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This brochure is designed to provide the public with
information and a summary of regulations pertaining to hunting and other
recreational use on the Punta Gorda Public Small Game Hunting Area. Regulations that are new or differ substantially from last year are
shown in bold print. Area users should familiarize themselves with all
regulations. For exact wording of the wildlife laws and regulations, see the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s wildlife code, on file with
the Secretary of State and state libraries. This brochure, the Florida Hunting
Regulations handbook, and quota permit worksheets should provide the
information necessary for you to plan your hunting activities. These
publications are available at MyFWC.com.
Permit, Stamp and License Information:
Persons using Public Small Game Hunting Areas are required
to have appropriate licenses, permits and stamps. The following persons are
exempt from all license and permit requirements (except for quota permits when
listed as “no exemptions,” recreational use permits, antlerless deer permits,
and the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp [federal duck stamp]):
Florida residents who are 65 years of age or older; residents who possess a
Florida Resident Disabled Person Hunting and Fishing Certificate; residents in
the U.S. Armed Forces, not stationed in Florida, while home on leave for 30
days or less, upon submission of orders; and children under 16 years of age.
Children under 16 years of age are exempt from the federal duck stamp. Anyone
born on or after June 1, 1975 and 16 years of age or older must have passed a
Commission-approved hunter-safety course prior to being issued a hunting
license, except the Hunter Safety Mentoring exemption allows anyone to purchase
a hunting license and hunt under the supervision of a licensed hunter, 21 years
of age or older.
Youth
and mentor license holders are required to be accompanied by a supervisor
during any hunt. A youth hunter (less than 16 years of age) must be supervised
by a person at least 18 years of age. A mentor license holder must be
supervised by a licensed hunter at least 21 years of age. Unless exempt, only
those supervisors with proper licenses and permits may hunt.
Licenses and permits may be purchased from county tax
collectors, license agents, by telephone at 888-486-8356 or at
GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. A no-cost Migratory Bird Permit is available when
purchasing a hunting license. Any waterfowl hunter 16 years of age or older
must possess a federal duck stamp. |
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Quota Permit
Information:
Dove Hunt - 45, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for
each of 4 hunts.
Hog Management Hunt - 8, no-cost, quota permits (no
exemptions).
Dove hunt permit applications: Hunters must submit
electronic applications for quota permits through at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
Worksheets listing hunts, application periods, deadlines and instructions are
available at county tax collector’s offices, FWC offices or MyFWC.com. Quota
application periods occur throughout the year beginning June 1; please refer to
the hunting handbook or MyFWC.com for specific dates. Worksheets will be
available about 2 weeks prior to each application period.
1. Prior to the
hunts, individuals may be issued no more than two permits and each permit must
be for a different hunt date.
2. Individuals
issued a quota permit prior to the hunts must check-in at the check station
between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time (DST, hunts before
Nov. 7) or between 11 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. during Eastern Standard Time (EST,
hunts on or after Nov. 7) on the day of their scheduled hunt or their permit
will be voided. Any voided permits may be obtained first-come, first-served at
the check station beginning at 3:00 p.m. DST or 2:00 p.m. EST. Each permit allows one adult and one child
under age 16 to hunt and each may take a daily bag limit.
3. Quota permits are
valid only for the date listed on the permit.
Hog management hunt permit applications: Hunters must submit
electronic applications for quota permits through at
GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Worksheets
listing hunts, application periods, deadlines and instructions are available at
county tax collector’s offices, FWC offices or MyFWC.com. Quota application
periods occur throughout the year beginning May 15; please refer to the hunting
handbook or MyFWC.com for specific dates. Worksheets will be available about 2
weeks prior to each application period. To apply for this hunt, hunters should
obtain a “Quota - Wild Hog” worksheet. These permits will be eligible for guest
permits. The guest and host must enter
and exit the area together and must share a vehicle while hunting on the area.
Transfer of permits: Dove permits are transferable.
Wild hog quota permits are NOT transferable. |
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Area Regulations
- General
General Area Regulations:
In addition to the regulations that follow, all general laws
and regulations relating to wildlife and fish shall apply unless specifically
exempted for this area.
1. Driving a metal
object into any tree, or hunting from a tree in which a metal object has been
driven is prohibited.
2. Fires are
prohibited.
3. Construction or
use of permanent blinds or structures is prohibited.
4. Tampering with or
destruction of equipment, improvements, and water control structures is
prohibited.
5. Public access is
prohibited in portions of public hunting areas that are posted as “Closed” or
“Restricted.”
6. The release of
any animal is prohibited, except by permit from FWC or written authorization
from the landowner or primary land manager.
7. Taking or
attempting to take any game with the aid of live decoys, recorded game calls or
sounds, set guns, artificial light, net, trap, snare, drug or poison is
prohibited. Recorded calls and sounds can be used to hunt wild hog.
8. A hunting license
is not required for the take of wild hog.
9. The wanton and
willful waste of wildlife is prohibited.
10. Littering is
prohibited.
11. A Law Enforcement Officer may search any camp,
vehicle or boat, in accordance with law.
- Public Access and Vehicles
Public Access and Vehicles:
1. Public access is
allowed on hunt days only.
2. Vehicles may be
operated only on named and numbered roads and may be parked in designated
parking areas or within 25 feet of a named or numbered road.
3. Vehicles may not
be operated on named and numbered roads designated as closed to vehicular
traffic.
4. Horses,
airboats, outboard motors larger than 10 horsepower, tracked vehicles,
motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles are prohibited.
- Hunters
Hunters, Check Stations and Harvest Reporting:
1. Hunters must
check in at the check station upon entering and check out upon leaving the area
and check all game harvested.
2. Dove
hunters may enter the area no earlier than 11 a.m. and shall exit the area no
later than one hour after sunset. Hog hunters may enter the area no earlier
than one hour before sunrise and shall exit the area no later than one hour
after sunset.
- Guns
Guns:
1. Hunting with guns
other than shotguns, crossbows and bows is prohibited.
2. The take of
wildlife with ammunition other than buckshot is prohibited during the hog
management hunts.
3. While hunting
migratory birds, shotguns capable of holding more than three shells must be
plugged to a three-shell capacity with a one-piece filler which cannot be
removed without disassembling the gun.
4. Hunting at night
with a gun is prohibited.
5. Children under
the age of 16 hunting with a firearm must be in the presence of a supervising
adult.
6. No person shall
discharge a firearm or have a loaded firearm in hand while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.
7. Hunting with full-automatic firearms, rifles, handgun, explosive or drug-injecting devices and
set guns is prohibited.
8. The
discharge of a firearm outside of periods open to hunting or in areas closed to
hunting is prohibited per s. 790.15 FS.
- Dogs
Dogs:
1. Hunting wild hogs
with dogs is prohibited.
2. Waterfowl
retrievers, bird dogs, and other dogs with a shoulder height of 17 inches or
less may be used for hunting.
3. For
purposes other than hunting, dogs are allowed but must be kept under physical
restraint at all times.
- Camping
- Bag and Possession Limits
Bag and Possession Limits:
1. Wild hog - No
size or bag limit.
2. Dove (aggregate
of mourning and white-winged doves) - Daily limit 15.
Only one daily bag limit may be possessed while in the
field or while returning from the field.
A hunter may leave their birds with another person if the birds are
tagged with the hunter’s signature, address, the total number of birds by
species, and the date of the harvest.
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General Area Regulations:
In addition to the regulations that follow, all general laws
and regulations relating to wildlife and fish shall apply unless specifically
exempted for this area.
1. Driving a metal
object into any tree, or hunting from a tree in which a metal object has been
driven is prohibited.
2. Fires are
prohibited.
3. Construction or
use of permanent blinds or structures is prohibited.
4. Tampering with or
destruction of equipment, improvements, and water control structures is
prohibited.
5. Public access is
prohibited in portions of public hunting areas that are posted as “Closed” or
“Restricted.”
6. The release of
any animal is prohibited, except by permit from FWC or written authorization
from the landowner or primary land manager.
7. Taking or
attempting to take any game with the aid of live decoys, recorded game calls or
sounds, set guns, artificial light, net, trap, snare, drug or poison is
prohibited. Recorded calls and sounds can be used to hunt wild hog.
8. A hunting license
is not required for the take of wild hog.
9. The wanton and
willful waste of wildlife is prohibited.
10. Littering is
prohibited.
11. A Law Enforcement Officer may search any camp,
vehicle or boat, in accordance with law. |
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Public Access and Vehicles:
1. Public access is
allowed on hunt days only.
2. Vehicles may be
operated only on named and numbered roads and may be parked in designated
parking areas or within 25 feet of a named or numbered road.
3. Vehicles may not
be operated on named and numbered roads designated as closed to vehicular
traffic.
4. Horses,
airboats, outboard motors larger than 10 horsepower, tracked vehicles,
motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles are prohibited.
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Hunters, Check Stations and Harvest Reporting:
1. Hunters must
check in at the check station upon entering and check out upon leaving the area
and check all game harvested.
2. Dove
hunters may enter the area no earlier than 11 a.m. and shall exit the area no
later than one hour after sunset. Hog hunters may enter the area no earlier
than one hour before sunrise and shall exit the area no later than one hour
after sunset.
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Guns:
1. Hunting with guns
other than shotguns, crossbows and bows is prohibited.
2. The take of
wildlife with ammunition other than buckshot is prohibited during the hog
management hunts.
3. While hunting
migratory birds, shotguns capable of holding more than three shells must be
plugged to a three-shell capacity with a one-piece filler which cannot be
removed without disassembling the gun.
4. Hunting at night
with a gun is prohibited.
5. Children under
the age of 16 hunting with a firearm must be in the presence of a supervising
adult.
6. No person shall
discharge a firearm or have a loaded firearm in hand while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.
7. Hunting with full-automatic firearms, rifles, handgun, explosive or drug-injecting devices and
set guns is prohibited.
8. The
discharge of a firearm outside of periods open to hunting or in areas closed to
hunting is prohibited per s. 790.15 FS. |
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Dogs:
1. Hunting wild hogs
with dogs is prohibited.
2. Waterfowl
retrievers, bird dogs, and other dogs with a shoulder height of 17 inches or
less may be used for hunting.
3. For
purposes other than hunting, dogs are allowed but must be kept under physical
restraint at all times.
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Bag and Possession Limits:
1. Wild hog - No
size or bag limit.
2. Dove (aggregate
of mourning and white-winged doves) - Daily limit 15.
Only one daily bag limit may be possessed while in the
field or while returning from the field.
A hunter may leave their birds with another person if the birds are
tagged with the hunter’s signature, address, the total number of birds by
species, and the date of the harvest. |
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