Florida WMA Non-Resident Restriction - UPDATE

[deerhunt1988]

A previous thread on here discussed the proposed changes for Florida WMA turkey hunting.


https://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php?topic=119282.0


One of those changes was restricting non-resident hunting during the first 3 days of the season on the following WMAs:

Big Cypress (non-quota portion)
Herky Huffman/Bull Creek
Jumper Creek
J.W. Corbett
Three Lakes


They are voting on the changes at this month's commission meeting, Feb. 26-27.

While reviewing the agenda for the meeting, I noticed FWC has now proposed to " prohibit non-residents from hunting wild turkey during the first 9 days of the zonal spring turkey season " for those WMAs.

So they've upped the ante from 3 days, to 9 DAYS!!!

You can view the agenda at the following link. The turkey related items are under Section 6.

https://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/draft-meeting-agenda-february-2025/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=campaign

Other notable changes include:

-Restricting non-residents to 10% of quota permits (long overdue in my opinion)
-Make non-residents buy an annual hunting license to hunt turkey (no more 10-day hunting licenses for turkey hunting)

FWC's recommendation is to pass all the changes, so it'll happen.

Amazing how fast we are losing hunting opportunities these days. You can bet other states will take notice and start drumming up their own plans.

The future is VERY, VERY grim for public land turkey hunting across the nation. Its almost like something happened in the late 2010s when all this came crashing down. Hmmm..

[arkrem870]

Your obsession with restricting and price gouging turkey hunters is a bit alarming. 

[joey46]

Be an interesting meeting.  At the very least the requirement of an annual license should pass.  I'm betting the 10% quota won't.  Too much $$$ involved.  We'll see.
Remember these changes won't take effect until 2026.

[CALLM2U]

... Its almost like something happened in the late 2010s when all this came crashing down. Hmmm..

Agree, the crashing of polt survival rates was alarming and continues to this day. 

[ddturkeyhunter1]

Well could see it coming a long time ago. Been going down every other year since first year in 92. Made some terrific friends down there, a lot of great stories around the campfires. Looks like one of them major turns on the road of life. In this case it may be a crash.


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[deerhunt1988]

Your obsession with restricting and price gouging turkey hunters is a bit alarming. 

Think you talking about someone else. Or maybe their post got deleted?

I'm very concerned with it all. Prohibiting ANY non-resident hunting the first 9 days is WILD. The initial proposal of 3 days, OK. I could live with that. But 9?!? They could have just made those WMAs draw for non-residents. This sets a bad precedent for the future if it passes. Very bad.

[arkrem870]

Turkeys cycle up and down. Timing of spring weather is a major driver in poult production/survival. Of course predation is a major piece of the puzzle and kudos to those out trapping. Burning. Etc  I appreciate the current push study/protect wild turkeys for future generations. They are magical birds.

Unfortunately, as it usually does.....greed has reared its ugly head more than ever in the ranks of turkey hunters. For profit Commercial turkey hunting productions on public lands is rampant and competition is ever growing. The slams. Chasing the states etc is putting stress on turkey hunters through crowding and increasing license sales

It is my hope the popularity will decline to a more reasonable demand over the next decade. And states will not make knee jerk regulations and price gouge fellow hunters. I'm afraid once this really starts it's could get out of control fast....we are already starting to see it

[CAPTJJ]

For the 2024 spring turkey season, an estimated 14,513 turkeys were harvested, which is a 28% increase from 11,382 in 2023, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report; that's from an estimated 31,085 hunters.

[Old Gobbler]

Ive seen this type of behavior over the last 40 years

One southern state will raise the out of state hunters license to $200 , then all the others retaliate with similar up charges

Since the state in its infinite wisdom has decided to quota everything ...and left a corrupt "buddy system intact ...its impossible to attain quotas so the 2 early phase solitary WMAS that don't require permits ...get slammed ...now those are going to be hands off by the looks of it for non residents

35 years ago the early phase was  1 week earlier than the rest of the state ...they changed it .... to 2 weeks ...several states have inched up their seasons so now that early phase is almost a month earlier...

[slave601]

If this does pass... when is it scheduled to go into affect?

[deerhunt1988]

If this does pass... when is it scheduled to go into affect?

For the 2026 season, not this spring.

[slave601]

I was figuring not this season being so close to it but ya never know! Thanks for the info!

[ShootingABN!]

I filled it out. Thanks for posting.

[Pelican]

Would love to see them make the first 9 days quota for non residents on North Zone WMA's as well, especially here in the panhandle. The THP clown show has turned this place into a 1rst week circus.

[Old Gobbler]

Let me lend you some insights with the FWC ...

They have these "meetings" " stake holder meetings " and propose them for rule change under the disguise that it will be democratic process ....the real fact is ...most of the time it's a (DONE DEAL ) They will push ahead with the rule change , the only thing that will delay the rule ammendment is
 a huge public outcry , even then they will circle back and push it through...this is decades of observation



I am ..publicly OPPOSED to the 9 day deal , I am quite familiar with all the management areas , and trust me when I tell you it is crowded ...it
certainly wasn't like that in 1984 , we had the whole place to ourselves !  And I mean THE WHOLE PLACE

I have been standing on tables yelling about the season dates for decates ...they need to first take the south zone , and put it back to 1 week before the rest of the state not 2 weeks ...I TOLD YOU SO! THIS WOULD HAPPEN , and I said it 30 years ago!

They need to eliminate the "guest feature '" on all quotas ...this was a scam put in 10 years ago I TOLD YOU SO

They need to make anyone applying for any permit , to BUY ALL THE STAMPS , hunting , management.  Turkey and archery,  muzzleloader if applicable ...people are defrauding the state out of MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

The 10 percent non resident,  was done decades ago ..i don't know what they are talking about that rule has allready been in place 30 years

They need to remove all of the turkey hunting "propaganda " off of the fwc website that blatantly advertising and selling out the WMA's with the harvist figures ...they the FWC has been spamming the internet with that for 25 years!!! the first time i saw it i was like they are treating Osceolas like its a tourist trap like disney , only about 500 are killed on wmas in the osceola range ! I TOLD YOU SO !!!

after all those things are done ...and it will cost 0$ to do and will net the fwc back millions in lost license sales revenue...then...then we can talk about out of state hunters

The FWC'S BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE .....FWC, they did this !!