Most hunters know that the best time to catch a monster buck off guard is during the beginning of hunting season. That’s why many of us enjoy hunting the archery and muzzleloading gun seasons – and why we can’t miss opening weekend of the general gun season. After that, lots of gunfire breaks out and those big boys get nocturnal, making hunting more difficult.

If you plan to hunt on public land next season, you’ve probably heard that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) made some changes to its quota permit system.

Phase I of the application process for most hunt types has been extended from a 10-day period to a month, and takes place June 1-30. During this period, just like before, you may turn in only one worksheet for each type of quota hunt. Remember: Unless exempt, you must have an up-to-date management area permit when applying for a quota permit.

The old archery/muzzleloading worksheet has been broken into two separate worksheets – one for archery hunts and the other for muzzleloader hunts. There is a new wild hog worksheet, as well as the familiar general gun worksheet. So you now have the opportunity to receive four permits instead of just two.

All quota permit worksheets are available at MyFWC.com/Hunting by clicking under “Limited Entry Hunts” or at a tax collector’s office or license agent. As before, you may fill in your application with up to five hunt choices. During phases I and II, you may be drawn for no more than one quota permit per hunt type. During Phase III, you can submit additional worksheets and receive up to five quota permits per hunt type.

Submit completed worksheets to any license agent or tax collector’s office. Those with a valid Florida driver’s license can submit worksheets online at www.wildlifelicense.com/fl.

The drawings to decide who gets these coveted quota hunt permits are July 7-17. Results will be posted at MyFWC.com/Hunting. Those selected will receive quota permits in the mail.

Others get a preference point for next year’s drawing, which improves the chance of being selected. If you’re unable to use your quota permit, mail it back to Tallahassee so it can be reissued to someone else during Phase III. If it was issued in Phase I and it’s postmarked prior to the first day of the hunt, you’ll receive a preference point. Accumulated preference points under the old system apply to the new system.
Except for the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA) dog hunts and Holton Creek WMA mobility-impaired hunts, all quota permits are nontransferable. Only the person named on the permit can use it. This change makes the quota system fairer by spreading great hunting opportunities out to more folks. If you gave up on applying for quota hunts because you never drew the area you wanted, I urge you to try it this year.

There’s a new guest permit also. To many folks and me it’s more fun to go hunting with a buddy, so the FWC created a way for people to bring a friend on a quota hunt.

For every quota permit (excluding Blackwater WMA dog hunts and Holton Creek WMA mobility-impaired hunts), one nontransferable guest permit may be obtained, until the last day of the hunt, at tax collectors’ offices or license agents; use the quota permit holder’s customer ID number and hunt number. The guest must have a valid management area permit (unless exempt) and all other necessary permits and license for the specific hunt.

Some stipulations: Both permit holder and guest must enter and exit the WMA together, share the same vehicle and share a single person’s bag limit. The guest may hunt only when the quota permit holder is on the area. On WMAs that have zone tags, the permit holder and guest must hunt in the same zone.

On 37 of the WMAs, there’s a bag limit of one deer, so I suggest you and your guest set your cell phones on vibrate and text your buddy when you shoot a deer. That way, he’ll know you’ve filled the bag limit. In places without a signal, you could use inexpensive two-way radios to let each other know you got one.

If you’d like to apply for one or more of the FWC’s many fall quota hunt permits, you need to do so in June.

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