 Photo courtesy of Jim Turlington
If you're a turkey hunter, chances are you have a long to-do list this time of year that may include cleaning and tuning your calls; practicing your calling; scouting for birds; setting up or building ground blinds, organizing and replacing gear in your vest or backpack; and patterning your shotgun. You may also need to figure out where to hunt, buy your license and permits, and brush up on regulations. Let us help you plan for safe and successful hunts with the following information.
Hunt Dates
If you haven't already, mark your calendar with spring wild turkey season dates on lands outside of the wildlife management area system:
- South of State Road 70: March 5 – April 10
- North of State Road 70: March 19 – April 24
Youth Turkey Hunt Weekends
Don't forget the FWC's Youth Spring Turkey Hunt weekends:
- South of State Road 70: Feb. 26-27
- North of State Road 70: March 12-13
These Saturday-Sunday hunts are available to youth 15 years old and younger and occur on many WMAs and on lands outside of the WMA system. Learn more and find public hunting opportunities without a quota permit during the Youth Spring Turkey Hunt weekends.
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Where to Hunt
If you need a place to hunt wild turkeys this spring, see the FWC's 2022 Spring Turkey Hunt Guide. In addition to regulations information, the guide provides a list of wildlife management areas you can hunt without a quota permit (though you'll still need a hunting license, turkey permit, and a management area permit unless exempt). Before heading afield, carefully review the WMA regulations brochure for the area you want to hunt.
Wild Turkey Distribution Map
In addition, hunters can learn more about wild turkey distribution, abundance and the quality of available habitat where they plan to hunt by using the FWC’s interactive map, which shows the predicted quality of habitat – good, fair or poor – based on the location, amount and arrangement of habitat needed throughout a wild turkey’s home range and life cycle. This map enables wild turkey hunters to drill down to an area smaller than two basketball courts to get a better understanding of the likelihood of wild turkeys occurring in a particular area. Learn more about the wild turkey distribution and abundance mapping tool.
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License and Permit Requirements
Outside of the WMA System
- To hunt wild turkeys on lands outside of the WMA system, you will need a hunting license and turkey permit, unless exempt.
On a WMA
- To hunt wild turkeys at a WMA, you will need a hunting license, a turkey permit and a management area permit, unless exempt. NOTE: many WMAs offering spring turkey hunting also require a quota permit and some require a daily quota permit issued from the check station. Before heading afield, carefully review the WMA regulations brochure for the area you want to hunt.
Where to Buy Licenses and Permits
- Licenses and permits can be purchased with a credit card at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356). They can also be purchased in Florida at county tax collectors’ offices and at most retail outlets that sell hunting/fishing supplies.
Other Regulations Information
Find bag limits, season dates, shooting hours, methods of take and more at the FWC's 2022 Spring Turkey Hunt Guide. Or see the Florida Hunting Regulations Guide for more information.
Hunting Tips
Whether you’re new to turkey hunting or have many years of experience, there’s always something new to learn. The FWC has developed a How to Hunt Wild Turkeys Guide with information about finding a place to hunt, scouting, gear and apparel, methods of take, and cleaning and cooking. In addition, the FWC offers information about safe and successful turkey hunting.
You can learn more about how to stay safe while hunting by taking a hunter safety course. Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, and is 16 years or older, must pass a hunter safety course before purchasing a hunting license to hunt unsupervised.
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After the Hunt
Florida is home to two subspecies of wild turkey — the eastern and the Osceola or Florida wild turkey. The Osceola occurs only on the Florida peninsula, which makes the Sunshine State a popular destination for turkey hunters looking to complete a slam through the National Wild Turkey Federation's program.
Wild Turkey Registry
The FWC also has a recognition program. If you harvest a wild turkey in Florida with an 11-inch beard or longer and at least 1¼-inch spurs, you can get your name listed in our Wild Turkey Registry by applying for an Outstanding Gobbler Certificate. There's also a First Gobbler Certificate awarded to hunters under age 16 who harvest their first gobbler, regardless of beard or spur measurements. Learn more about the FWC’s Wild Turkey Registry Program.
Wild Turkey Recipes
If you harvest a wild turkey, celebrate your successful hunt and enjoy delicious meals with these wild turkey recipes.
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Working for the Wild Turkey
Every year, projects to maintain and improve wild turkey habitat are conducted across the state on wildlife management areas that are open to turkey hunting thanks to the Wild Turkey Cost Share Program. Through this program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Forest Service, and the Florida State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation pool their resources along with grant funding from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to improve more habitat on public lands. Turkey hunters also are an important part of this equation. A portion of the money they spend on turkey permits, which are required to hunt turkeys in this state, is used to fund this program. Gopher tortoises, red-cockaded woodpeckers, indigo snakes, brown-headed nuthatches and many other nonhunted species benefit from these habitat projects, too.
Find information about 2021-22 Wild Turkey Cost Share projects.
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The FWC's Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp is an exciting way for kids aged 8 to 17 to experience the outdoors this summer. We offer a variety of safe, fun and age-appropriate week-long camps where kids can learn outdoor skills, explore northeast Florida's unique ecosystems and even take part in a wilderness camping adventure! Campers who have passed a hunter safety course can improve their shooting sports skills while high schoolers can build their leadership skills through a special camp opportunity.
Registration is open NOW and spots are expected to fill up fast! Learn more and register.
FInd other summer camps through the FWC's Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network.
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries detected chronic wasting disease or CWD in a free-ranging white-tailed deer in the northeastern part of that state. It’s critical we work together to protect Florida deer by preventing CWD from spreading into our state. If you plan to hunt out of state, please be aware of and follow the rules that prohibit importing or possessing whole carcasses or high-risk parts of all species of the deer family originating from outside of Florida.
Also, if you see a sick or abnormally thin deer or deer dead of unknown causes, please report its location to the CWD hotline: (866) CWD-WATCH (293-9282).
Learn more about CWD.
Antlered Deer (Find antler point regulations for Zone B).
- General Gun season runs through Feb. 20
Antlered Deer (Find antler point regulations for deer management units in Zone D)
- General Gun season runs through Feb. 20
- Muzzleloading Gun season (2nd phase) runs Feb. 21-27
- Runs through March 6 (statewide)
- Runs through March 6 (statewide)
South of State Road 70
North of State Road 70
If you're interested in quota permits to hunt public lands, you can review returned quota hunt permit availability on Saturday mornings and then log into GoOutdoorsFlorida.com to apply for any returned quota hunt permits. You may apply for these throughout the season during weekly reissue application periods. Weekly reissue applications are available for hunters between noon on Saturdays through noon on Tuesdays, with results posted at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
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