The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) recently completed an evaluation of public hunting facilities on District lands that indicated a 64 percent increase in hunting opportunities.
The District owns a total of 331,700 acres with almost half dedicated to public hunting programs. Of the 331,700 acres, there are 133,795 acres committed to agreements with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, totaling 10 sites within six counties.
Wildlife Management Areas
| Project | County | Ownership/ Acq. Funding | Lead Manager | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Swamp | Lake, Polk, Sumter | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 49,768 |
| Green Swamp West | Pasco | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 34,335 |
| Upper Hillsborough | Pasco & Polk | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 5,178 |
| Gum Slough/Half Moon | Sumter | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 4,021 |
| Flying Eagle | Citrus | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 10,247 |
| Little Withlacoochee (part of 58,146-acre Richloam WMA) | Lake | SWFWMD | Fla. Division of Forestry | 4,614 |
| Potts Preserve | Citrus | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 9,384 |
| Lake Panasoffkee | Sumter | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 8,676 |
| Myakka State Forest | Sarasota | SWFWMD/ State | Fla. Division of Forestry | 7,295 |
| Upper Lake Marion Creek Watershed (part of 9,469-acre Lake Marion Creek WMA) | Polk | SWFWMD | SFWMD | 277 |
| Total | 133,795 |
The District also has opened lands to hunting for people with special needs. In 2004, the District entered into an agreement with the Wheelin’ Sportsmen-National Wild Turkey Federation program that provides hunting opportunities for the disabled. The program added 21,589 acres of land for hunting opportunities on District lands not previously hunted.
WS-NWTF Hunt Program Lands
| Project | County | Ownership/ Acq. Funding | Lead Manager | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starkey Wilderness Preserve/ Serenova Tract | Pasco | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 6,533 |
| Upper Hillsborough/ Alston Tract | Polk | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 2,747 |
| Green Swamp/ Hampton Tract | Polk | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 7,520 |
| Lake Manatee Reserve/ Gilley Creek North Tract | Manatee | SWFWMD | SWFWMD | 4,789 |
| Total | 21,589 |
“Recreational use on our public lands has increased in both number of users and types of activities,” said Eric Sutton, assistant director for the District’s Land Resources Department. “Our job is to balance these activities, including hunting, to avoid user conflicts and harming the environmental quality of the lands.”
The District is currently evaluating opportunities for expanded or new hunting programs, which include areas such as the Gilley Creek North Tract within the Lake Manatee Reserve in Manatee County, the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve in Sarasota County and the Micaloney Tract within the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Lake County.