It's really to much hassle, IMHO. The thread we had last year went on for five pages of people's opinions, quotes, the law, FWC opinions, etc. Is it worth getting locked up and your gear/truck/boat/guns being confiscated because either you or the game warden/LEO was wrong and didn't understand the way the laws are written? Not me, I'll drive to GA and hunt nearly any WMA Oct-Jan and not have to worry about it only having a two week season that they select 50 people to hunt with shotguns only, with private or Sovereign land around it and the private land with 1500 acres right next to the same WMA where the land owner can hunt deer with whatever weapon he wants from Nov-Feb. FWC is a joke with the WMA decisions, rulings, regulations and there meager attempts to manage State of FL property for wildlife. Most of the WMA's rarely see a LEO and GW and have some unpaid volunteer retiree state gatekeeper to check people in and out. TCR, next trip for hunting in GA we can split the gas money.
The more I think about it the more I am coming around to your way of thinking. The potential headache isn't worth the payoff. I am commited to do one GA trip 2nd weekend of November at our old hunting camp as long as the Seller doesn't get rid of it 1st. Our old next door neighbor gave us permission to hunt his piece as well if we get locked out of the other one.
I hunt sovereign land. Make sure you call the FWC about it get the information on it and the offices name who gave it to you in an email.
Last year occurrence
I come out of the woods and FWC officer springs out
Officer
HEY.
I just replied good morning and keep about putting my bow on my hood and getting my stand off my back.
Officer
Ask me for a quota permit?
I correct him and say don't you mean a hunting license since no quota is required.
Officer
YES
I say no problem. Saw a nice doe today she busted me hard. Dropped a nice one here on opening day. Oh by the way a called the FWC and they said no problem hunting here.
Officer
REALLY
Yea a such and such said it was legal.
Officer
WELL WE SEE ABOUT THAT.
He pulls his phone out.
So i said well you want his home, cell or office number it might be faster to call his wife if he not working today.
OFFICER
Had a blank look on his face.
Then he answers Such and such ask him about the situation. I hear him reply OH OK.
Then he says such and such is on his way down wants me to wait.
He hand my license back.
The area was open as sovereign land but was miss posted by county personnel.
The moral of the story is FWC officers do not know every thing. It your job to know the law and regulations and make sure you have the information with you. I hunt public land and this is a normal ever year occurrence hunting any public land.
Maybe a normal every year occurrence hunting any public land IN FLORIDA. Every other state (5) I have hunted public land it's very clear as to what, when, where, why, how, and who can hunt outlined in a manual/hunting regulation so no one gets confused. Instead you have to carry three telephone numbers for the Game Warden and possibly contact the GW's wife who told you it was OK in your wallet to make sure you don't go to jail and have all of your gear confiscated. That's bullshizzzz!
I hope we can agree that we have a problem in FL with this topic.
It's bad enough they manage small tracks surrounded by hundreds of thousands of acres of private land, that have complete different rules by zone, like it's a trophy WMA only area. You've got to be shizzing me!
Totally agree and they just keep making it worse.
