Florida has several game options due to its rich animals. Statewide hunters anxiously await the 2024 outdoor season to pursue their target. This page discusses Florida’s upcoming hunting season, including crucial schedules and laws that hunters should know before heading outside.
FL Turkey Hunting Season
Spring
| Area | Youth Hunt Weekend | Regular |
|---|---|---|
| North of State Road 70 | March 9–10 | March 16 – April 21 |
| South of State Road 70 | Feb. 24–25 | March 2 – April 7 |
Fall
| Zone | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloading | Regular Fall |
| A | July 29 – Aug. 27 | July 29 – Sept. 1 | Sept. 2–15 | Oct. 9–15, Nov. 18 – Jan. 7 |
| B | Oct. 14 – Nov. 12 | Oct. 14 – Nov. 17 | Nov. 18 – Dec. 1 | Dec. 2 – Jan. 28 |
| C | Sept. 16 – Oct. 15 | Sept. 16 – Oct. 20 | Oct. 21 – Nov. 3 | Nov. 4 – Dec. 31 |
| D | Oct. 21 – Nov. 22 | Oct. 21 – Nov. 22, Nov. 27 – Dec. 1 | Dec. 2–8 | Nov. 23–26, Dec. 9 – Jan. 14 |
Bag Limits
| FL Turkey Hunting | Bag Limits |
|---|---|
| Daily Bag Limit | 2 turkeys |
| Season and Possession Limit | 2 for all fall seasons combined |
Hunting License
| Resident Hunting Licenses | Yearly | 5-Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Sportsman’s License | $100.00 | $494.00 |
| Sportsman’s License | $80.50 | |
| Resident 64+ Silver Sportsman’s License | $13.50 | $67.50 |
| Annual Hunting License | $17.00 | $79.00 |
| Youth Hunting License | $17.00 | |
| Resident Persons with Disabilities Hunting/Fishing License | No Cost |
Note: It’s essential to be aware that in addition to your standard license, you’ll also need to acquire a turkey pass if you intend to pursue wild turkeys in Florida.
Harvesting & Reporting
You must note your turkey taken in your harvest log and submit it to the FWC’s harvest reporting system within 24 hours. State rules demand this filing before the bird is taken from the capture site or to a meat producer or taxidermist.
GoOutdoorsFlorida or the Fish|Hunt FL app can record your capture. The FWC’s 24/7 reporting hotline is 888-HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356). The reporting method will issue a confirmation number for harvest reporting. Logging into GoOutdoorsFlorida or making a new account will give you an FWC Customer ID number. Following these guidelines and reporting your capture quickly and correctly can help Florida’s wild turkey population be handled responsibly.
Regulations
- Exemptions include active duty military personnel, those on leave with orders for 30 days or less, and children under 16 (who are also free from federal duck stamps). Seniors, disabled residents possessing a Florida Resident Persons with Disabilities Hunting and Fishing License, US citizens, and Florida residents in other states are also excluded.
- Allowed rifles, shotguns, pistols, air guns, longbows, compound bows, recurve bows, crossbows, and birds of prey. Hand-held blasts are allowed. With arrows or bolts requires broadheads with at least two pointed sides and a minimum width of 7/8 inch. Pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air guns that fire single bullets or bolts/arrows of at least .20-caliber for turkey must be commercially manufactured, charged from an external high compressions source like an air compressor tank or external hand pump.
- Dogs are never allowed. Hunters who use pets must wear tags with the owner’s name and address.
- First, non-PCP air guns cannot be used. PCP air guns with single rounds under .20-caliber are also prohibited. It is also illegal to take while on the roost within 100 yards of a game-feeding station when feed is present.
- Except during spring, local game birds, crows, and game animals can be shot from one-half hour before dawn to one-half hour after dusk. On private land and most of state Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) is from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Some WMAs limit firearms to 1 p.m. to.
- Hunters must tag each part of a wild turkey they dismember in the field or camp with their names, locations, FWC customer number, and the date and place of the kill. These tags must be traced to the birds head, mane, and sex. (if applicable). Tagging birds is necessary to identify them and police hunting laws. Hunters can avoid misidentification and breaches by tagging each part of the bird.
- The Franklin County St. James Island Unit of Tate’s Hell Wildlife Management Area now offers public hunting. Hunters must notify all capture to a telephone or internet-based reporting system within 24 hours and use a harvest log to note the details before moving the bird.
About Florida Wild Turkeys
Mating begins in late March or early April for the southern U.S. bird. An average clutch of 9–11 eggs takes 25–26 days to hatch. When they hatch, poults are quite active and start feeding themselves. One form has more pronounced, irregular, and delicate white patterns on its main wing feathers than the other. These birds are adaptive and can survive without specialized food or plants. Although they may be found in all appropriate environments, they prefer open forests, forest margins, and clearings on the peninsula.
