Abstracts

Abstract: During the past several years the concept of hunting quality deer in Florida has been increasing in popularity. Georgia's Dooley County program and subsequent implementation in other counties and the increasing prominence of the Quality Deer Management Association have no doubt contributed to increased interest in quality deer hunting in Florida. In January 2002 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) set out to determine what Florida hunters want in their deer-hunting experience. Over the next 18 months FWC staff conducted 3 surveys and 11 hunter workshops to gather information on hunter desires and solicit feedback on proposed deer hunting regulation changes designed to meet these desires. In the initial survey hunters indicated a strong interest in regulation changes that would protect smaller-antlered bucks and increase the number of larger-antlered bucks available for harvest, i.e., a "quality deer" rule. Staff proceeded to develop several regulation options, which included bag limits and antler restrictions. When these options were presented to hunters in a subsequent survey and at workshops, hunters split evenly in support of the quality deer regulation options and an option of status quo. Staff created a compromise regulation that would still protect smaller antlered bucks but took into account hunter concerns. A third survey indicated that this regulation too was only supported by about half of Florida's hunters. Apparently many Florida hunters believe they are willing to make sacrifices to have larger-antlered deer but are unwilling to commit to the specific regulation changes to get them there.