Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

This area is for general discussions about fishing, rigging, baits, etc.
Image

Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels

rockyg
Posts: 625
Joined: February 21st, 2008, 9:13 pm

Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by rockyg »

I thought Airboats were prohibited from the Refuge? It was my understanding they scared the nesting birds?

The last few trips there have been one or sometimes two airboats working the shoreline and creeks between the lighthouse and the Aucilla. Nothing ruins a peaceful day of fishing than the noise from a #$#%@##% Airboat. :smt011

If I knew it was illegal I would call FWC on them.
“It's hard to measure almost.....because almost doesn't matter”
― John Dutton
User avatar
bbb
Posts: 1117
Joined: May 16th, 2007, 3:31 pm
Location: Bainbridge/Tallahassee

Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by bbb »

Edit:

Looks like no riding past sunset or before sunrise. No riding on Sunday. You can ride in the Refuge, but you can’t launch there.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
rockyg
Posts: 625
Joined: February 21st, 2008, 9:13 pm

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by rockyg »

Thanks BBB, where did you find that?
“It's hard to measure almost.....because almost doesn't matter”
― John Dutton
User avatar
bbb
Posts: 1117
Joined: May 16th, 2007, 3:31 pm
Location: Bainbridge/Tallahassee

Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by bbb »

Google " Wakulla County Airboat Ordinance"

Sec. 7.072. - Use of airboats regulated.
(a)Operation restricted. No person shall operate an airboat in the county between sunset and sunrise or within one mile of any residence except for purposes of loading and unloading. No person shall operate an airboat from sunset on Saturday until sunrise on the following Monday in the county.(b)Equipment muffling. In accordance with F.S. § 327.65, no person may operate an airboat on the waters of the county, unless the exhaust of every internal combustion engine used is effectively muffled by equipment so constructed to accomplish this in a reasonable manner.(c)Sound level regulations. In accordance with F.S. §§ 327.60(1) and 327.65 no person may operate any airboat in the waters of the county, in such a manner as to exceed the following sound levels at a distance of 50 feet from the vessel: A maximum sound level of 90 dBA (decibels).(d)Area of application. The provisions of subsections (a) through (c) of this section shall apply to the operation of vessels on all bodies of water, marshes and land area within the boundaries of the county, as defined in F.S. § 7.65.(e)Application to state, federal or county airboats. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of any state, federal or county airboat, properly operated in the line of duty, by duly authorized personnel.
(Ord. No. 91-2, § 3, 2-21-1991)
rockyg
Posts: 625
Joined: February 21st, 2008, 9:13 pm

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by rockyg »

Great.......so it's legal just annoying as heck.

Maybe I should just give in and buy one. I could fish back where Gary does anytime I wanted to, laughing at the low tide mud flats. :smt006

And......while I'm at it buy a big azz Jetski to ride around on during the summer. Then everybody would love me. lol :lol: ;-)
“It's hard to measure almost.....because almost doesn't matter”
― John Dutton
User avatar
bbb
Posts: 1117
Joined: May 16th, 2007, 3:31 pm
Location: Bainbridge/Tallahassee

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by bbb »

Only reason I don’t have one is because people don’t like them.

My Go Devil gets me far enough back in the creeks on low tide and gets me enough dirty looks as it is.

.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
GaryDroze
Site Sponsor
Posts: 961
Joined: November 2nd, 2010, 8:35 pm

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by GaryDroze »

Glad you are just joking, RockyG!
silverking
Site Sponsor
Posts: 5113
Joined: June 29th, 2003, 6:31 pm
Location: Panhandler

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by silverking »

bbb, those are the Wakulla County ordinances. The refuge is federally owned and unless they have changed it, airboats within refuge boundaries were prohibited.

A call to the refuge office would confirm. They do have their own LEO, but they are few and far between.
"Sun rise and sun sets. Since the beginning, it hasn't changed yet." Little Feat
wskybiz
Posts: 16
Joined: March 19th, 2015, 11:25 pm

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by wskybiz »

The airboat last weekend I heard then saw put in at fish camp.. and it was on Sunday btw
TheReelPapaSquat
Posts: 40
Joined: April 13th, 2020, 11:58 am

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by TheReelPapaSquat »

Sounds like a plan. And I can complain about all the GA boaters who come down for their recreation, tying up the ramps and parking, or maybe all the scallopers who tear up the grass, and the list goes on. Sick of everybody complaining about what everybody else does or doesn't do. Airboats are loud and annoying, no doubt, seems a little over the top to start calling cops.
paulwmichael
Posts: 2
Joined: January 15th, 2017, 12:11 pm

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by paulwmichael »

I have to agree with ReelPapa. Airboaters have been here for decades. Sure they're loud but some were probably enjoying this coast on airboats before many of us. They usually don't linger long. I think we should all try to coexist.
rockyg
Posts: 625
Joined: February 21st, 2008, 9:13 pm

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by rockyg »

If it's legal for them to be there I'll put up with them like I do Jet Ski's, idiots at the boat ramp, and other various things that annoy me.

IF.....it's not legal I'm going to turn them in every time like any other poacher or thief.

I was trying to determine if airboats were legal within the boundaries of the refuge, not an opinion of air boaters in general.
“It's hard to measure almost.....because almost doesn't matter”
― John Dutton
Fish Masterson
Site Sponsor
Posts: 512
Joined: March 2nd, 2003, 12:07 am
Location: Wacissa

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by Fish Masterson »

Well, I'm certainly glad that you've decided that you will put up with someone, as long as they are legal. I guess little old ladies in the grocery isle on slow-ped motorized scooters will be safe from your wrath, as long as they didn't double park.
I do feel safer knowing you are lurking about, waiting on a perpetrator to be born by crossing the line. We should all be as dillegent!
The Liver is EVIL and Must be Punished
ropeman
Posts: 399
Joined: July 23rd, 2007, 1:24 am

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by ropeman »

:pop_1
eightwt
Posts: 315
Joined: November 29th, 2014, 9:11 pm

Re: Airboats in the St. Marks Refuge.

Post by eightwt »

What I don’t get, is that they run the same water the rest of us navigate. What’s the point? I always thought they were made for gliding through the marsh… maybe I’m missing something..
Post Reply