Florida Hunting Regulations

1. Where can you find what dates the Florida Hunting Regulations Handbook is valid for? You can go to your local wildlife ranger station or you could go to a park and ask a ranger there.

2. Specific wildlife management area regulations are not covered in this handbook. Where can additional information and maps be found for WMA’s? In management areas.

3. The regulation handbook lists definitions for resident game in Florida. What are Florida’s two Resident Upland game birds? Quail and wild turkeys are residential game birds.

4. Migratory Game Bird and Crow Regulations are not found in this booklet. What agency is responsible for determining migratory bird regulations each year? The U.s fish and wildlife service is responsible for this.

5. Use the table of contents to find “license and permit requirements.” What type of license and Permits do you need to legally hunt deer on one of Florida’s WMA’s during general gun season? Hunting license and a deer permit.

6. Use the table of contents to find “hunter safety requirements.” At what age can you hunt by yourself in Florida? You have to be at least 16.

7. Information about hunter safety can be found on page 14. Who is required to take a hunter safety course before purchasing a hunting license? Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, and 16 years or older, must pass a hunter safety course.

8. Use the table of contents to find “legal methods for taking game.” How many shells must shotguns be “plugged”, or limited to hold, when hunting migratory game birds? Shotguns not larger than a 10-guage plugged with three-shell capacity including a one-piece filter that cannot be removed with disassembling the gun.

9. Prohibited Methods and Equipment. When using a center fire semi-automatic rifle for deer hunting, what is the maximum number of rounds the magazine can hold? It capacities when having more than five rounds.

10. Trespassing is a serious issue. Whose permission must be obtained before entering private land? A person who owns, leases, or has written permission to take antlerless deer on at least 640 acres or not less than 150 acres.

11. Use the table of contents to find “hunter orange requirements.” How many square inches of daylight florescent orange must be worn as an outer garment when hunting deer on public lands? At least 500 square inches of solid unfluorescent orange.

12. New Hunting Zones and Season Dates including bag limits can be found in the regulations manual. Use the map found under “Hunting season dates and bag limits” to find your hunting zone, and then use the chart provided to locate the season dates in your area. Bag limits remain the same throughout the state. What is the daily bag limit for deer during all seasons other than archery? The bag limit on antlered buck deer is one (1) buck per day, not to exceed three (3) per license year. Legal bucks must meet the antler criteria within the appropriate deer management zone. For youth fifteen (15) years of age and younger hunting on private lands and authorized state and federal lands, all three (3) of their three (3) buck bag limit may be any antlered deer regardless of number of points, inside spread, or beam length.

13. What is a “legal buck” or “antlered deer” in Florida? A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 12 inches OR a minimum main beam length of 15 inches.

14. Use the table of contents to find “Trapping or Furbearer Hunting Regulations.” Season dates and bag limits for furbearers can be found in the chart provided in the regulations handbook. Paragraph F further defines legal methods for trapping in Florida. Are steel leg-hold traps legal for trapping in Florida? No, they are prohibited.