At its February meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule changes related to the 2024-25 hunting seasons, including many dealing with FWC-managed areas, and approved rule changes to establish a special-use alligator harvest opportunity.
Rule change proposals are based on requests from staff, cooperators and stakeholders, and summaries of all proposed rule amendments were provided to the public online for commenting beginning Sept. 20, 2023, resulting in over 16,000 responses.
“We appreciate how much work has gone into these new rules,” said FWC Vice Chairman Steven Hudson. “Staff have gone above and beyond to consider stakeholder input.”
Other notable changes include:
- New hunting opportunities. Establish new hunts, expand current seasons or remove quotas on 36 WMAs across the state.
- Persons with Disabilities Crossbow Permits. Allow persons who possess a valid Persons with Disabilities Crossbow Permit to use airbows (pre-charged pneumatic airguns firing arrows) during archery season.
- Squirrel hunting on private land. Allow the take of gray squirrel year-round on lands outside the WMA system.
- Transporting live raccoons. Allow the transport of wild-trapped, live raccoons by persons possessing a valid wildlife rehabilitation permit.
- Deer Dog Hunting Permit on WMAs. Require a no-cost permit for taking deer with dogs on WMAs.
The new opportunity will complement the existing statewide alligator hunt and create a flexible alternative that allows permittees to hunt at multiple alligator management units during a longer season than the statewide hunt.
This opportunity is similar to other special-opportunity hunts the FWC implements in that applicants pay for each application and can apply as many times during the application period as desired to increase their chances of being drawn. The 2024 application period will run from May 3 – June 3.
The number of permittees will be established annually and will be selected through a random drawing process. Up to two alligators may be harvested per permit and selected permittees will be allowed to hunt at any legally accessible alligator management unit from Aug. 15 – Dec. 31.
For more information about the rulemaking process, visit MyFWC.com/About, then click on, “Rules & Regulations.”
