we we learned that FWCLLL
Fighting SFWM for your access and hunting opportunity's on STA's
WATER MANAGEMENT HAS SEVERAL AREAS OPENED FOR BIRD WATCHING AND HIKING AND BICYCLING AND I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE SEVERAL 'STA'S' OPEN FOR DUCK AND ALLIGATOR HUNTING OPPORTUNITY'S BUT WE ARE NOT ALL BIRD WATCHERS AND DUCK AND ALLIGATOR HUNTERS .THE HOG HUNTERS WANT ACCESS AND THEIR HUNTING OPPORTUNITY'S TO THE SAME AREAS AS THE OTHER USER GROUPS. I HAVE SEEN 1ST HAND JUST HOW MANY TENS OF 1,000'S OF ACRES OF LAND THE DISTRICT HAS THAT ARE SITTING VACANT WAITING ON FUNDS OR PERMITTING BEFORE CONSTRUCTION CAN BE STARTED AND IN SOME CASES THAT MAY BE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. IN THE MEAN TIME THESE PROPERTY'S TURN INTO OVER GROWN NEST FOR WILD HOGS TO FLOURISH IN AND THE POPULATION EXPLODES! THE DISTRICT ONLY HAS A FEW TRAPPER'S AND THEIR HELPERS , AND THEY ARE GRANTED ACCESS TO THESE LARGE PARCELS OF LAND AND GIVING THE POWER TO USE GUNS,DOGS,TRAPS, ATV'S AND ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES TO REMOVE THESE HOGS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. IN COMPARTMENT 'C' ALONE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE REMOVED WELL OVER 800 HOGS. NOW BETWEEN THOSE AREAS ADJACENT TO COMPARTMENT 'C' THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION THE TOTAL AREA IS OVER 13,700 ACRES. THE C-44 'STA' IN INDIANTOWN IS 12,000 ACRES , THE C-43 WEST STORAGE RESERVOIR CURRENTLY BERRY GROVES IN LABELLE IS 5,000 ACRES , THE LAKESIDE RANCH 'STA' IN OKEECHOBEE IS 2,700 ACRES. THE PUBLIC AND THE HUNTERS ARE DENIED ACCESS AND HOG HUNTING OPPORTUNITY'S TO THESE AREAS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY SFWM CAN NOT SET-UP A LOTTERY AND PERMITTING SYSTEM JUST LIKE THEY CURRENTLY HAVE SET-UP FOR THE ALLIGATOR HUNTERS. SFWM CAN DRAW A LIMITED NUMBER OF HOG HUNTERS AND DOG HUNTERS EVERY YEAR TO ASSIST WITH THE HOG PROBLEM BY HARVESTING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOGS DETERMINED BY THE DISTRICT AND OR A BIOLOGIST. EVEN IN THE AREAS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION A FEW WEEKENDS A YEAR COULD BE EASILY SET-ASIDE FOR THESE PERMITTED HUNTS. ON THE DISTRICT LANDS WHERE FIREARM SAFETY WOULD BE A PROBLEM THEY COULD ISSUE DOG HUNT ONLY PERMITS. THE SOLE PURPOSE OF OUR NEW ORGANIZATION IS TO FIGHT TO GAIN ACCESS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY'S FOR OUR MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SO WE CAN KEEP OUR TRADITIONAL HERITAGE AND WAY OF LIFE PRESERVED.THE USFTH WENT TO THE SFWM MEETING ON DEC.17TH 2012 AND SPOKE ON THIS ISSUE AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE MARCH 18TH RECREATIONAL WRAC MEETING AT DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS AT 3301 GUN CLUB RD. IN WEST PALM BEACH. WE HAVE ALSO STARTED A ONLINE PETITION TO TELL SFWM THAT WE WANT HOG HUNTING OPPORTUNITY'S ON DISTRICT LANDS. WE MUST HAVE YOUR SUPPORT, JOIN THE USFTH TODAY!
HERE'S THE LINK TO THE PETITION http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/the-right-to-hog-hunt-sfwm-stas/P PLEASE DO NOT DONATE ON THE PETITION SITE IT DOES NOT GOT TO THE 'U.S.F.T.H.'
Click here to change this text.
rFWC proposal to make hogs a "GAME ANIMAL" on commissioned lands
UPDATE!! The FWC pulled their proposal to change the classification of Hogs to a 'Game Animal'! Thank you everyone for your hard work on this issue!
FWC Wants to change the Classification on wild Hogs to classify them as a 'Game Animal'. The feral Hog is a non-native invasive and nuisance animal that right now under the current classification can be hunted on private land and some public land's 365 day's a year 24/7 without a hunting license.This is not the case in most Wildlife Management Areas where a hunting license and Management area stamp are required to hunt wild hogs. FWC's stance on why they want to change the classification is because they say that they are having a problem with non-licensed individuals hunting Deer while claiming they are hog hunting. In my opinion it is ridicules to think that changing the classification of wild Hogs would have any impact on Deer poaching! It is the same penalty for poaching a Deer out of season no matter what the individual claims he was hunting and the FWC officers in the field already enforce this 100% the way the classification currently is.In our talks with FWC we have proposed to them that if FWC wants to close the loop-hole on non-licensed hunters then all they have to do is amend their license requirements to say 'anyone hunting hogs' must have a hunting license which they currently have written and enforce in the majority of their WMA's. It is clearly stated in the rules and regulations brochures for the majority of WMA's that allow Hog hunting .Here is the quote from FWC's WMA brochure "wildlife management areas (WMAs) , hogs may be taken during most hunting seasons, except spring turkey. But, if it's during archery season, you must use a bow - during muzzleloading gun season, you can only use a muzzleloader. You need a hunting license, a management area permit and any other necessary permits to hunt wild pigs during particular seasons on WMAs - where on some, daily bag limits on wild pigs do apply, and on a few, there's even a minimum size limit on what you can take. On wildlife management areas, you may not use a gun and light at night" end quote. I am sure the hunter's would support a license requirement that anyone hunting Hogs must have a hunting license because 95% of Hog hunters already have a hunting license because they hunt several other animals. The United Sportsmen For Traditional Heritage is strongly against FWC changing the Hog classification to a 'Game Animal'! We fear that if the classification is changed to a 'Game Animal' then this would open the door for FWC or any other agency that allows Hog hunting on their lands at anytime to treat a Hog excatly like any other "Game Animal' and impose set hunting seasons and size and bag limits.There are currently only a few public lands left in the whole state of Florida that are open to Hog hunters 365-24/7 , certain parts of Lake Okeechobee , the Kissimmee chain of Lakes PUA 'public use area" and certain areas on the ST. Johns river. These are the last 3 strong holds of public land that the Hog hunters have left and the 'U.S.F.T.H.' feel's they would severely be in jeopardy of being lost if the Hog classification is changed to a 'Game Animal'. The hunters stand to gain NOTHING by this purposed classification change by FWC to make Hogs a 'Game Animal' but the hunters could lose the 365 -24/7 access and hunting opportunity they now have. The United Sportsmen For Traditional Heritage have a online petition to STOP this purposed classification change and also are going to many of the outdoor events to gain signatures and support in person.
Here's the link to the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/this-is-a-petition-to-stop-fwc-from-classifying/ PLEASE DO NOT DONATE ON THE PETITION SITE IT DOES NOT GOT TO THE 'U.S.F.T.H.'
here to change this text.
The stopping of trapping and removal of Hogs by FWC and FAU in the J.W. Corbett area
The 1st issue the USFTH took on was the shooting and trapping of hogs at the Everglades youth camp in the J.W. Corbett area by FWC and FAU. We were alerted of a incident on Nov. 23rd 2012 where a hog was shot from the roof of a cottage in the youth camp by a FWC employee and a FAU member in a area that allows NO shooting or hunting to the J.W. Corbett area hunters or the general public. After investigating the incident we learned that FWC had issued FAU a hog trapping permit. We felt very strongly that this should be handled by the Local Sportsmen clubs and the J.W. Corbett area hunters themselves and also felt strongly that No one including FWC or FAU should be shooting a rifle from the top of a building in a area that is only a few hundred yards away from unsuspecting people and their family's hunting and fishing. The USFTH then started a grassroots campaign to raise awareness to the J.W. Corbett hunters and the general public to the fact that FWC and FAU was trapping and removing or shooting the hogs that they spend hundreds of dollars a year on buying license's to try to harvest with their family's. We started a petition on Dec. 4th 2012 to stop any and all hog trapping or removing of hogs from the J.W. Corbett area by FWC, FAU or any trappers they may have contracted. In just 4 days we were able to obtain over 800 signatures from concerned J.W. Corbett area hunters and the general public that wanted this stopped! We had a meeting with FWC on Dec. 7th 2012 where we explained that the hogs are coming in from the Archery still hunt area adjacent to the youth camp and causing damage rooting up the ground because the general hunters are denied access to the area to keep the hogs numbers in check. We explained that the use of dogs is the best and most efficient way to push the hogs from the area and that we could organize a dog walk thru by the J.W. Corbett area hunters themselves with no firearms and catch and or push out the hogs that are doing the damage. We also suggested some youth hunt opportunities for the children to help with the solution. On saturday Dec. 8th 2012 the USFTH organized a protest at the South check station of the J.W. Corbett area where over 40 concerned Sportsmen came out with their familys to raise awareness with the folks coming into the J.W. Corbett that day. In only 3 hrs. we were able to gain another 175 signatures and meet and talk with many great people including one man and his son who told us that in the 17 years he's been coming to the J.W.Corbett area that neither him nor his son had ever been able to harvest a hog and that he sure didnt appreciate FWC and FAU trapping and removing hogs that him or his son could have a chance to harvest. On Dec. 8th Mr. Collins of FWC let the USFTH know that he would be stopping all hog trapping,removing or shooting of hogs in the J.W. Corbett area by FWC ,FAU or any other hog trappers. The USFTH immediately offered their members time, labor and equipment free of charge to help start fixing and repairing the damaged areas in the youth camp grounds. We were told the offer was appreciated but they would have to decline our help at this time but would like to work with us on a long term solution to the hog problem. I want to thank everyone for their help and hard work on this issue! In only 2 weeks the USFTH was alerted of the problem and was able to rally the troops and get results for the hunters and Sportsmen and put a stop to the trapping or removal of their hogs because we united all the different user groups and went out in public and on the social media sites and raised awareness! This is what the UNITED SPORTSMEN FOR TRADITIONAL HERITAGE is all about and we hope you will join us and unite to help fight to protect our way of life! e to change this text.