Florida FWC Proposes to Ban Reaping on WMAs

[Old Gobbler]

It's good move ...good riddance to the fanning ...it's extremely dangerous ...

Florida I've heard is also going to make applicants for out of state permits purchase the 125 dollar stamp BEFORE you apply for a quota hunt ...I feel that they should close up all the licence loopholes that people have been exploiting for decades

The harvest figures are a true disaster for Florida...the check stations for most areas are manned ..and 15 years ago they were at 700 turkeys statewide on wmas ....now it's at 500ish ...that's the whole state

They started the online reporting to get a idea of what is going on at leases and private, to correlate it with the horrible state wmas ...they are now in the "denial phase " they will be shortly freaking out , and taking more and more restrictive language in the rules

There is only 1 place in the world where you can hear a Osceola gobble , and that same place is right in the middle of where 21 million people live and where houses are popping up by the thousands every day ...it won't be long until the limit is dropped to 1 gobbler ...look for it

Florida needs to go to a live tag system for turkeys ASAP

[joey46]

If I'm reading correctly none of the new proposals will take effect until July 2024 so this spring will be same old same old.  Be interesting how many of these new suggestions are actually implemented. No state needs physical tags more than Florida but that wasn't suggested.  Too bad since their new mandatory reporting system is apparently being widely ignored if their refusal to disclose the results gives any indication.  Btw - I'm still waiting on my FOIA request to obtain this information from FWC.

Add - by my unofficial count FL has 139 WMAs but 102 aren't manned or have drop boxes and many do have quota turkey hunts.  This is an incredible gap.  The allowing of any over 65 year old resident to hunt or fish without any accountability is also a major problem for accurate harvest totals.  If these "exempts" only hunt private land and "forget" to call in their birds the whole system breaks down.  Everyone should have a license (even if it's free) that includes a permanent physical tag. 

[sasquatch1]

They need to take that extra application fee money and put it toward securing some more property. Otherwise down the road they'll be no turkeys or just a few that learned to roost on houses and nest in gardens.


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[quavers59]

   Great Move!!
  I hope Reaping gets the Ban Hammer everywhere over Time.

[Dtrkyman]

I rarely want more regs but would be all for it, was on a hot bird in Missouri this year, he went silent and I figured he was sneaking in or out, some clown come stumbling down the ridge with a gobbler decoy.

Waved him over and was like dud that is not the best idea you ever had, he wasn't even "reaping at the time just walking through the timber, moron!

Didn't think it mattered in the past, but a lot of fools would eat tag soup much more often.

[CAPTJJ]

Another oddity about the Florida licensing system is that the turkey stamp isn't for one particular season, if you buy the full year it is good for 365 days. In 2022 I was still hunting with the stamp I bought in 2021 due to how the season dates worked out. I had 4 days left and killed one opening morning, hunted 3 more days and decided to save the money instead of buying another year.

[joey46]

Very few states do this.  Another Florida bonus.  You could buy a license during the end of the 2024 spring season and it would be valid at the start of 2025.  We are a very generous bunch.  This can't continue forever. 

[ChiefBubba]

They need to take that extra application fee money and put it toward securing some more property. Otherwise down the road they'll be no turkeys or just a few that learned to roost on houses and nest in gardens.


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I agree but will say open up more state land that's not open to hunting now. Lots of land not open. Bubba

[btodd00]

If I'm reading correctly none of the new proposals will take effect until July 2024 so this spring will be same old same old.  Be interesting how many of these new suggestions are actually implemented. No state needs physical tags more than Florida but that wasn't suggested.  Too bad since their new mandatory reporting system is apparently being widely ignored if their refusal to disclose the results gives any indication.  Btw - I'm still waiting on my FOIA request to obtain this information from FWC.

Add - by my unofficial count FL has 139 WMAs but 102 aren't manned or have drop boxes and many do have quota turkey hunts.  This is an incredible gap.  The allowing of any over 65 year old resident to hunt or fish without any accountability is also a major problem for accurate harvest totals.  If these "exempts" only hunt private land and "forget" to call in their birds the whole system breaks down.  Everyone should have a license (even if it's free) that includes a permanent physical tag.

I submitted an FOIA for the harvest data as well, the first one I got nothing back regarding turkeys but there were other things I asked for that came back. I sent another with just the request for turkey harvest data and I got an excel spreadsheet of all the applicants for quota hunts..

The military bases have it right on the check stations. Not sure where the funding comes from for those check stations and not saying the bases are the most game rich lands in Florida but the data collection they do is best I have seen

[joey46]

My FOIA request specifically asked for the numbers reported for all WMAs that had turkey hunts in the spring of 2023.  If I don't receive it prior to November 1st I'll file a complaint with my state rep who is also the chair of the conservation committee.  The numbers reported must be miserable to cause this much stonewalling.  Sending you only a spread sheet of the applicants is a almost funny.

[OJR]

This "feel good" ban will affect so few people that it is a total waste of time. Something just to make the public think think that the WMA folks are earning their money. I'd like to see the same effort put towards habitat enrichment and encouraging predator control. But then I'm just a dumb turkey hunter.

[joey46]

This "feel good" ban will affect so few people that it is a total waste of time. Something just to make the public think think that the WMA folks are earning their money. I'd like to see the same effort put towards habitat enrichment and encouraging predator control. But then I'm just a dumb turkey hunter.

I have yet to see a reaper.  That being said there are a few hard core Florida hunters on other forums willing to fight for their right to reap on public land.  Really don't think this is a problem.  The lack of physical tags is.  By the time FWC figures things out it may be too late.  Seriously limiting non-res (zero reason for a non-res to take two Osceola in a season) and one bird Osceola range limits for everyone are coming.  Hopefully soon.

[Crghss]

This "feel good" ban will affect so few people that it is a total waste of time. Something just to make the public think think that the WMA folks are earning their money. I'd like to see the same effort put towards habitat enrichment and encouraging predator control. But then I'm just a dumb turkey hunter.

We have good predator control, they're called pythons

[joey46]

My FOIA request specifically asked for the numbers reported for all WMAs that had turkey hunts in the spring of 2023.  If I don't receive it prior to November 1st I'll file a complaint with my state rep who is also the chair of the conservation committee.  The numbers reported must be miserable to cause this much stonewalling.  Sending you only a spread sheet of the applicants is a almost funny.

Update - I never received any further e mails from FWC after my initial FOIA request but after one month checked my assigned request number on the web site.  Surprise - I did have a supposed answer.  I also received a 22,361KB XLXS spread sheet that does me no good.  I'll resubmit and maybe get a legitimate response.  Florida really really needs actual tags and licensing of ALL turkey hunters.  Bet they know it and worry about the politics involved.  Too bad for the turkeys.  When the 2024 NWTF Turkey Call is published I wonder what harvest numbers will show for Florida?  The ones they actually received or another "estimate".
If anyone wants a copy of a 22,361KB spread sheet shoot me a PM.  I burned it to a disc.  Took my basic home computer about 5 minutes to load. LOL.