Small Game Hunting Season at CREW opens December 6th, 2015 and runs through January 3rd, 2016 at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Specific Small Game season regulations for CREW are listed below. Complete regs for the CREW area can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.
The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers, campers and horseback riders – during hunting seasons. Trail hikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons or use an alternative CREW trail. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.
Small Game Season:December 6 through January 3.
Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Hunting license, management area permit, migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds), and state waterfowl permit and federal duck stamp (if hunting waterfowl).
Legal to Hunt – Gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season.
Regulations Unique to Small Game Season-
- Hunting with bird dogs and retrievers is allowed.
- Hunting with centerfire or rimfire rifles is prohibited.
The CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.
You have got to be kidding me. Crew allows hunting? Why would you put innocent hikers and tourists in danger, not to mention outright disrespect for our precious wildlife. Sorry crew no more donations for you, unbelievable.
Hi Charles. We have multiple user groups on the trails and the CREW Trust is a non-profit that helps support the mission of the South Florida Water Management District. Those funds go to environmental education. The district makes the rule that they will not close the trails to multiple user groups as they want to be as inclusive as possible. We do make people aware that there is a hunting possibility at Cypress Dome Trails; nearby CREW Marsh Trails are not open to hunters and currently open to hikers and leashed dogs.