Caravelle Ranch WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Caravelle Ranch WMA sets 4 deer seasons (archery, family hunt, muzzleloading gun and general gun); archery is on September 26-October 4. The area is 28,633 acres of public hunting land in Putnam and Marion counties, a wildlife management area in FWC's northeast region. Around it, FWC estimates 7,079 deer were taken in DMU C4 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.
Caravelle Ranch WMAOther FWC WMAsNational forestNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 28,633 acres, measured on FWC's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Putnam, Marion |
| Deer management unit | DMU C4 |
| Deer seasons | Archery, family hunt, muzzleloading gun and general gun |
| Archery | September 26-October 4 |
| General gun | November 11-15, 18-22 |
| Spring turkey | Youth Turkey: March 12-15 (South of the Cross Florida Barge Canal only); Spring Turkey: March 24-28, March 31-April 4 |
| 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 |
| Also on the area | Small game, camping, released quail, horseback riding, fishing and family hunts |
| Nearest towns | Welaka (next to it), Interlachen (4 mi) and Palatka (4 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Caravelle Ranch WMA?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Archery Season | September 26-October 4 |
| Family Hunt | October 9-11 (South Unit Only) |
| Muzzleloading Gun Season | October 30-November 1 |
| General Gun Season | November 11-15, 18-22 |
| Spring Turkey Season | Youth Turkey: March 12-15 (South of the Cross Florida Barge Canal only); Spring Turkey: March 24-28, March 31-April 4 |
| Dove Season | October 3, 17, November 28, December 26, January 9, 23 |
| Supervised Small Game Season | October 13-18 |
| Small Game Season | November 26-January 10 (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only) |
| Trapping | Prohibited. |
| Fishing and Frogging | 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 (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn).
Source: FWC Caravelle Ranch 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 Caravelle Ranch WMA need?
- Archery - 100 (North Unit) and 125 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Family Hunt (South Unit only) - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Muzzleloading Gun - 100 (North Unit) and 125 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). General Gun - 100 (North Unit) and 125 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Dove Field Hunts (during phase 1 of dove season) – 60, no cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Dove Field Hunts (during phases 2 and 3 of dove season) – 60, no cost, daily quota permits are available first come, first served at the check station for each of 4 hunts. Youth Turkey - 10 (South of the Cross Florida Barge Canal Only), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 15 (North Unit) and 20 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts.
What rules apply on Caravelle Ranch WMA?
Dogs
- Hunting with dogs is prohibited, except bird dogs or retrievers may be used during the general gun season, dogs may be used on the dove fields during dove hunts, and dogs may be used to hunt small game (quail, rabbit, squirrel, and migratory bird) and non-protected birds during small game season.
- Hunting deer, bear or wild hog with dogs is prohibited.
- 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.
- Dogs on leashes may be used for trailing wounded game including bear.
- Dogs are allowed during periods or in areas closed to hunting with dogs but must be kept under physical restraint at all times.
Hunters, harvest reporting and other area rules
- The take of dove is prohibited south of Rodeheaver Road and east of State Road 19, except on the posted dove fields during established dove hunts.
- During periods when the check station is staffed, hunters must check in/out at the check station and check all harvested game if hunting the South Unit (the portion of the area south of CR 310 and west of S.R. 19 and the portion of the area east of S.R. 19).
- Check station hours (for South Unit hunters only) are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time and 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. during Eastern Standard Time during the archery, family, muzzleloading gun, general gun and spring turkey seasons, 11 a.m. until one hour after sunset during the dove field hunts, and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the supervised small game and small game seasons.
- In addition to checking all game at the area check station during periods when the check station is staffed (South Unit only), ALL hunters must log each harvested deer or turkey prior to moving it from the point of recovery and report any deer or turkey they harvested within 24 hours of recovery. See Florida Hunting Regulations handbook or MyFWC.com for deer and turkey harvest reporting instructions.
- Hunters must physically attach the provided bear harvest tag to their harvested bear prior to moving it from the point of recovery and report the bear they harvest within 24 hours of recovery. See the Florida Bear Hunting Guidebook or MyFWC.com for bear harvest reporting instructions.
Guns
- Hunting at night with a gun is prohibited.
- Muzzleloading guns used for taking deer or bear 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 or bear with rimfire or non-expanding, full metal jacket (military ball) ammunition is prohibited.
- Hunting wildlife (other than migratory birds) with airguns is allowed. See Florida Hunting Regulations handbook for details.
Access and vehicles
- Open to public access year-round by foot, horseback or bicycle except during the youth turkey hunt when public access is limited to only individuals participating in the hunt.
- Vehicular access is prohibited except during the following times: (a) for scouting from 1 ½ hours before sunrise to 1 ½ hours after sunset 1 day prior to and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. one day after archery, family, muzzleloading gun, general gun and spring turkey hunts, (b) during hunting days for archery, family, muzzleloading gun, general gun, supervised small game, small game and spring turkey seasons from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time and from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. during Eastern Standard Time, (c) during the dove field hunts from 11 a.m. until one hour after sunset. At all other times, public access is allowed only by foot (pedestrian), horseback (equestrian), or bicycle.
- Motor vehicles may be operated only on named or numbered roads, except for individuals who qualify for AMP or SUV permits. For more information visit the ADA for Hunters webpage.
- Parked vehicles may not obstruct a road, gate or firelane.
- Use of airboats, all-terrain vehicles, tracked vehicles or unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles is prohibited.
Camping
- Camping is allowed only in designated primitive campsites and only from 8:00 a.m. one day prior to each hunt through 6:00 p.m. one day after each hunt (except no camping is allowed on dates for dove hunts only).
- Only tents, trailers and self-propelled camping vehicles may be used for camping.
Bag limits
- A guest hunter must share the host’s bag limit for deer, turkey, bear 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 – Archery season: 1 antlered or 1 antlerless deer per quota permit. Family hunt: 1 antlered and 1 antlerless deer per quota permit; limit one deer per person per day. Muzzleloading and general gun seasons: 1 antlered deer per quota permit. B. Statewide Limits - Annual limit 5 deer (only 2 of which may be antlerless), daily limit of 2, possession limit of 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 Caravelle Ranch regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
How many deer are taken around Caravelle Ranch WMA?
FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Caravelle Ranch WMA lies in DMU C4. FWC estimates 7,079 deer (4,969 bucks, 2,110 does) in DMU C4 in the 2023-24 season, 2,046 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 Caravelle Ranch WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it |
|---|---|
| Putnam County | 28,602 |
| Marion County | 30 |
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 Caravelle Ranch WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: FL 20, FL 19, FL 15 and US 17. Nearest towns: Welaka (next to it), Interlachen (4 miles), Palatka (4 miles) and Pomona Park (6 miles). FWC's page for the area: Caravelle Ranch.
The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Ocala WMA (next to it), Lake George WMA (6.2 miles), Dunns Creek WMA (6.3 miles) and Etoniah Creek WMA (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Caravelle Ranch WMA in 2026-27?
Archery Season: September 26-October 4; Family Hunt: October 9-11 (South Unit Only); Muzzleloading Gun Season: October 30-November 1; General Gun Season: November 11-15, 18-22. From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.
What deer are legal on Caravelle Ranch 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 Caravelle Ranch WMA?
Hunting deer, bear or wild hog with dogs is prohibited.
Do you need a quota permit for Caravelle Ranch WMA?
Archery - 100 (North Unit) and 125 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Family Hunt (South Unit only) - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Muzzleloading Gun - 100 (North Unit) and 125 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). General Gun - 100 (North Unit) and 125 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Dove Field Hunts (during phase 1 of dove season) – 60, no cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Dove Field Hunts (during phases 2 and 3 of dove season) – 60, no cost, daily quota permits are available first come, first served at the check station for each of 4 hunts. Youth Turkey - 10 (South of the Cross Florida Barge Canal Only), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 15 (North Unit) and 20 (South Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts.
What county is Caravelle Ranch WMA in?
Putnam County (28,602 acres) and Marion County (30 acres), 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.