Thousands of quota hunt opportunities await hunters applying for fall quota hunts for deer and wild hogs. There also are special hunts for families, youth, people with disabilities, bowhunters and those hunting with muzzleloaders.
Florida's Quota Hunt Program prevents overcrowding and controls the harvest of game on wildlife management areas (WMAs). A quota is the maximum number of hunters allowed on a particular wildlife management area. The program prevents overcrowding on such areas, provides quality hunts, and help control game harvests. Quotas are set based on an area’s size, habitat, game populations and regulations.
There are several types of quota permits, most of which are issued by random drawing. Phase I application period for these fall quota hunts is May 15 to June 15 for archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun, wild hog, youth, family, track vehicle, airboat and mobility-impaired quota hunt permits.
Applicants may apply for each of the hunt types, and there is no fee to do so. Unless exempt, applicants must have an up-to-date $26 management area permit, or a license that includes one, when applying for a quota permit. If not, the system won’t accept the application.
Youth deer hunts are available on Camp Blanding WMA in Clay County, and on Andrews WMA in Levy County. Adults with children between the ages of 8 and 15, can apply for a youth quota hunt permit – 160 kids will get this opportunity. During these hunts only the youngsters may hunt, and they and their adult supervisors are the only people allowed on the area.
There will be family quota hunts on 28 WMAs, and if drawn, the permit requires one adult take one or two youths hunting. The adult may not hunt without taking along a youngster.
Hunters certified by the FWC as mobility-impaired may apply for Mobility-impaired Quota Permits that allow exclusive access to general gun hunts on nine of the state’s public hunting areas. For information, click here.
To get the jump on a quota hunts, apply May 15 to June 15 online or have a license agent or tax collector’s office apply for you. To learn if you’ve been selected, log onto your customer account at that entry web address after 10 a.m. on June 19.
Apply online by clicking here.
If you don’t get drawn for a particular quota hunt, you’ll get a preference point for next year’s drawing, which will improve your chances of being selected. If you’re unable to use your quota permit and you return it at least 10 days prior to your hunt, you’ll get your preference point restored.
Also available are Special-Opportunity Fall Hunt Permits. For the past 20 years, the FWC has offered unique fall-season hunts for deer, wild hog and released quail on arguably the state’s best public hunting lands. Apply by clicking here.
There are also several fall hunts on five National Wildlife Refuges during the same Phase I application period of May 15–June 15.
Refuges are at Lake Woodruff, Lower Suwannee, Merritt Island, St. Marks and St. Vincent Island.
Refuge hunts offer unique and limited opportunity to hunt on well-managed habitat with healthy game populations and low hunting pressure.
No guest permits are available for any of these hunts. Those who get drawn must pay for the permit by the claim deadline, or it will be forfeited, and available during the next application period which is first-come, first-served.