New public hunting opportunity available

For immediate release: September 19, 2012
Media contact: Joy Hill, 352-258-3426

New public hunting opportunity available

A new, but temporary, weekend hunting opportunity in portions of Osceola and Polk counties began Sept. 15 and continues through Feb. 17, 2013.

The area is called Rolling Meadows and is a new unit of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Area.

After this season, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will begin a habitat restoration project on Rolling Meadows, which will require that the area be closed to public access until the work is complete.

Rolling Meadows consists of 1,800 acres and borders the south end of Lake Hatchineha. It is accessible only by boat via the lake. This new unit is a cooperative effort of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the SFWMD.

Rolling Meadows will offer a variety of Saturday and Sunday hunting seasons, including migratory bird and the special September duck season, archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun and small game. Trapping is prohibited. For more specific information about the area, please check the hunt brochure and map online at MyFWC.com/Hunting.

Public recreational access is open from one-and-a-half hours before sunrise until one-and-a-half hours after sunset on Saturdays and Sundays. Vehicles and motorized vessels, including trolling motors, are not allowed. Motorized vessels are allowed on Lake Hatchineha, so those who use such vessels to reach Rolling Meadows should secure them in canals and waterways outside of the unit.

For more information, contact Jen Williams, 352-732-1225.