Rick Patrick
ECB Publishing, Inc.
In the North Florida area, spring turkey season will open on Saturday, March 18, and will continue through Sunday, April 23. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the regulations vary, depending on whether you hunt in or outside a wildlife management area (WMA).
No matter if you are hunting within or outside a WMA, you will need a valid hunting license and a turkey permit (unless exempt). Licenses and permits may be purchased on line at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, or by calling (888) HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356). They may also be purchased at most retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing supplies.
Hunters may only take bearded turkeys and gobblers. The season limit is two turkeys. Outside the WMA system, the possession limit is two. On WMAs, hunters may only take one bird per day. There are many WMAs that require a quota permit; however, some WMAs in the area do not have a quota permit requirement. Some of these include the Aucilla WMA, in Jefferson County; Steinhatchee Springs WMA, in Lafayette County; Troy Springs WMA, in Lafayette County, on the Suwannee County Line; and Mallory Swamp WMA, in Lafayette County. It is highly recommended to review regulations for each WMA in which you want to hunt, as specific regulations may vary from WMA to WMA.
Outside WMAs and in most WMAs, the shooting hours are from one half hour before sunrise to sunset. On some WMAs, the hours are one half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. Hunters may use decoys, but hunting with dogs, using recorded turkey calls and shooting turkeys on the roost or over bait is prohibited. Wild turkeys may not be taken if the hunter is less than 100 yards from a feeding station when feed is present.
Hunters who take a wild turkey must log and report their harvest. This can be done online and more information is available at https://myfwc.com/hunting/turkey.