Babcock/Webb WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Babcock/Webb WMA sets 3 deer seasons (archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun); archery is on September 12-16. The area is 68,486 acres of public hunting land in Charlotte County, a wildlife management area in FWC's southwest region. Around it, FWC estimates 2,403 deer were taken in Zone A in the 2023-24 season.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and rules: FWC's 2026-27 regulations summary for the area. Harvest: FWC's statewide deer harvest survey by DMU, 2023-24.
Babcock/Webb WMAOther FWC WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 68,486 acres, measured on FWC's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Charlotte |
| Deer management unit | Zone A |
| Deer seasons | Archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun |
| Archery | September 12-16 |
| General gun | November 7-15 |
| Spring turkey | No turkey season on the brochure |
| Legal deer | Deer with at least 1 antler having 3 or more points (each point 1-inch or more in length) OR a main beam length of 10 inches or more, antlerless deer Sept. 12-13 only (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawns) |
| Deer dogs | No deer dog season on FWC's summary |
| Also on the area | Small game, camping, horseback riding, night raccoon hunting and fishing |
| Nearest towns | Punta Gorda (6 mi), Cape Coral (11 mi) and Fort Myers (11 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Babcock/Webb WMA?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Archery Season | September 12-16 |
| Muzzleloading Gun Season | September 26-27 |
| General Gun Season | November 7-15 |
| Small Game Season | November 16-29; December 2-January 17 (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only) |
| Field Trial Area Quail Season | January 23-24 |
| Trapping | Prohibited. |
| Raccoon and Opossum Season | February 1-28 |
| Fishing and Frogging | Allowed year round. |
| Non-Native Reptiles | Allowed year round. |
Legal deer: Deer with at least 1 antler having 3 or more points (each point 1-inch or more in length) OR a main beam length of 10 inches or more, antlerless deer Sept. 12-13 only (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawns).
Source: FWC Babcock / Webb regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, read October 2026. The brochure and FWC's rules are the final word.
What quota permits does Babcock/Webb WMA need?
- Archery - 500, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Muzzleloading Gun - 100, no cost, quota permits (no exemptions). General Gun - 500, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Daily Quail - quota to be determined, no-cost, daily quail permits (no exemptions and non-transferable) are available first-come, first-served at the check station until all permits are issued. Field Trial Quail - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Daily Quail Permit Information: Daily quail permits will be issued on Wednesdays and Saturdays only from November 29 until the season quota is attained or through January 7. Details regarding the process for issuing quail permits will be posted at the check station.
What rules apply on Babcock/Webb WMA?
Dogs
- Hunting with dogs during the archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun seasons is prohibited.
- Bird dogs may be trained in the bird dog training area September 19 through February 14. Harvesting quail with a gun is prohibited while training dogs.
- During the small game season, bird dogs may be trained anywhere on the WMA, except the Field Trial and Boy Scout areas (daily quail permit not required).
- Any dog may be used during the raccoon and opossum season.
- No person shall allow any dog to pursue or molest any wildlife during any period in which the taking of wildlife by the use of dogs is prohibited.
Hunters, harvest reporting and other area rules
- Hunters must enter and exit the area at the designated entrance.
- In addition to checking all wildlife at an area check station, hunters must log each harvested deer or turkey prior to moving it from the point of recovery and report any deer or turkey they harvest within 24 hours of recovery. See Florida Hunting Regulations handbook or MyFWC.com for deer or turkey harvest reporting instructions.
- Hunters may enter the area no earlier than 1½ hours before sunrise and shall exit no later than 1½ hours after sunset, except during the raccoon and opossum season when public access is allowed at anytime.
- During periods when the check station is staffed, hunters must check in at the check station upon entering and check out upon leaving the area and check all wildlife harvested, except during the raccoon and opossum season.
- Check station hours are 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. except during the archery season when hours are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Guns
- During the small game and field trial quail seasons, shotguns used for hunting must be plugged to a 3-shell capacity with a 1-piece filler that cannot be removed without disassembling the gun.
- Hunting at night with a gun is prohibited (see exceptions for raccoon and opossum season).
- Taking wildlife at night with a gun equipped with a thermal or night-vision device is prohibited.
- Muzzleloading guns used for taking deer must be .30 caliber or larger, if firing a single bullet, or be 20 gauge or larger if firing 2 or more balls.
Access and vehicles
- Open to public access year round but only from 1½ hours before sunrise until 1½ hours after sunset, except access to the campground is allowed anytime camping is allowed and public access is allowed at anytime during the raccoon and opossum season. Public access is also allowed from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. during the archery and muzzleloading gun seasons and from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. during the general gun and small game seasons.
- All persons must enter and exit the area at the designated entrance.
- During non-hunting periods and the raccoon and opossum season, motor vehicles may only be operated within the bird dog training area on named or numbered roads only, except for individuals who qualify for AMP or SUV permits. For more information visit the ADA for Hunters web page.
- During hunting periods, vehicles may be operated only on named or numbered roads, except during the general gun and small game seasons, or when training bird dogs in the bird dog training area September 19 through February 14. During the bird dog training, general gun and small game seasons, licensed and registered motorcycles may be operated on named and numbered roads only.
- Vehicular access for scouting shall be allowed 1 week prior to the archery season and the day before the muzzleloading gun and general gun season on named and numbered roads only.
Camping
- Camping is allowed only at designated campgrounds.
- An FWC permit is required and camping is subject to permit provisions. Permits may be obtained through the online reservation system at MyFWC.com/recreation/camping.
- Camping is allowed continuously after 8 a.m. September 11 until 6 p.m. September 17, after 8 a.m. September 25 until 6 p.m. September 28, and after 8 a.m. October 30 until 9 p.m. January 17.
Bag limits
- A guest hunter must share the host’s bag limit for deer, turkey, and quail, except when these bag limits are specified as per person. The host is responsible for violations that exceed the bag limit.
- Deer - No person shall exceed statewide bag limits. A. Area limits - See statewide limits below, except antlerless deer may only be harvested September 12-13. B. Statewide limits - Annual limit 5 deer (only 2 of which may be antlerless), daily limit 2, possession limit 4. C. As part of the statewide annual deer limit, youth less than 16 years of age may harvest 1 deer annually not meeting antler point requirements but having at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length.
- Wild hog - Season limit 1 per quota permit or 1 per exempt hunter. Wild hog may be harvested during archery, muzzleloading and general gun seasons only.
From FWC Babcock / Webb regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
How many deer are taken around Babcock/Webb WMA?
FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Babcock/Webb WMA lies in Zone A. FWC estimates 2,403 deer (2,069 bucks, 334 does) in Zone A in the 2023-24 season, 1,270 of them on public land.
Source: FWC 2023-24 Harvest Survey Results. FWC's per-area harvest figures are in its WMA harvest reports tool.
Which county is Babcock/Webb WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it |
|---|---|
| Charlotte County | 68,486 |
Measured by FilledTag on FWC Wildlife Management Areas Florida (open data) and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries.
How do you get to Babcock/Webb WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: FL 93, I-75, FL 45 and US 41. Nearest towns: Punta Gorda (6 miles), Cape Coral (11 miles), Fort Myers (11 miles) and North Port (17 miles). FWC's page for the area: Babcock/Webb.
The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Babcock/Webb WMA (Yucca Pens Unit) (next to it), Orange Hammock WMA (10.8 miles), Fisheating Creek WMA (19.8 miles) and Spirit-of-the-Wild WMA (22.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Babcock/Webb WMA in 2026-27?
Archery Season: September 12-16; Muzzleloading Gun Season: September 26-27; General Gun Season: November 7-15. From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.
What deer are legal on Babcock/Webb WMA?
Deer with at least 1 antler having 3 or more points (each point 1-inch or more in length) OR a main beam length of 10 inches or more, antlerless deer Sept. 12-13 only (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawns), by FWC's brochure. Antlerless deer only where and when a season says so.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Babcock/Webb WMA?
FWC's summary lists no deer dog season for Babcock/Webb WMA.
Do you need a quota permit for Babcock/Webb WMA?
Archery - 500, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Muzzleloading Gun - 100, no cost, quota permits (no exemptions). General Gun - 500, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Daily Quail - quota to be determined, no-cost, daily quail permits (no exemptions and non-transferable) are available first-come, first-served at the check station until all permits are issued. Field Trial Quail - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Daily Quail Permit Information: Daily quail permits will be issued on Wednesdays and Saturdays only from November 29 until the season quota is attained or through January 7. Details regarding the process for issuing quail permits will be posted at the check station.
What county is Babcock/Webb WMA in?
Charlotte County, measured on FWC's boundary.
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You need a hunting license, a management area permit and any quota permit the area lists, plus deer and turkey permits as FWC requires. Statewide WMA basics. FilledTag is not part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; seasons and rules are copied from FWC's brochure, maps from FWC's WMA layer, each with its source above.