Thursday, May 16, 2013
Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15.
The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crabs in Florida closes on May 16, with the last day of harvest on May 15. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the closure happens each year during the species’ peak spawning season to, "help protect and sustain Florida’s valuable stone crab resource." Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15. Commercially harvested stone crab claws may be possessed and sold during the closed season but only if they have been placed in inventory prior to May 16 by a licensed wholesale or retail dealer, a news release said. Stone crab traps must be removed from the water within five days after the close of the stone crab season unless a special extension is granted by the FWC…
Monday, May 6, 2013
The official alligator hunting season runs from Aug. 15 - Nov. 1.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is going to issue 5,000 hunting permits for hunters to participate in the 11-week alligator season. Alligator season runs Aug. 15 – Nov. 1. According to the FWC, alligator trapping licenses and two hide-validation tags costs $272 for Florida residents and $1,022 for nonresidents, a news release said. Each permit enables you to take two alligators from whichever county or body of water you were awarded during a specific harvest period. To purchase a permit, you must be at least 18 years old. According to the FWC, the application process is conducted in three phases and begins by submitting a no-cost application at any tax collector’s office, license agent or online at http://…
Sunday, April 28, 2013
The proposal will voted on a final time by the FWC at its June meeting.
A proposal by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission could make tarpon and bonefine catch-and-release only. According to the FWC, the proposal includes the following potential changes for management in state and federal waters off Florida: The proposal will voted on a final time by the FWC at its June meeting, a news release said. Sign up for the St. Pete Patch email newsletter to get our top headlines delivered straight to your inbox so you won't miss a thing!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A proposed 2013 gag grouper season in state waters will be discussed at the February Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meeting in Orlando.
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Wednesday, January 30
Several species of grouper, including black, red, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind will close to recreational harvest from Feb. 1 through March 31 in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission . According to a news release, gag grouper has a separate season from other Gulf of Mexico grouper and is currently closed to harvest. A proposed 2013 gag grouper season in state waters will be discussed at the February Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meeting in Orlando. The FWC said the upcoming two-month recreational harvest closure that starts Feb. 1 was put in place to help rebuild the gag grouper fishery. Gag grouper spawn during the …
Monday, January 14, 2013
For competitors, the challenge is to harvest the well-camouflaged Burmese python with the chance of winning prizes of up to $1,500.
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Monday, January 14
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, more than 800 people are registered to compete in the the 2013 Python Challenge, which is a competition to see who can bring in the longest and the most Burmese pythons from designated public lands in south Florida. For competitors, the challenge is to harvest the well-camouflaged Burmese python, which can grow to more than 17 feet in the wild in Florida, with the chance of winning prizes of up to $1,500. Registrants are coming from more than 30 other states, according to the FWC. Hunters will have from midnight on Sunday, Feb. 10 to find these nonvenomous constrictors. According to the FWC, the primary goals of the Python Challenge are to raise public awareness and …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Snook season is currently closed in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters, and will remain closed through Aug. 31, 2013, to give the fish time to fully rebound from severe cold weather in 2010 that killed many snook.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The recreational harvest of snook will close in all Atlantic waters, including the inland waters of Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, beginning Dec. 15, with the last day of harvest being Dec. 14. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the season will reopen in the Atlantic’s state and federal waters Feb. 1, 2013. Snook season is currently closed in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters, and will remain closed through Aug. 31, 2013, to give the fish time to fully rebound from severe cold weather in 2010 that killed many snook. The extended Gulf harvest closure will help protect snook populations this winter, when they are most vulnerable to cold weather, and give snook added protection during next …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
With manatees moving to warmer waters as the temperature dips in Florida, boaters are reminded to take extra precautions to protect them.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Sunday, November 18, 2012
Now that the weather outside is chilly, Florida manatees are migrating to warmer waters. They swim in search of a warm winter refuge such as freshwater springs or canals adjacent to power plant outflows. An adult manatee may weigh 1,000 pounds or more but is susceptible to cold. Water temperatures dipping to 68 degrees or below can produce cold stress in these aquatic mammals, and even cause death. On Nov. 15, seasonal manatee protection zone went into effect. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has provided boating safety tips below to protect manatees. November is designated as Manatee Awareness Month because of this seasonal migration. As authorities said earlier this year, you should probably try to avoid riding the…
Friday, October 12, 2012
There is a recreational daily bag limit of one gallon of claws per person or two gallons per vessel, whichever is less. The season will be open through May 15, 2013.
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Friday, October 12, 2012
Florida’s recreational and commercial stone crab claw harvest season opens Oct. 15 in state and federal waters. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to be harvested, stone crab claws must be at least 2 3/4 inches in length when measured from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable portion of the claw (see illustration). Claws may not be taken from egg-bearing female stone crabs. Recreational harvesters can use up to five stone crab traps per person. Stone crabs may not be harvested with any device that can puncture, crush or injure the crab body, according to a news release. Examples of devices that can cause this kind of damage include spears and hooks. Recreational and commercial traps may be baited and…
Saturday, September 29, 2012
The daily bag limit is 12 gray squirrels.
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Saturday, September 29, 2012
Hunters, on Oct. 13, gray squirrel season opens throughout Florida on private lands. In previous years, the squirrel season always opened in early November. Last spring, however, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) decided to provide squirrel hunters another month of hunting, similar to dates in other southeastern states. The change came after the 2012-13 hunting dates had gone to the printer. “This change means more opportunity for squirrel hunters,” said Paul Scharine, FWC public hunting areas biologist in a news release. “The message we’re trying to get out is this change applies only to private property.” For hunting dates on public lands, Scharine said hunters should consult the printed 2012-13 wildlife …
Sunday, September 23, 2012
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) extended the season temporarily in 2010 and 2011 to help alleviate economic hardships caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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Sunday, September 23, 2012
The 2012 recreational season for bay scallops, which was extended two weeks earlier this year, will close Tuesday, Sept. 25. The final day of harvesting is Sept. 24. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) extended the season temporarily in 2010 and 2011 to help alleviate economic hardships caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The season was extended permanently in June 2012. This extension will help increase business opportunities during a time of the year when other fisheries are closed and tourism has decreased. The 2012 season began July 1. Before the change, the season was set to end Sept. 11. Surveys will be conducted after the season closes to assess the scallop population. Bay scallops can be …
Jack Sprat
1:56 am on Tuesday, May 7, 2013
They should declare open season on pythons and pay $25 for every head brought to them. That would be 1/10 the cost of government's failed/lame attempts to solve that problem. more ›