Northwest Region Wildlife Management Areas
2002-2003 WMA Forecasts

Hunting | Northeast | North Central | Northwest | South | Southwest

Contact: Division of Wildlife (850) 265-3677

Apalachee Wildlife Management Area: (7,952 acres in Jackson County)
Habitat: Zone A is about 6,000 acres and the larger of the two areas that make up this area. It's primarily agricultural fields, thick bottoms and open stands of pines. Zones B and C are roughly 2,000 acres in size and are river bottom flood plain forest. Deer Hunting, Good; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Good; Small Game Hunting, Fair; Turkey Hunting, No; Quail, Dec. 24 to Jan. 12 on Tues., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. in Zone A only; Camping, No; Dogs, Not allowed in Zones A & B except bird dogs and retrievers; ATVs, Only on named/numbered roads; Fishing and Frogging, Throughout the year; Trapping, Prohibited; Dove hunting is sometimes good during the first phase of dove season on the agricultural fields. Some of the biggest deer in the state come from Apalachee, particularly Zone A.

Apalachicola Wildlife Management Area: (559,465 acres in Franklin, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties)
Habitat: national forest with longleaf pines, open understory with some stands of oaks and other hardwoods and ti-ti bottoms. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Fair; Turkey Hunting, Fair in spring; Camping, Designated campsites only during the general gun season; Dogs, Yes; ATVs, Yes; Fishing and Frogging throughout the year; Trapping, From Feb. 6 to March 1. Almost all hunters who travel to the area in the fall are there to deer hunt. The vast majority of the area is open to the use of free running dogs, with the exception of an area along S.R. 375. One thing deer hunters love about Apalachicola is the abundance of camping areas maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Two sections of the area that are off-limits to vehicles are Bradwell Bay Wilderness and another parcel near the Tallahassee Airport.

Apalachicola Wildlife Management Area - Bradwell Unit: (1,420 acres in Liberty County)
Habitat: pines and some oaks along the Ochlockonee River. Deer Hunting, Good; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Good; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, No; Dogs, No; ATVs, Contact the U.S. Forest Service; Fishing and Frogging, Allowed throughout the year; Trapping, Prohibited; This area requires either a special or regular quota hunt permit, with the exception of the small game season.

Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area: (60,932 acres in Franklin and Gulf counties)
Habitat: marsh and river floodplain forests of bays, hickories, oaks and wild pecans on the lower Apalachicola River. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Fair; Migratory Bird Hunting, Good; Small Game Hunting, Excellent; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, Yes; Dogs, Yes; ATVs, Yes, On named or numbered roads only; Fishing and Frogging, Permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Dec. 1 to March 1. Access can be difficult, depending on your hunting location. Many hunters use boats to reach their intended locations. There is some driving access off S.R. 65.

Aucilla Wildlife Management Area: (45,665 acres in Jefferson and Taylor counties)
Habitat: river floodplain habitat especially along the Wacissa and Aucilla rivers. On the west side of the area there is extensive stands of pines. Deer Hunting, Good; Hog Hunting, Good; Migratory Bird Hunting, Fair; Small Game Hunting, Good; Turkey Hunting, Good; Camping, No; Dogs, Yes; ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging, Throughout the year; Trapping, Jan. 6 to March 1. Hunters generally hunt this area for two species, namely white-tailed deer and gray squirrels. Squirrel hunters can get their bag limit of 12 without too much difficulty along the river corridors.

Blackwater Wildlife Management Area: (186,475 acres in Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties)
Habitat: state forest with rolling hills with longleaf pines, oak ridges and ti-ti creek bottoms. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Fair; Small Game Hunting, Good; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, Designated sites only; Dogs, Yes; ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging throughout the year; Trapping, Prohibited. Hunters travel to Blackwater to hunt either quail or deer. The Florida Division of Forestry uses fire on the area as a management tool and the by-product is improved habitat for a multitude of wildlife species. Quail hunters enjoy the more open aspect and being able to work their dogs. Due to loss of other hunting areas close by, quota permits are required during the much of the season. Consult WMA regulations for the area. Deer can be hunted with free-running dogs only in the northern section of the area; the remainder of Blackwater is open to still-hunting.

Blackwater Wildlife Management Area - Carr Unit: (590 acres in Santa Rosa County)
Habitat: longleaf pines and some oaks. Deer Hunting, Not Allowed; Hog Hunting, Not Allowed; Migratory Bird Hunting, Not Allowed; Small Game Hunting, Good; Turkey Hunting, Not Allowed; Camping, No; Dogs, Bird dogs only; ATVs, No; Fishing, Frogging and Trapping, Prohibited; The Carr Unit is a part of Blackwater WMA and is a one-of-a-kind area where quail hunters who obtain a special quota permit for $100 can hunt pen-reared birds (they bring) on specified hunt days. Parties of up to four hunters are allowed.

Blackwater Wildlife Management Area - Hutton Unit: (5,243 acres in Santa Rosa County)
Habitat: cutover pine woodlands with some mature pine forest and a small amount of hardwood forests. Deer Hunting, Good; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Fair; Small Game Hunting, Fair; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, Yes at designated campsites only; Dogs, Bird Dogs and Retrievers only; ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging, Permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Prohibited. All deer hunting requires either a special or regular quota hunt permit.

Blue Water Creek Wildlife Management Area: (21,048 acres in Escambia County)
Habitat: rolling pines woodlands and hardwoods along Pine Barren Creek and the smaller feeder creeks. Deer Hunting, Excellent; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Fair; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, Dogs and ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging during designated hunting days and pre-hunt scouting periods; Trapping, Prohibited. Formerly known as Champion International WMA, Blue Water Creek is now an FWC User-Pay area. A recreational use permit to hunt the area costs $180, and some permits remain available for this season. Deer hunters had an incredible season last year. They killed 163 bucks and 97 does off the 21,000-acre area. The area is all still-hunt. If you're new to this area, find a place to put up a tree stand in productive areas near the creeks.

Ed Ball Wildlife Management Area: (57,971 acres in Gulf County)
Habitat: primarily pine woodlands and swampy floodplain terrain. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Fair; Small Game Hunting, Poor; Turkey Hunting, No; Camping, No; Dogs, Yes in the Dog Hunt Area and bird dogs and retrievers only in the Still Hunt Area; ATVs, No; Fishing, Permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Jan. 1 to Feb. 1 in still hunt area only. Most of those who hunt Ed Ball go there for either squirrels or deer. The best places to squirrel hunt are along Cypress and Dept creeks and Lake Wimico. The still hunt area for deer hunters is south of the Intracoastal Waterway. One proven way for deer hunters to improve their chances is to go in by boat and hunt the still hunt section. While Lake Wimico is not part of the area it's excellent most years for duck hunting.

Flint Rock Wildlife Management Area: (28,002 acres in Jefferson and Wakulla counties)
Habitat: swampy hardwood-dominated forest with some cutover pine forests and stands of pines. Deer Hunting, Good; Hog Hunting, Good; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Good; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, Prohibited; Dogs, Waterfowl retrievers and bird dogs only; ATVs, Prohibited; Fishing and Frogging, Permitted during periods when area is open; Trapping, Jan. 6 to March 1. There are some wild hogs on the area. Legal bucks must have at least one forked antler with two or more points. This is a recreational use area and requires a $206 permit. All permits have been sold for this season.

Joe Budd Wildlife Management Area: (10,539 acres in Gadsden County)
Habitat: mature hardwood tracts, old fields and some cutover pine woodlands. Deer Hunting, Excellent; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Fair; Small Game Hunting, Excellent; Turkey Hunting, Good; Camping, Yes (At High Bluff campground only with Division of Forestry permit); Dogs, Bird dogs and Retrievers during small game season only; ATVs, Prohibited; Fishing and Frogging permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Prohibited. There's probably no better public area to squirrel hunt than Joe Budd during the small game season. It's common for hunters to kill 1,000 or more squirrels each year. Small game hunting is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays only. Doves may be hunted only on Saturday during the small game season when migratory game bird seasons are open. The area has a great deer population and hunting is open to those using either archery or muzzleloading guns on three-day hunts. Due to public demand, rigid rules are in place to limit the number of hunters on any hunt and to improve the overall quality of hunting for all involved.

Ochlockonee River Wildlife Management Area: (2,790 acres in Leon County)
Habitat: hardwood and pine woodlands with some floodplain forest along the Ochlockonee River. Deer Hunting, Poor; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Good; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, No; Dogs, Bird Dogs and Retrievers only; ATVs, Prohibited; Fishing and Frogging, permitted during daylight hours when hunting is not allowed; Trapping, Prohibited. The area is close to Tallahassee and gets frequent use from non-hunters, even during the hunting seasons. It's a better area for squirrel hunting but some deer are killed here each season. If you're going to deer hunt, get away from the interior road that tends to be used by those who use it for jogging or walking their pets.

Pine Log Wildlife Management Area: (6,911 acres in Bay and Washington counties)
Habitat: mature pines and ti-ti creek bottoms. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Poor; Turkey Hunting, Poor; Camping, Yes (At designated campsites only); Dogs, No; ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging, Permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Prohibited; This is a state forest formerly part of Moore's Pasture WMA, which was withdrawn from the WMA system last year. The deer herd had declined on the Pine Log area over the past several years, and the regulations now in place are somewhat restrictive but designed to allow the deer herd to recover. Either regular or special quota hunt permits are required during the muzzleloading or general gun hunts.

Point Washington Wildlife Management Area: (12,366 acres in Walton County)
Habitat: mainly older pine forest with palmetto flatwoods and occasional ti-ti creek drains. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Poor; Turkey Hunting, Poor; Camping, No; Dogs, Bird Dogs only; ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Jan. 1 to Feb. 1. This area is state forest and just a remnant of the former Point Washington WMA. A major portion of the area was removed at the close of last hunting season by the landowner. The deer population is growing and should be excellent in the years to come. The Florida Division of Forestry is using fire with good results to keep down excess fuel and that's opened the understory for those who like to deer hunt.

Robert Brent Wildlife Management Area: (45,298 acres in Gadsden and Liberty counties)
Habitat: mostly pine woodlands with ti-ti creek drains. Deer Hunting, Good; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Poor; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, No; Dogs, Yes (during dog hunt season); ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging, Permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Jan. 1 to March 1 (In still hunt area only). A significant portion of the area was withdrawn last year at the close of the hunting season at the request of the landowner. Still-hunting is legal west of S.R. 65. Hunters new to the area who haven't had time to scout may want to consider putting up a stand near Ocklawaha Creek. A number of nice bucks are taken near this drainage each season.

Talquin Wildlife Management Area: (3,053 acres in Leon County)
Habitat: pine forests and some floodplain forest near Lake Talquin. Deer Hunting, Good; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Fair; Turkey Hunting, Fair; Camping, No; Dogs, Bird dogs and retrievers only; ATVs, Prohibited; Fishing and Frogging permitted during daylight hours when hunting is NOT allowed; Trapping, Prohibited; This area isn't very big but gives up quite a few deer each season and is popular with hunters. Those who want to deer hunt during the general gun season must have either a regular quota permit or daily hunt permit. The area has good roads.

Tate's Hell Wildlife Management Area: (136,567 acres in Franklin and Liberty counties)
Habitat: mainly cutover pine woodlands with some cypress domes and ti-ti drainages in the low areas. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Poor; Turkey Hunting, Poor; Camping, At designated campsites only by permit from Division of Forestry; Dogs, Deer dogs on deer dog section only; ATVs, No; Fishing and Frogging, Permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Feb. 1 to March 1. A small portion of the area is available for still hunters. The terrain is generally wet, boggy and rough. If there's prolonged periods of rain, don't go into this area without a four-wheeled drive vehicle.

Tate's Hell Wildlife Management Area - Womack Creek Unit: (13,754 acres in Franklin and Liberty counties)
Habitat: mainly pine woodlands with some hardwoods and some floodplain forest near Crooked River. Deer Hunting, Fair; Hog Hunting, Poor; Migratory Bird Hunting, Poor; Small Game Hunting, Fair; Turkey Hunting, Poor; Camping, At designated campsites only by permit from Division of Forestry; Dogs, During general gun dog season; ATVs. No; Fishing and Frogging, Permitted throughout the year; Trapping, Feb. 1 to March 1. Womack Creek is part of Tate's Hell WMA. Rather than split the area into still-hunt and dog-hunt sections, there is both a still-hunt season and dog-hunt season. Regular quota hunt permits are required to hunt during each season.

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