FWC wants deer-hunter input
August
24, 2009
Contact: Corey R. Morea, 850-410-0656 x 17256
UPDATE: (As of Sept 4) This meeting has been RE-SCHEDULED.
The NEW date is:
September 28
and the location is the same.
(this
change in date has been updated to the press release
below)
Central
and South Florida deer hunters are encouraged to attend a
public meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Osceola
Heritage Park in Kissimmee to share their
thoughts about possible changes to the state's deer hunting
zones and seasons. The meeting will be in the Extension
Services Building, 1921 Kissimmee Valley Lane.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC), as part of its deer management strategic plan and in
response to input received from the public, is considering
changes to deer hunting zones and seasons. This meeting is
an opportunity for members of the public to learn about
these possible changes and share their views on this topic
with agency staff.
The meeting will feature a presentation on the latest
proposal, followed by a question-and-answer session. The
FWC is using breeding-chronology data along with hunter and
stakeholder input to draft possible changes to deer hunting
zones and seasons. The FWC has deer-breeding
information from many counties and several of its wildlife
management areas, but there are gaps in the biological
data. Hunter input on the rut may help close the gaps
in the data.
The agency recognizes the value of local knowledge and is
asking hunters, familiar with when the deer rut
historically occurs where they hunt, to fill out an online
survey. The FWC would like to use this information to
compare hunters' perception of the rut with scientifically
known conception data.
During rutting periods, bucks are more active in daylight
(shooting) hours and often less cautious, improving
hunters' chances of seeing them in the field.
"Deer hunters want to hunt during the rut, and we want to
be able to share comprehensive information about when the
rut occurs with the hunting public," FWC biologist and deer
team coordinator Cory Morea said. "We realize a lot
of hunters know when the rut happens in their area, and we
want to take this information and compare it with our
conception data to see if they are similar. It would
be great to be able to use any new data to help fill in the
holes with what we already know.
"At the very least, we think there is value in knowing what
hunters perceive as the peak of the rut where they hunt,"
Morea said.
To see the latest updates on proposed deer zones and season
dates, and to comment on these potential changes by filling
out the deer rut survey, go to
MyFWC.com/Deer.
For more information, contact Morea at 850-410-0656, ext.
17256.