September 06, 2013
By Florida Sportsman Editor
Hunters looking for a place to hunt this fall still have a chance to get a recreational use permit (RUP) for the Nassau Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Nassau County during the upcoming hunting season.
Nassau WMA is 8,155 acres near Jacksonville. All users must possess an RUP specific to Nassau WMA to hunt on this area. It is a still-hunt area, but hunters may use bird dogs and waterfowl retrievers during general gun and small game seasons.
“There are only 200 permits issued for this area, but the good news is there are permits remaining,” said Matthew Chopp, regional public hunting areas biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The RUP program is designed to provide revenue to private landowners so their lands may remain open to public hunting in the WMA system.
The cost of the permit is $385. Nassau WMA provides hunting opportunities during eight months of the year:
Archery is from Sept. 20 through Oct. 18;
Muzzleloading gun season runs from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1;
General gun season is from Nov. 2 through Dec. 29;
Small game season is from Dec. 30 through March 2, 2014;
Spring turkey season includes a youth turkey hunt March 8-9 and spring turkey hunt March 15 through April 20; and
Trapping season runs Jan. 6 through March 1.
Except for hunting, RUP holders and their spouses or dependent children may participate in other activities on Nassau WMA. Only the RUP holder and one dependent child under the age of 16 may hunt. If spouses or more than one dependent child under 16 wish to hunt, they must purchase an RUP. The RUP also includes a management area permit that may be used to hunt on other WMAs in Florida. Quota hunt permits are not required to hunt on Nassau WMA or other WMAs within the RUP program, since only RUP holders may hunt these areas.
To apply for an RUP to hunt on Nassau WMA, go to MyFWC.com/License and choose “Limited Entry/Quota Permit” and then Nassau WMA under the Recreational Use section.
