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Parking:

1. Hunters must park their vehicles and enter the marsh directly from their assigned parking spaces and each group's parking assignment must be displayed on the windshield or dashboard of the permitted vehicle.

2. Assigned levees will be selected by waterfowl hunters prior to entering the area from the list of available open levees maintained by check station staff.

3. Waterfowl quota permit holders will be able to select their assigned levee according to the order their permits were awarded during the waterfowl quota drawing.

4. The check station operator maintains an ordered list of waterfowl quota permit holders and will call each permittee by name (roll call) to check in and select their parking space starting at 4 a.m. for morning hunts and at 12:30 p.m. for afternoon hunts. Waterfowl quota permit holders should arrive on time to avoid missing their initial chance to select an assigned levee. Waterfowl quota permit holders arriving after their name has been called, but before 4:30 a.m. for morning hunts or 1 p.m. for afternoon hunts, will be checked in after the check station operator has completed the initial roll call.

5. Hunters can check their place on the list of permit holders and standby recipients by using their account at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Each awarded quota permit and standby opportunity will include the order they were drawn.

6. To avoid crowding, only permit holders and standby recipients should approach the check station when checking in, declaring hunt guests, or selecting assigned levees.

7. For morning hunts only and beginning at 4:30 a.m., each standby recipient will select their assigned levee according to the order their opportunity was awarded via the standby drawing, provided a waterfowl quota permit becomes available.

8. For afternoon hunts only and beginning at 1 p.m., walk-in hunters will select their parking spaces in the order in which they are chosen via the on-site walk-in lottery.

9. Parking locations adjacent to boat ramps are available by disabled parking permit only.

Public Access and Vehicles:

1. Authorized hunters and guests must enter and exit only at the designated entrance and at the same time.

2. Access to the STA is allowed for hunting waterfowl only, except on established scouting days. Other specific uses must be authorized by the South Florida Water Management District.

3. Access is prohibited on structures and equipment and in areas posted as “Closed” or “Restricted”.

4. Motor vehicles may not be operated on roads or levees posted as closed. Do not block gates or levees with vehicles or equipment. Use of motorized vehicles is prohibited except by authorized hunters on established waterfowl hunt days.

5. Possession of bicycles or electric bicycles is prohibited on all waterfowl hunt days. On all remaining days, use of bicycles or electric bicycles is prohibited from ½ hour after sunset until ½ hour before sunrise.

6. Only one vehicle per authorized hunting group may access the area on scheduled hunt dates, except during youth waterfowl hunts when up to two vehicles per authorized hunting group may access the area.

7. Motorized vessels, including gas and electric-powered boats, and boat trailers are prohibited, except that permitted alligator hunters may trailer non-motorized vessels (backing trailers down levees is prohibited).

8. All boats must be equipped with required boating safety equipment.

9. Airboats, tracked vehicles, motorcycles, ATVs, recreational off-highway vehicles (side-by-sides) and swamp buggies are prohibited.

10. Class 1 electric bicycles may be operated according to rules for traditional, non-motorized bicycles. All other electric bicycles may be operated only on named or numbered roads open to motorized vehicles. For more information visit MyFWC.com/ebike.”

Hunters and Check Stations:

1. Authorized hunters and guests must report at the check station together when entering and leaving the area and check all harvested game. To avoid crowding, only authorized hunters should approach the check station when checking in, declaring hunt guests, and selecting assigned levees.

2. The check station will open at 4 a.m.

3. Hunters who have waterfowl quota permits for the morning hunts must report at the check station between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. and must declare their hunting guests to the check station operator prior to 4:30 a.m. All hunters participating in a morning hunt must check out by noon.

4. Hunters who have waterfowl quota permits for the afternoon hunts must report at the check station between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. and must declare their hunting guests to the check station operator prior to 1 p.m. All hunters participating in an afternoon hunt must check out by 1.5 hours after sunset.

5. Waterfowl quota permit holders who do not check in during the required time intervals forfeit their permit.

6. Waterfowl quota permit holders who do not declare their hunting guests during the required time intervals will forfeit their ability to take hunting guests on their hunt.

7. For morning hunts only, standby recipients will be selected starting at 4:30 a.m. and concluding at 5:00 a.m. to replace no-show waterfowl quota permit holders in order of the random drawing until the quota is met. There is no guarantee that persons with a standby opportunity will be allowed onto the area to hunt. Standby recipients must decide if their position on the standby list is worth showing up at the check station on the hunt day. Selected standby recipients must report at the check station upon being chosen (or forfeit their opportunity) and declare their hunting guests (or forfeit their ability to take hunting guests on their hunt).

8. For morning hunts only, standby recipients who show up the morning of the hunt, but are not selected to replace a no-show waterfowl quota permit holder due to the quota being met or permit holders who arrive after 4:30 a.m. and thus forfeit their permit may remain at the check station after the standby selection process has concluded at 5:00 a.m. and check in as other hunters check out, provided that a quota of 20 authorized hunters on the area (not including guests) is not exceeded throughout the duration of the hunt. Permit holders who forfeit their permit by arriving after 4:30 a.m. or standby recipients who arrive after the standby selection process has ended, also may be selected to enter the area on a first come, first served basis if the quota of 20 authorized hunters has not been met by the conclusion of the standby selection process at 5:00 a.m. No additional replacement hunters will be admitted within 1.5 hours before legal shooting time ends for the morning hunt.

9. For afternoon hunts only and beginning at 1 p.m., a lottery system will be used to determine the order and distribution of any unissued or forfeited permits to walk-in hunters. Hunters selected during the lottery must report at the check station upon being selected (or forfeit their permit) and will declare their hunting guests (or forfeit their ability to take hunting guests on their hunt).

10. During afternoon hunts, replacement walk-in hunters will be allowed to check in as the initial walk-in hunters check-out such that a quota of 20 authorized hunters (not including guests) is not exceeded throughout the hunt. The order in which the replacement walk-in hunters may enter the area will be determined by the same lottery system used to select the initial walk-in hunters. No additional replacement walk-in hunters will be admitted within 1.5 hours before legal shooting time ends for afternoon hunts. Any walk-in hunters who arrive after the lottery has begun must form a separate line (in the order of arrival) until after the initial walk-in lottery is completed. If additional openings occur, hunters in this line will be let in on a first come, first served basis.

11. Please be advised, submitting false information or using another person’s identity without their consent is considered identity theft and may result in felony charges and loss of hunting privileges.

Persons with Disabilities Duck Blind:

1. One "Persons With Disabilities" (PWD) duck blind permit shall be issued for each hunt. Each PWD permit holder for the duck blind may bring two guests, either hunting or non-hunting.

2. Only hunters with a PWD Duck Blind Qualifying Card issued by the Commission may apply for a permit to use the blind. Visit MyFWC.com or call 850-488-5878 for information on obtaining a Qualifying Card.

3. Qualified hunters wishing to apply for a permit for the PWD duck blind must call the South Region headquarters at 561-625-5122 beginning at 10 a.m. the Wednesday prior to the hunt. The permit will be issued via random draw (or first come, first served if less than two people have applied) by 4 p.m. on the Friday prior to the hunt.

4. PWD duck blind permits not issued by 4 p.m. the Friday prior to the hunt will be made available at the check station the day of the hunt on a first come, first served basis to a qualified hunter.

5. Hunters permitted to use the blind may only hunt from the blind. Waterfowl may only be hunted from the blind when a PWD hunter is present.

Guns:

1. Shooting Hours are ½ hour before sunrise until 11 a.m. for morning hunts and 2 p.m. until sunset for afternoon hunts.

2. All boat ramps, parking areas, roads, water control structures, earthen berms, levees, and powerline pads are closed to hunting, except that permitted alligator hunters may take alligators from levees during open seasons. Hunting is prohibited in any portion of the area designated (either on-site or in the brochure) as closed to hunting.

3. The discharge of a firearm outside periods open to hunting or in areas designated as closed to hunting is prohibited per s. 790.15 FS.

4. Hunting with firearms other than shotguns is prohibited.

5. Hunting with shotguns capable of holding more than 3 shells is prohibited.

6. Use of non-toxic shot approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required.

7. Non-native reptiles may be removed year-round by methods other than firearms. During waterfowl hunt days, non-native reptiles may be removed using shotguns, except in areas closed to hunting.

Dogs:

1. Dogs are prohibited, except authorized hunters and their guests may use dogs for hunting during the waterfowl season established on the area.

2. Dogs must be kept under physical restraint when not hunting.

3. When hunters are at the check station, their dogs must be left restrained at the hunter’s vehicle.

4. Taking non-native reptiles with dogs is prohibited, except on days open for waterfowl hunting when authorized hunters may use dogs only to search for non-native reptiles. Only authorized hunters may take non-native reptiles by shotgun and only during days open to waterfowl hunting.

5. Conditional and Prohibited reptiles shall not be removed from the area alive. Please report take and sightings of all non-native reptiles at 888-IVE-GOT1 (888-483-4681) or online at IveGot1.org.