Outta' the Woods By Tony Young Tony.Young@myfwc.com Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

New Crossbow Season Opens and So Do Muzzleloading and Dove

Football season’s in full swing, and the 2006-07 hunting season’s starting to crank up.  Archery season’s been going on in most of the state, and in this issue, I want to talk about three other seasons about to come in – muzzleloading gun, the first phase of dove and the brand new crossbow season.

 A crossbow season has been established for private lands – created for any hunter who’d like to use a crossbow or continue using a bow.  This is not just for disabled hunters.

The new season’s been inserted between archery and muzzleloading gun in the Central and South hunting zones, lasting five days Oct. 23-27 and Oct. 9-13, respectively.  In the Northwest Zone, it comes in later on the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and lasts one week through Dec. 3.

Crossbow season doesn’t apply to wildlife management areas (WMAs).

The most common game to take during crossbow season will be deer and wild hog.  Only bucks may be taken, and one antler must be at least five inches long above the hairline.  The daily bag limit on antlered deer is two.  Wild hogs, considered livestock on private lands may, with landowner permission, be hunted year-round with no bag or size limits.

It’s also legal to shoot gobblers or bearded turkeys during crossbow season.  Only one may be taken per day, and there’s a two-bird fall-season limit.  But, you can’t hunt turkeys in Holmes County during the fall and winter.

Crossbows and bows must have a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds, and hand-held releases on bows are permitted.  For hunting deer, hog and turkey, broadheads must have at least two sharpened edges with a minimum width of 7/8 inch.

Legal shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset.  Except for turkeys, hunters may take resident game over bait.

Some things you can’t do during crossbow season include: hunting deer, hog or turkey with dogs; using explosive or drug-injecting arrows and possessing firearms.  

Immediately following the close of crossbow season in the Central and South hunting zones is the beginning of muzzleloading gun season.  Season dates run Oct. 28 – Nov. 5 and Oct. 14-22, respectively.  Muzzleloading season comes in later in the Northwest Zone and runs Nov. 17-19.

The only change to the muzzleloading gun season this year is bows and crossbows are now legal methods of taking game on private lands, along with muzzleloaders.  On WMAs nothing has changed, and only muzzleloaders may be used.

Legal shooting hours are the same for muzzleloading gun season as crossbow season.  And, legal game, including bag limits and prohibited methods for taking game, also are the same as crossbow season.  Bag limits and antler/size restrictions for game on WMAs can differ, so check the specifics of the area before you hunt.

For hunting deer, muzzleloaders firing single bullets must be at least .40-caliber.  Guns firing two or more balls must be 20-gauge or larger.  You may not use muzzleloaders with self-contained cartridge ammunition capabilities or possess modern firearms during muzzleloading gun season.

It’s against the law to use bait on WMAs at any time.

The first phase of the mourning and white-winged dove season begins Oct. 7 and ends Oct. 30 statewide.  Shooting hours during this first phase are noon to sunset, and there’s a 12-bird daily bag limit.

The only firearm you’re allowed to hunt doves with is a shotgun, but you can’t use one larger than a 10-gauge.  Shotguns must be plugged to a three-shell capacity (magazine and chamber combined).

You may hunt doves over an agricultural field, as long as the crop’s been planted as part of regular agricultural practices.  However, it’s against the law to scatter agricultural products over an area for the purpose of baiting.    Some things you can’t do while dove hunting are: using rifles, pistols or crossbows; shooting from a moving vehicle; or herding or driving doves with a vehicle.  

In addition to a Florida hunting license, you’ll need a $5 crossbow permit to hunt during crossbow season.  A $5 muzzleloading gun permit is needed to hunt during muzzleloader season, and you’ll need a no-cost migratory bird permit if you’re going to hunt doves.  If you hunt on a WMA, you must have a management area permit that costs $26.50.

All are available at county tax collectors’ offices, license agents, calling toll-free 1-888-HUNT-FLORIDA or clicking MyFWC.com/license.    

So if you’re going after that monster buck during the crossbow and muzzleloading gun season or dove hunting with friends and family, I hope I’ve helped explain the rules and regulations on some of Florida’s hunting seasons.

Tony Young looks forward to dusting off an old crossbow his mother bought him when he was 14 and putting it to good use during the new crossbow season and muzzleloading gun season.  He also likes dove hunting with good friends. 

This article originally published on September 29, 2006.

Written by :

mkwestmark

 

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