvest so long as the harvest recommendation for antlered deer does not exceed 1 deer per 150 acres and so long as the harvest recommendation for antlerless deer does not exceed 1 deer per 150 acres. Harvest recommendations provided under this exception do not need to be developed by a CWB.

b. FWC-approved survey standards shall be used to estimate and monitor the deer population. Antlered and antlerless deer harvest recommendations may be submitted without conducting a deer population survey in the year immediately following two consecutive years of deer population surveys, and in alternate years thereafter, provided the surveyed areas and survey methodologies are comparable between surveys.

5. Commission approved survey standards shall be used to conduct any deer surveys required in subparagraph 4. above.

(b) The permit shall require a minimum of four (4) three (3) qualifying conservation activities (active habitat management, wildlife management or conservation-related activities for youth) annually on the property during the period it is enrolled in the program. Acceptable conservation activities shall include, but not be limited to: agricultural plantings, creation of or maintenance of wildlife openings, invasive vegetation management, prescribed burning, silvicultural practices that benefit wildlife, mechanical treatments (mowing, disking, roller chopping), management for rare, threatened or endangered species, allowing Commission personnel or its partners to conduct wildlife surveys or research, wetland restoration or enhancement or conservation easements. Conservation-related activities for youth may only account for one (1) of the four (4) three (3) qualifying conservation activities required by the permit. For an application to be approved, the four (4) three (3) qualifying conservation activities combined must affect at least 10% of the permitted land.

(b) through (g) renumbered (c) through (h) No change.