In the nineteenth century Florida attained national fame among hunters. A common pastime was to shoot at animals from steamboats that plied the St. Johns and its tributaries. During the twentieth century hunting has continued to be popular, particularly in less densely populated north Florida. The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission has divided the state into three hunting regions: Northwest, Central, and South. Seasons are set aside for dog training, archery hunting, and hunting with muzzle-loading rifles. There are hunting seasons on antlered deer, antlerless deer, wild hog, wild turkey (fall and spring), quail, and bear. The squirrel and several other animals may be hunted throughout the year. Hunting of migratory birds, including ducks, doves, rails, the common moorhen, snipes, coots, and woodcocks, is regulated by the federal government. Florida ranks among the top three states, along with New York and North Carolina, in the seventeen-state AtlanticÊFlyway.
The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission carefully monitors the amount of game killed. In the past, populations of certain animals, notably deer, wild turkey, and bear, were allowed to decline to alarmingly low numbers. The deer population in particular has made a remarkable comeback. Even with strict control, the bear population because of great loss in habitat is much smaller than it was in the 1950s. For decades quail hunting has been popular on plantations in the Tallahassee area during late fall and winter. Wealthy landowners from the North have altered the environment to encourage large quail populations.
In 1967 Florida placed alligators on the national EndangeredÊSpeciesÊList. Protected from hunters, their population quickly grew. In September 1988 Florida had its first statewide alligator hunt in 26 years. In that year 238 hunters were permitted to harvest 3,450 alligators. Each year the number of authorized hunters has continued to be between 200 and 300, and the kill from 2,000 to 4,000. The hides of the alligators are marketed nationally, and the meat sold locally.
