68A-13.003: Hunting Regulations for Ducks, Geese, and Coots
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of the proposed rule change is to establish bag limits for taking ducks in conformance with federal regulations. Rule wording would be changed to increase the bag limit for wood ducks, prohibit the taking of canvasbacks, and set the daily bag limit for scaup.
SUMMARY: The rule amends migratory bird hunting regulations to establish duck, goose, and coot season dates and bag limits.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: During the regular meeting of the Commission, December 3-4, 2008, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., each day
PLACE: Doubletree Grand Key Resort, 3990 South Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, FL 33040
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: The ADA Coordinator, at (850)488-6411. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Diane Eggeman, Director, Division of Hunting and Game Management, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600
THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:
68A-13.003 Hunting Regulations for Ducks, Geese, and Coots.
The Commission has approved the following regulations and bag limits for taking ducks, geese, and coots:
(1) Duck, light goose, and coot season:
(a) through (e) No change.
(f) Limits: The possession limit for ducks and coots shall be two days’ bag limit. There shall be no possession limit for light geese. Light geese include only snow (including blue) and Ross’ geese.
1. Ducks: The daily bag limit for ducks is six, including no more than four mallards, of which only two can be females, one scaup except it shall be two scaup during the last twenty consecutive days of the open season and the Youth Waterfowl Hunt, four scoters, three two wood ducks, two redheads, one pintail, two canvasbacks, one black duck, one Florida duck (mottled duck), and one fulvous whistling-duck. In addition to the daily bag limit for ducks, the daily bag limit for mergansers is five, only two of which may be hooded mergansers.
2. Light geese: The daily bag limit for light geese is 15.
3. Coots: The daily bag limit for coots is 15.
(2) General restrictions:
(a) The taking of canvasbacks, harlequin ducks, brant or geese other than light geese as specified in subsection (1) and Canada geese as specified in subsection (4) is prohibited.
(b) It shall be illegal to possess shotshells loaded with any type of shot other than steel or other nontoxic shot approved for use by the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, when hunting ducks, geese, or coots.
(3) through (5) No change.
PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE: As soon as possible after adoption.
Specific Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History–New 8-1-79, Amended 10-23-79, 8-19-80, 9-29-81, 8-30-82, 7-27-83, 8-13-84, 8-13-85, 10-1-85, Formerly 39-13.03, Amended 8-5-86, 8-24-87, 8-18-88, 12-12-88, 8-17-89, 10-30-89, 8-9-90, 10-31-90, 8-22-91, 10-31-91, 8-23-92, 10-22-92, 9-2-93, 10-28-93, 11-6-94, 10-23-95, 10-20-96, 8-7-97, 10-28-97, 11-12-98, 6-23-99, Formerly 39-13.003, Amended 11-7-00, 5-13-02, 5-1-03, 7-1-04, 7-1-05, 2-1-06, 7-1-06, 1-9-07, 1-8-08, 7-1-08,_________.
BE ADVISED THAT THESE PROPOSED RULES MAY BE FILED FOR ADOPTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOLLOWING THE COMMISSION MEETING AT WHICH THEY ARE CONSIDERED IF THE RULES ARE NOT CHANGED. IF CHANGED, THE RULES MAY BE FILED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER PUBLICATION OF A NOTICE OF CHANGE IN THE FAW.