FLORIDA LAWS & REGULATIONS

What are the Laws and Regulations for Hunting in Florida?

The Department of Fish and Wildlife of Florida manages and conserves game wildlife for the future, while fostering safe and responsible hunting. Before hunting seasons begin in Florida, all hunters must have a hunting license as well as other required permits unless they are exempt. Hunters born on or after June 1, 1975, and 16 years old, must pass a hunter safety course before purchasing a license. It is illegal to trespass private land along with destroying the natural habitats of all species. No hunter shall poison, sell, buy, or willfully waste any game, unless is specified to do so.

*Visit Florida’s Hunting Guidebook for More Information*

FEATURED ANIMALS

WHITE TAIL DEER

The white-tailed deer is the most hunted game animal in Alabama. To have a successful hunt during the white-tailed deer season, all hunters must have a hunting license, harvest record, and a wildlife management permit. There is a limit of 3 bucks per hunter for all combined seasons. Out of the 3 bucks hunted, one buck must at least have 4 points being longer than 1″ on one antler.

General Season: September 19, 2020 – December 27, 2020
Archery Season: September 19, 2020 – November 25, 2020

Annual bag limit: 5 deer of which only 2 can be antlerless

*Seasons differ based on antlers, antlerless and hunts in different zones – Visit Florida’s Deer Seasons for specific zones*

WILD TURKEY

Florida is home to two subspecies of wild turkey — the eastern wild turkey and the Osceola or Florida wild turkey. The Osceola lives on the Florida peninsula and nowhere else in the world. The Osceola wild turkey is best distinguished from the eastern subspecies, which it closely resembles, by the white barring on its wing feathers. On Osceola wild turkeys, the white bars on the primary wing feathers are narrower than the black bars and are irregular or broken, which tends to give the wing an overall darker appearance compared to eastern wild turkeys.

General Season: September 19, 2020 – December 27, 2020
Archery Season: August 1, 2020 – November 25, 2020

*Daily bag limit: 2 Turkeys

*Seasons and bag limits differ based on County’s and in different zones – Visit Florida’s Turkey Seasons for specific zones*

WILD HOGS

The wild hog is defined in FWC regulations as a hog that is free-roaming and which cannot be legally claimed as a domestic hog in private ownership. This species is popular to hunt and occurs in all 67 Florida counties. Wild hogs occupy a wide variety of habitats but prefer oak-cabbage palm hammocks, freshwater marshes and sloughs, and pine flatwoods. They can reach weights of more than 150 pounds and be 5-6 feet long. They usually travel in small family groups (sounders) or alone.

Note: Wild hogs may be trapped and hunted year-round with landowner permission. A hunting license is not required, and a permit is not required to take wild hogs at night with a gun and light with landowner permission.