According to a press release by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), officers are currently patrolling the Florida-Georgia line to catch hunters who possess deer unlawfully. They are also on the lookout for deer meat that is considered high-risk.
The weekly law enforcement report highlights an incident in which Officer Shope was stationed at the Georgia line to monitor traffic. His focus was on hunters who were attempting to bring deer meat, specifically high-risk parts like bone, into Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has implemented a regulation to prohibit the possession or importation of deer, elk, moose, or caribou carcasses or high-risk parts from outside of Florida. This measure has been put in place to minimize the potential risk of chronic wasting disease.
What is high-risk deer meat?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has taken immediate action to address the concerning confirmation of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Florida. In order to prevent the further spread of CWD within the state, the FWC has implemented new rules. These rules strictly prohibit the importation or possession of whole carcasses or high-risk parts of deer, elk, moose, caribou, and other species from the deer family originating from outside Florida. These regulations, which have been in effect since July 2021, have replaced the previous FWC Executive Order 19-41.
If you are planning to hunt outside of Florida, it is important to familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations. However, there are certain items that can still be brought into Florida under these regulations. This includes de-boned meat, finished taxidermy mounts, clean hides and antlers, skulls, skull caps, and teeth as long as all soft tissue has been removed. It is worth noting that there is an exception for deer harvested from properties in Georgia or Alabama that are bisected by the Florida state line and under the same ownership.
It is important to understand that these rules do not encompass the permit option that was previously allowed under the FWC Executive Order 19-41. This permit allowed the importation of whole deer or high-risk parts from properties in Georgia or Alabama, as long as certain requirements were met. The main objective of these rules is to safeguard Florida’s deer populations by minimizing the potential for chronic wasting disease to spread within the state.
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