Florida Squirrel Season Opens Statewide Oct. 13 on Private Lands
If you consider yourself a squirrel hunter, then circle Oct. 13 on your calendar. That’s when the gray squirrel season opens throughout Florida on private lands.
In previous years, the squirrel season always opened in early November. Last spring, however, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) decided to provide squirrel hunters another month of hunting, similar to dates in other southeastern states. The change came after the 2012-13 hunting dates had gone to the printer.
“This change means more opportunity for squirrel hunters,” said Paul Scharine, FWC public hunting areas biologist. “The message we’re trying to get out is this change only applies to private property.”
For hunting dates on public lands, Scharine said hunters should consult the printed 2012-13 wildlife management area (WMA) regulations or go online for specific area dates at MyFWC.com/Hunting and select “WMA Brochures.”
The daily bag limit is 12 gray squirrels.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came into existence on July 1, 1999 - the result of a constitutional amendment approved in the 1998 General Election as part of the package proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission.
In the implementation of the Constitutional Amendment, the Florida Legislature combined all of the staff and Commissioners of the former Marine Fisheries Commission, elements of the Divisions of Marine Resources and Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Five years later, after consulting stakeholders, employees and other interested parties, the FWC adopted a new internal structure to address complex conservation issues of the new century. The new structure focuses on programs, such as habitat management, that affect numerous species. It will focus on moving the decision-making process closer to the public and did not require any additional funding or additional positions.
