Florida’s bow season opens as early as August 2 and runs as late as November 26, depending on which of the state’s four hunting zones covers your land.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Species Season Dates and Bag Limits A separate crossbow season extends several days beyond archery in most zones. Confirming your zone is the first thing to do, because hunting on the wrong dates is a serious violation that can cost you your license for years.
Season Dates by Zone
Florida divides its hunting territory into four zones, each with its own archery and crossbow dates.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Hunting Zone Maps and Boundaries For the 2025–2026 season:1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Species Season Dates and Bag Limits
- Zone A: Archery Aug. 2–31. Crossbow Aug. 2–Sept. 5.
- Zone B: Archery Oct. 18–Nov. 16. Crossbow Oct. 18–Nov. 21.
- Zone C: Archery Sept. 13–Oct. 12. Crossbow Sept. 13–Oct. 17.
- Zone D: Archery Oct. 25–Nov. 26. Crossbow Oct. 25–Nov. 26, plus Dec. 1–5.
During archery season, only bows are legal: longbow, recurve, or compound. Crossbows become legal when crossbow season opens.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 5 Things You’ll Want to Do Now to Prep for Archery and Crossbow Season On most Wildlife Management Areas, crossbow use during the archery-only portion is restricted to hunters who hold a Persons with Disabilities Crossbow Permit.
FWC updates dates annually. Check the current season and verify your zone on the FWC’s interactive zone map before you go.
Licenses and Permits You Need
Bow hunting for deer on private land in Florida means stacking three separate permits. Public-land hunters need a fourth.4Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Recreational Hunting Licenses and Permits
- Hunting license: $17 annually for residents, $151.50 for non-residents.
- Archery season permit: $5 annually, required in addition to the hunting license during archery season.
- Deer permit: $5 annually, required for anyone taking or attempting to take deer.
- Management Area Permit: $26.50 annually, required for hunting on most WMAs and other public hunting lands.
Some WMA hunts also require a quota permit obtained through a lottery, so plan well ahead if you’re targeting a specific public area.
If you were born on or after June 1, 1975, you must complete an FWC-approved hunter safety course before buying a hunting license.5Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Hunter Safety Requirement A deferral option lets you hunt under the direct supervision of a qualified adult while you work toward certification.6Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Hunter Safety and Education Certifications from other states are accepted.
Buy licenses and permits through GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, at county tax collectors’ offices, or from authorized license agents.
What You Can Hunt
White-Tailed Deer
Deer are the main draw. The statewide annual bag limit is five deer per hunter, with no more than two antlerless.7Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. FAQs About Deer Hunting Rules During archery and the first portion of crossbow season, the daily bag limit is two deer, in any combination of antlered and antlerless.
“Antlerless” means any deer without antlers or with antlers shorter than five inches. Spotted fawns are always off-limits, and you can never take a swimming deer.
Antler Point Rules by Deer Management Unit
Florida overlays its four zones with Deer Management Units, each carrying its own antler point requirement:8Florida Administrative Code. 68A-13.004 Hunting Regulations for Non-Migratory Game
- Two-point minimum (at least one antler with two or more points): DMUs A1, A2, C3, and D1.
- Three-point minimum (at least one antler with three or more points, or a main beam at least 10 inches long): DMUs A3, B1, C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, and D2.
Hunters under 16 get one antlered deer per season that doesn’t need to meet the point requirement. A buck that’s legal in one unit can be illegal a few miles away in another, so pull up the DMU map before the hunt.
Wild Turkey
Fall turkey can be taken during archery season. The daily bag limit is two turkeys, with a two-turkey season possession limit covering all fall seasons combined.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Species Season Dates and Bag Limits Turkeys cannot be taken within 100 yards of a feeding station when feed is present.9Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Hunting Regulations – General Information
Wild Hogs
Wild hogs are open year-round on private land with the landowner’s permission, and no hunting license, permit, or bag limit applies.10Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wild Hog On WMAs, hogs can be taken during established seasons with a management area permit, still with no bag or size limits. Some WMA hog hunts also require a quota permit.
Legal Equipment
Longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows are legal during archery season. Crossbows are limited to crossbow season except for the disability permit exception on WMAs.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 5 Things You’ll Want to Do Now to Prep for Archery and Crossbow Season Florida no longer imposes a minimum draw weight for taking game.
Arrows and bolts used on deer and wild turkey must carry broadheads at least 7/8 inch wide.11Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Taking Game Mechanical broadheads are allowed if they meet the width requirement when deployed. Explosive or drug-injecting arrows are prohibited.
Airbows (pre-charged pneumatic airguns that fire arrows) are allowed during archery season only for hunters who hold a valid Persons with Disabilities Crossbow Permit.12Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. FWC Approves New Rule Changes for Hunting and Managed Areas
Core Rules That Trip Hunters Up
Shooting Hours
Legal shooting hours run from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset.9Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Hunting Regulations – General Information These apply to all archery and crossbow hunting for deer and hogs. Spring turkey has different hours that don’t apply to the fall bow season.
Baiting
Hunting over bait is prohibited by default. The exception: non-migratory game (deer and hogs, but not turkeys) can be hunted near year-round feeding stations on private land if the station has been maintained with feed for at least six months before the hunt.9Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Hunting Regulations – General Information Baiting is always prohibited on WMAs. Feeding deer within the CWD Management Zone outside deer season is also prohibited.
Fluorescent Orange
Florida requires at least 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange worn above the waist when hunting deer on public lands during open deer season.13Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 379.3003 The requirement does not apply during seasons restricted to bow and arrow. During crossbow season or any overlap with gun season on a WMA, the orange rule kicks in. Wearing orange during archery-only season is still smart practice.
Other Prohibitions
You cannot shoot from a vehicle or boat moving under power, and you cannot hunt from or across the right-of-way of any public road. Discharging a bow over a paved public road or toward occupied buildings is prohibited. Recorded game calls, artificial lights, and drones used to herd game are also off the table.
Reporting Your Harvest
Florida requires a two-step process after you harvest a deer or wild turkey. Skip either step and it’s a violation, even if the harvest itself was clean.
First, log the harvest. Before you move the animal from where it fell, log the kill using the FWC Fish|Hunt Florida app, GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, or by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA (888-486-8356).14Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. FWC Deer and Wild Turkey Harvest Reporting
Second, complete the full report within 24 hours of the kill, or before final processing, or before transferring any parts to a meat processor or taxidermist, or before the animal leaves the state, whichever happens first.14Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. FWC Deer and Wild Turkey Harvest Reporting The system issues a confirmation number. Keep it.
Wild hogs don’t require harvest reporting.
Penalties for Violations
Deer and turkey violations carry license consequences that often sting more than the fine. Taking a deer during closed season, or using a gun and light to take deer at any time, is a Level Three violation. A first offense means automatic license forfeiture and a three-year ban on getting a new one. A second offense is a permanent ban.15The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 379.404
Taking an illegal antlerless deer, including a fawn or a buck that doesn’t meet your DMU’s antler point requirement, carries the same Level Three classification and the same potential three-year ban on first offense, with a permanent ban for repeat offenders.15The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 379.404 Selling illegally taken deer or turkey bumps the charge to a Level Four violation.
Federal Refuges and Carcass Transport
Several national wildlife refuges in Florida allow deer and hog hunting during designated seasons. You’ll need your Florida license and all applicable state permits, plus compliance with refuge-specific regulations layered on top.16U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. General Hunting Laws Some refuges restrict weapon types, access points, or dates beyond what the state season allows.
If you’re a non-resident taking a deer home, many states restrict the importation of whole deer carcasses to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease. Rules vary and change often, so check your home state and any state you’ll drive through before loading up.