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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.

If I knew it was illegal I would call FWC on them.

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.

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Thanks BBB, where did you find that?

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)

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.

And......while I'm at it buy a big azz Jetski to ride around on during the summer. Then everybody would love me. lol

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.

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Glad you are just joking, RockyG!

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.

The airboat last weekend I heard then saw put in at fish camp.. and it was on Sunday btw

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.

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.

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.

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!

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..