Outta’ the Woods

Outta’ the Woods

Up your odds with special-opportunity hunts

By TONY YOUNG

If you haven’t been seeing the quantity or quality of game you’d like, you may want to consider applying for a special-opportunity hunt. For the past 11 years, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has offered these unique fall-season hunts for deer, wild hog and released quail on the state’s best public hunting lands. Maybe it’s time you look into getting in on the action and experience the hunt of a lifetime.

These extraordinary hunts offer large tracts of land with an abundance of game and low hunting pressure. All deer hunts enable you to take only mature bucks with one antler having at least four points. Hunters also can take does if they apply for, and draw, an antlerless deer permit. This practice of quality deer management offers hunters excellent chances of taking quality bucks and the opportunity to take a doe on public land. There is no size or bag limit on hog hunts.

These special-opportunity deer and wild hog hunts take place on Fort Drum (Indian River County), Lake Panasoffkee (Sumter County), Triple N Ranch (Osceola County) and Green Swamp West Unit (Pasco County) wildlife management areas.

Fort Drum has several gun hunts on its 20,858 acres, each one costing $50, should you get drawn. Besides taking 16 deer, hunters bagged 29 hogs there last year.

Lake Panasoffkee offers archery hunts on the 8,676-acre tract. Hunters harvested 16 deer and 27 hogs there last season.

Triple N Ranch has two general gun deer hunts, and 24 deer were taken off the 15,391 acres last year – half of ’em quality bucks.

Green Swamp West Unit is where James Stovall took the state’s highest-scoring deer on record – a 25-point, nontypical that netted a 206 Boone-and-Crockett score. He took the trophy buck in 1999 after getting drawn for the special-opportunity archery hunt. The area offers archery and gun hunts on 34,335 acres. Last year, hunters bagged 59 deer, and 75 percent of ’em were nice bucks. Additionally, two hundred and one hogs were taken from there.

The FWC also has week-long released-quail hunts on Blackwater Carr Unit in Santa Rosa County. With these hunts, you must bring and release your own pen-raised quail. There’s just one $100-permit available for each of the 16 weeks, and if you’re lucky enough to draw one, you and up to three of your friends will have the entire 590 acres to yourselves.

If you’d like to apply for any of these great hunts, the first thing you’ll need to do is get a 2008-2009 Special-Opportunity Fall Hunt Worksheet – available at FWC offices and at MyFWC.com/hunting.

Beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT) on May 6, you can submit your completed application at wildlifelicense.com or at any county tax collector’s office or license agent. The application period runs through midnight on June 10.

These coveted permits are selected by random drawing, and you may apply for as many hunts and dates as you like in order to increase your chances of being selected. You must include a $5 nonrefundable fee for each hunt you apply for, though hunters are limited to drawing only one permit per hunt.

On or before June 27, you’ll receive, by mail, a special-opportunity permit invoice if you’re selected. You have until July 15 to pay the cost of the selected hunt if you get drawn, and you may do so at any license agent or tax collector’s office or at wildlifelicense.com.

Special-opportunity hunt permits are transferable by simply giving the permit to another person. Permit holders under age 16, or those who are certified mobility-impaired, may have a nonhunting assistant accompany them during all special-opportunity hunts.

Whether still hunting all by yourself or dog hunting with family and friends for deer, hogs or released quail, the FWC’s special-opportunity fall hunts are just what the doctor ordered for a premium hunting experience.

Tony Young is the media relations coordinator for the FWC’s Division of Hunting and Game Management. You can reach him with questions about special-opportunity hunts or how to apply at Tony.Young@MyFWC.com.