Summary
The proposed rule amendment would adjust season dates to conform to calendar year changes and revise specific area regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the South Region as follows:
Allapattah Flats WMA – remove the requirement for hunters to check in and check game at the check station.
Dinner Island Ranch WMA – allow hunting in the dove fields without assigned hunt stations.
J.W. Corbett WMA – allow vehicle access only on the portion of the North Grade road lying between the north entrance and the B camp gate beginning at 8 a.m. two days prior to the opening of archery season. Parked vehicles must remain attended by a driver at all times.
Okaloacoochee Slough WMA – add 21 days to small game season (no quota permit required); add a 7-day spring turkey hunt (quota 50, no exemptions); and add a 3-day muzzleloading gun hunt (quota 125, no exemptions).
Picayune Strand WMA – add a 7-day general gun hunt (quota 145, no exemptions); and add a 3-day muzzleloading gun hunt (quota 145, no exemptions).
Spirit-of-the-Wild WMA – remove dove field hunts and associated regulations, because of unsuitable dove field conditions.
The proposed rule amendment would also amend or clarify language related to the use of guns for taking wildlife. Additionally, the proposed rule amendment would provide non-substantive technical changes, such as grammatical corrections and language standardization.