Camp Blanding WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Camp Blanding WMA sets 5 deer seasons (archery, muzzleloading gun, family hunt, general gun still and general gun dog); archery is on September 29-October 1, October 6-8. The area is 57,871 acres of public hunting land in Clay County, a wildlife management area in FWC's north central region. Around it, FWC estimates 8,975 deer were taken in DMU C6 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.
Camp Blanding WMAOther FWC WMAsNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 57,871 acres, measured on FWC's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Clay |
| Deer management unit | DMU C6 |
| Deer seasons | Archery, muzzleloading gun, family hunt, general gun still and general gun dog |
| Archery | September 29-October 1, October 6-8 |
| General gun | November 23-27 |
| Spring turkey | Youth Turkey: March 13-14; Spring Turkey: March 20-26, April 2-7 |
| 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 (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn) |
| Deer dogs | No deer dog season on FWC's summary |
| Nearest towns | Keystone Heights (2 mi), Lawtey (2 mi) and Starke (4 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Camp Blanding WMA?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Archery Season | September 29-October 1, October 6-8 (still hunt and archery-only areas only) October 13-15, 20-22, November 23-January 17 (only in the archery-only areas) |
| Muzzleloading Gun Season | October 13-15, 20-22 (still hunt areas only) |
| Family Hunt | October 10-11, 24-25 (dog hunt area only) |
| General Gun Still Season | November 23-27 (except not including Thanksgiving Day), November 28-December 2, December 3-January 19 (except not including Christmas Day) (still hunt areas only) |
| General Gun Dog Season | November 23-December 3 (except not including Thanksgiving Day), December 26-January 5 (dog hunt area only) |
| Spring Turkey Season | Youth Turkey: March 13-14; Spring Turkey: March 20-26, April 2-7 |
| Trapping | December 1-January 10 (still hunt areas only) |
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 (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn).
Source: FWC Camp Blanding 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 Camp Blanding WMA need?
- Archery-only Area - 150, no-cost, daily quota permits, available first-come, first-served at the check station, each day of the season. Muzzleloading Gun - 200, no-cost, quota permits for each of 2 hunts. Family Hunt - 30, no-cost, family hunt quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun Still Area 1 (first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun Still Area 2 (first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun Still Area 1 (after first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, daily quota permits, available first-come, first-served each day, at the check station. General Gun Still Area 2 (after first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, daily quota permits, available first-come, first-served each day, at the check station. General Gun Dog - 200, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts. Youth Turkey - 35, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 35, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts.
What rules apply on Camp Blanding WMA?
Dogs
- Hunting deer or wild hog with dogs is allowed only in the dog hunt area.
- The taking or pursuing of deer, wild hog, fox or coyote with dogs (only as allowed during area seasons) is prohibited unless each dog is equipped and monitored with devices that allow remote tracking and behavior correction.
- Possession or use of a dog, other than a dog on a leash for trailing wounded game, is prohibited except as follows: A. Dogs may be used to hunt in the dog hunt area during general gun-dog and wild hog-dog seasons. B. Bird dogs may be used to hunt in still hunt areas 1 and 2 after the first 16 days of general gun 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.
- A valid WMA deer-dog hunting permit is required to hunt deer with the aid of dogs.
Hunters, harvest reporting and other area rules
- Rules, access and hunting season dates are subject to change due to military training. Call the Camp Blanding hotline (904-214-7533) for information.
- Hunters must check in at an area check station and on the iSportsman portal upon entering and check out upon leaving the area and check all game harvested.
- Check station hours are 5:30 a.m. until 1 hour after sunset during all seasons except as follows: A. During spring turkey season, when the hours are from 5:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. B. One day prior to the family hunts and youth spring turkey season hunts when the hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
- Scouting is prohibited prior to open hunting seasons, except as described above for the family hunt and youth spring turkey seasons.
- Hunters may access still hunt areas 1 and 2 and the dog hunt area only through FWC check stations 1, 2 or 3.
Guns
- Hunting on or within 100 feet of Dade, Treat, East Tank Trail, Ridge and Impact roads is prohibited.
- Hunting at night with a gun 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.
- Hunting deer with rimfire or non-expanding, full metal jacket (military ball) ammunition is prohibited.
Access and vehicles
- Public access is allowed only as follows: A. During periods open to hunting and from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. 1 day prior to the family hunt and youth spring turkey hunts. Only persons participating in the hunt may access the area. Each hunter may be accompanied by a non-hunting assistant (no license or permit required). This assistant may participate in the hunt but may not harvest wildlife. The non- hunting assistant and host hunter must enter and exit the area together, must share a street-legal vehicle while on the area and must remain in the immediate vicinity (25 feet or less) of one another. B. Fishing is allowed on Magnolia and Lowry lakes per Fish Management Area regulations. C.
- Camp Blanding National Guard regulations limit vehicular speed on the area to 40 MPH, unless posted otherwise.
- Vehicles may be operated only on named or numbered roads shown on the brochure map, except for individuals who qualify for AMP permits. For more information visit the ADA for Hunters web page. Vehicle use is prohibited on roads posted as closed.
- Public access is prohibited in the artillery impact area and areas not open for hunting.
- The use of all-terrain vehicles is prohibited.
Camping
- Prohibited.
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 during the family hunts when 1 antlered and 1 antlerless deer may be taken per quota permit. 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 - No size or bag limit.
From FWC Camp Blanding regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
How many deer are taken around Camp Blanding WMA?
FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Camp Blanding WMA lies in DMU C6. FWC estimates 8,975 deer (5,636 bucks, 3,339 does) in DMU C6 in the 2023-24 season, 1,298 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 Camp Blanding WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it |
|---|---|
| Clay County | 57,871 |
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 Camp Blanding WMA?
Highways through the area: FL 16 and FL 230. Nearest towns: Keystone Heights (2 miles), Lawtey (2 miles), Starke (4 miles) and Penney Farms (5 miles). FWC's page for the area: Camp Blanding.
The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Jennings Forest WMA (next to it), Belmore WMA (1.4 miles), Santa Fe Swamp WEA (2 miles) and Raiford WMA (4.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Camp Blanding WMA in 2026-27?
Archery Season: September 29-October 1, October 6-8 (still hunt and archery-only areas only) October 13-15, 20-22, November 23-January 17 (only in the archery-only areas); Muzzleloading Gun Season: October 13-15, 20-22 (still hunt areas only); Family Hunt: October 10-11, 24-25 (dog hunt area only); General Gun Still Season: November 23-27 (except not including Thanksgiving Day), November 28-December 2, December 3-January 19 (except not including Christmas Day) (still hunt areas only); General Gun Dog Season: November 23-December 3 (except not including Thanksgiving Day), December 26-January 5 (dog hunt area only). From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.
What deer are legal on Camp Blanding 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 (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn), by FWC's brochure. Antlerless deer only where and when a season says so.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Camp Blanding WMA?
Hunting deer or wild hog with dogs is allowed only in the dog hunt area.
Do you need a quota permit for Camp Blanding WMA?
Archery-only Area - 150, no-cost, daily quota permits, available first-come, first-served at the check station, each day of the season. Muzzleloading Gun - 200, no-cost, quota permits for each of 2 hunts. Family Hunt - 30, no-cost, family hunt quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun Still Area 1 (first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun Still Area 2 (first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun Still Area 1 (after first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, daily quota permits, available first-come, first-served each day, at the check station. General Gun Still Area 2 (after first 9 days) - 200, no-cost, daily quota permits, available first-come, first-served each day, at the check station. General Gun Dog - 200, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts. Youth Turkey - 35, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 35, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed) for each of 2 hunts.
What county is Camp Blanding WMA in?
Clay 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.