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Outta’ the Woods: Zone D's late muzzleloader season extends deer hunting opportunity through February

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Plus, don’t miss Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days

February “Outta’ the Woods”
By Tony Young

“What I love most about using a muzzleloader is the extra challenge it provides – you only get one shot and you better make it count,” said Howard Tiller, retired high school teacher and Chipley, Florida, native. “The late muzzleloading season gives us Zone D hunters more opportunities to hunt deer while the rut is still going on after general gun season ends. Plus, there are fewer hunters in the woods during that time, which means less pressure.” 

Tony Young
Tony Young

Tiller, who was introduced to hunting by his father at a young age, said he never misses hunting Zone D’s late muzzleloading gun season. The season, which only occurs in Zone D, extends deer hunting by a week after general gun ends and runs Feb. 20-26 on private lands. It was established to give hunters the chance to hunt the rut, which runs from mid-January through February in northwest Florida.
A $5 muzzleloading gun permit is required to hunt during this season. On private land, hunters have the choice of using a muzzleloader, bow or crossbow. Of course, they’ll also need a hunting license, which costs residents $17 for an annual one – or folks might opt to purchase the five-year license for only $79.
In Zone D wildlife management areas, this post-season is referred to as the archery/muzzleloading gun season. Specific dates vary by WMA, so consult each area’s brochure. Hunters can use bows or muzzleloaders, but no crossbows – unless they possess a disabled crossbow permit. Hunters who choose to hunt with a bow must have the $5 archery permit, and those using a muzzleloader need the $5 muzzleloading gun permit.

Legal to take; bag limits

Deer and wild hogs are most commonly hunted during this season. Only legal bucks may be taken (even if you use a bow), and south of Interstate 10 in Deer Management Unit D1, one antler must have at least two points. North of I-10 in DMU D2, all bucks must have at least three points on a side or have a main beam of at least 10 inches long to be legal to take.
If you’re hunting deer, make sure you have the $5 deer permit. On private land, the daily bag limit is two. Season dates, bag limits and antler regulations for deer on WMAs can differ, so consult the area brochure before you hunt.
On private lands, wild hogs can be taken year-round with no bag or size limits. On most WMAs, there’s also no bag or size limit, and hogs are legal to take during most hunting seasons except spring turkey. On selected WMAs, specific bag and size limits do apply, so again, check the area’s brochure to make sure.

Hunting regulations

During the late muzzleloader season on private lands and archery/muzzleloading gun season on WMAs, dogs may not be used to hunt deer. However, you may use a leashed one to track a wounded deer if necessary. And it’s important to note that no turkeys may be taken during this season.
Bows and crossbows must have minimum draw weights of 35 pounds. Hand-held releases on bows are permitted. Broadheads used in taking deer must have at least two sharpened edges with a minimum width of 7/8 inch.
During this late season, the only muzzleloaders allowed are those fired by wheel lock, flintlock, percussion cap or centerfire primer (including 209 primers) that cannot be loaded from the breech. For hunting deer, muzzleloading rifles must be at least .40-caliber, and muzzleloading shotguns must be 20-gauge or larger.
Legal shooting hours are between a half-hour before sunrise and a half-hour after sunset. You’re allowed to take deer and hogs over feeding stations on private land, but it is illegal to use such feed on WMAs.

Public hunting opportunity

Twelve of the WMAs in Zone D have a February archery/muzzleloading gun season, and if you plan to hunt any of them, you must have the $26 management area permit. Those areas are Apalachicola, Apalachicola River, Beaverdam Creek, Blackwater, Chipola River, Choctawhatchee River, Econfina Creek, Escambia River, Perdido River, Point Washington, Tate’s Hell and Yellow River.
You can get all of the licenses and permits you’ll need at any retail outlet that sells hunting and fishing supplies, by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA or by going online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.

Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days

To all parents out there: the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has established Feb. 4-5 as this year’s statewide Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days. This weekend is specifically set up for children 15 and younger to hunt waterfowl, coots and common moorhens while being supervised by an adult (18 years or older). Only the kids may hunt; adults may only assist. Because only children 15 and younger may hunt during these two days, no licenses or permits are needed, including federal duck stamps. And if you’re not a duck hunter but your child is showing an interest in trying it, the FWC has brand new online information to assist new hunters – just visit MyFWC.com/NewHunter.
The FWC also has managed hunts at T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area, STA 1W and Guana River WMA. These fun, family-oriented events include raffles, free food and great waterfowl hunting. No children are turned away from the hunts, so a quota permit is not necessary. For more information on the Guana River hunt, call 904-825-6877. For more information on the T.M. Goodwin and STA 1W hunts, call 321-726-2862.

Bag limits

The daily bag limit on ducks is six, but within the six-bird limit there can be only one black duck, one mottled duck and one fulvous whistling duck. Two can be canvasbacks, pintails, redheads or scaup, and three may be wood ducks. And you may have no more than four scoters, four eiders, four long-tailed ducks and four mallards (of which only two can be female) in your bag. All other species of ducks can be taken, up to the six-bird limit, except harlequin ducks. The taking of harlequin ducks is against the law.
The daily limit on coots and common moorhens is 15, and there’s a five-bird limit on mergansers, only two of which may be hooded.
Youngsters also may take light geese during Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days. This includes snow, blue and Ross’s geese; and there’s a 15-bird daily bag limit on any combination. Canada geese may be taken as well, and the daily bag limit on them is five.

Waterfowl regulations

Shotguns are the only firearms that kids are allowed to use, and they’re not permitted to use one larger than 10-gauge. Shotguns must be plugged to a three-shell capacity (magazine and chamber combined). Though not practical for duck hunting, bows and crossbows may also be used if your child is so inclined.
Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to sunset, and waterfowl hunters may use only nontoxic shotgun shells. Only iron (steel), bismuth-tin and various shot made from tungsten-alloy are permissible.
Retriever dogs, such as labs, may be used. Artificial decoys and manual or mouth-operated bird calls are not only legal but essential gear for duck hunters.

Prohibited methods of take

Scattering agricultural products over an area for the purpose of baiting is strictly forbidden. Feed, such as corn, wheat or salt, cannot be present where you’re hunting, nor can such baiting be used to attract birds, even if the bait is placed quite a distance away from where you’re hunting.
Some other things you can’t do while hunting waterfowl include using rifles, pistols, traps, snares, nets, sinkboxes, swivel guns, punt guns, battery guns, machine guns, fish hooks, poisons, drugs, explosive substances, live decoys, recorded bird calls or sounds and electrically amplified bird-call imitations. Shooting from an automobile or boat while under power is not illegal and herding or driving birds with vehicles or vessels also is against the law.
The 2016-2017 hunting seasons are winding down, however, there are still great opportunities to get out there. This February, take time to enjoy the solitude of a late season Zone D muzzleloader hunt or introduce a young person to duck hunting during the statewide Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days.
 

January "Outta' the Woods": Make a kid’s first hunting trip great

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January “Outta’ the Woods”
By Tony Young
As sure as I eat black-eyed peas and collard greens with hog jowls every New Year’s Day, we Americans love our traditions. Whether it’s our taste in music, what we wear, what and how we celebrate, or what we like to eat, our culture is centered on tradition. For hunters, our passion for the outdoors and preserving our hunting traditions ranks right up there with apple pie, baseball and cowboy boots.

Tony Young
Tony Young

All hunters have a story about how we were first introduced to hunting and why we have such a love of nature. My wife was in the Wisconsin deer woods from early on, accompanying her family hunting when just 2 years old. For me, it was something I sought to try on my own when bass fishing slowed down and my dad was busy on the golf course. Each of us has our own story, and we take pride in never missing an opportunity to add another memory.
As a sportsman, I made sure to do my part by taking my daughters along with me on deer and turkey hunts when they were younger. When my oldest, Cheyenne, was 8 years old, I was fortunate enough to harvest a really big tom on family land during a spring hunt while Cheyenne ran the video camera. It was a wonderful experience for me to be able to share my love of the outdoors and of hunting with her. And I’ll never forget the look on Cheyenne’s face and how big her eyes got when we first heard that long-beard gobble less than 50 yards away just before it stepped into view. Those memories and moments are priceless to me.
While I’m sure both my kids have fond memories of tagging along with their dad on a few hunts, hunting is not something either of them have shown very much interest in… at least not yet. They both like to wet a line in our backyard creek every now and then to see what’s biting, and they enjoy hiking, boating and kayaking. They know they may always accompany me into the woods anytime they might want to give hunting a try – but if they never do, I’m OK with that. Just like I’d rather not chase a golf ball around a manicured green, hunting is a pastime that isn’t for everyone. It’s a personal decision that each of us makes about whether we want to participate or not.
Although my daughters haven’t yet developed a passion for hunting, they definitely have learned a lot about conservation, understand the importance of maintaining good habitat, and have developed a great respect for nature. They both really enjoy eating the venison, wild turkey and alligator meat harvested by my wife and me, which are great sources of lean, healthy protein that contains no preservatives, hormones or antibiotics. But all they care about is that it’s delicious! And we’ve taught them to realize the role that hunting and hunters play in helping keep wildlife populations in proper balance.
outta the woods 1.9.2017

Tony Young with his two daughters, Isabella (left) and Cheyenne,
and their ol’ bloodhound, Buford, pose with a buck Tony harvested.

Recently, over Thanksgiving dinner, Cheyenne, who is now 18 years old and a freshman in college, announced out of the blue that she wanted to unplug after the stress of taking exams and go hunting during her winter break to try to harvest her first deer. I told her we could do that, but that she needed to do a couple things before we went afield.
First, Cheyenne has never shot a centerfire rifle before, so we will need to spend some quality time at the shooting range. She will have to get used to firing a gun that is quite a bit louder and kicks considerably more than the .22-caliber rimfire rifle she shot when getting her hunter safety certification at Beau Turner Youth Conservation Center’s summer camp at age 10. Before taking a shot at a deer, she needs to first show that she is able to put a few rounds into a pie plate at 50 yards.
After brushing up on the shooting skills, we will need to purchase a Florida hunting license for $17 and a $5 deer permit in order for her to be legal to hunt deer on our small family farm. It’s a pretty quick process to get licensed, whether we purchase online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, over the phone by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA or at a tax collector’s office or retail outlet that sells hunting and fishing supplies.
While Cheyenne may not know this, I want her to understand that the sale of hunting licenses funds wildlife management, and that each of the states’ wildlife agencies, such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), benefit from funds from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act. By simply buying a hunting license, she will be impacting wildlife and conservation efforts in Florida in a positive way.
outta the woods 1.9.2017

Cheyenne and her father, Tony Young, with the gobbler they
harvested together on family land when she was 8 years old.

When it comes time to head to the woods for a hunt after proving she knows important hunter safety skills, can consistently hit where she is aiming, and has her hunting license and deer permit, she will need to be outfitted for our deer hunt. She knows that deer have great sight, so understands the importance of camouflage. My wife and I have a selection of camo clothing she can borrow, including camo caps and facemasks.
Even though her entire outfit does not necessarily need to be camo from head to toe, it is most important for her to dress for the weather and be able to remain quiet and still, especially when animals are within view. Wearing warm and dry footwear and socks is important, as are gloves, thermal long underwear, fleece, a good heavy jacket and even a ski cap if the weather is cold. And if we don’t have extras of all that in camouflage, she can definitely get by with wearing an outer layer of clothing that is darker and earth-toned in color, such as dark green, brown or black.
Besides having great eye sight, deer have a keen sense of smell. So I’ll remind Cheyenne that we’ll need to wash her entire hunting outfit using scent-free detergent and dryer sheets. She will also need to take a shower before the hunt using scent-free soap and shampoo, and apply only scent-free deodorant without using any hairspray or perfume.
Being comfortable out there with the right clothing and doing all of these other things will give Cheyenne the best chance for a successful hunt.
If you would like to take somebody hunting for the first time, I have a few suggestions that will better ensure they have a positive experience – which should help you also enjoy the experience more. First, try your best to make the hunt and the experience all about them. An afternoon hunt is probably a better option for a first-timer rather than going in the morning, since waking up super early and walking to a hunting spot in the pitch dark can be a scary experience for some new hunters, regardless of age – or whether they’ll admit it.
Also, don’t plan to sit and hunt for too long – remember, make it about them. Be able to read their body language and have a pulse on whether they are getting bored or are not enjoying the experience of being in the woods. Hunting takes patience, and that can take a while to adapt to, especially in this day and age when most things are pretty instantaneous. Make sure to pack some snacks and a drink, and other things to help occupy their time – a book, tablet or video game can be great to have along when the action is slow. This is especially true with younger kids, but I will admit to occasionally passing time on my smartphone in the woods as well!
I can’t say with any certainty when or if Cheyenne will join me anytime soon in the woods, but you can bet she’ll have her phone with her if she does – so she can take multiple selfies and post ’em on all her social media accounts, of course, — to let all her friends know exactly what she’s doing! Hey, we all get our passion for hunting in our own way, right?
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday, and I wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year. When you can, offer to take somebody new hunting – be a mentor and help connect others with nature by introducing them to a longstanding tradition that is such a big part of our American culture.