Choctawhatchee River WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Choctawhatchee River WMA sets 4 deer seasons (archery, general gun, muzzleloading gun and archery/muzzleloading gun); archery is on October 24-November 22. The area is 45,184 acres of public hunting land in Walton, Washington and Bay counties, a wildlife management area in FWC's northwest region. Around it, FWC estimates 18,958 deer were taken in DMU D1 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.
Choctawhatchee River WMAOther FWC WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 45,184 acres, measured on FWC's boundary (FWC's regional summary gives 58,008) |
|---|---|
| County | Walton, Washington, Bay |
| Deer management unit | DMU D1 |
| Deer seasons | Archery, general gun, muzzleloading gun and archery/muzzleloading gun |
| Archery | October 24-November 22 |
| General gun | November 26-29, December 12-February 3 |
| Spring turkey | Youth Turkey: March 12-15 (throughout the area); Spring Turkey: March 20-22, April 2-4 (North Zone) |
| Legal deer | Deer with at least 1 antler having 2 or more points (each point 1 inch or more in length) and having at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length if hunting south of I-10, 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 if hunting north of I-10, antlerless deer (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn) throughout the area |
| Deer dogs | Allowed in a dog season or area (rules below) |
| Also on the area | Small game, hog dogs, deer dogs, camping, horseback riding, fishing, night raccoon hunting and hog hunting |
| Nearest towns | Ebro (next to it), Vernon (3 mi) and Ponce de Leon (4 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Choctawhatchee River WMA?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Archery Season | October 24-November 22 |
| General Gun Season | November 26-29, December 12-February 3 (except Holmes Creek Unit and East River Island) |
| Muzzleloading Gun Season | December 5-7 |
| Archery/Muzzleloading Gun Season | November 26-29, December 12-February 3 (Holmes Creek and East River Island only) February 4-21 (throughout the area) |
| Spring Turkey Season | Youth Turkey: March 12-15 (throughout the area); Spring Turkey: March 20-22, April 2-4 (North Zone) |
| Wild Hog-Dog Season | 2026 hunt dates: May 1-3, June 5-7, July 3-5, August 7-9, September 4-6 (except Holmes Creek Unit) 2027 hunt dates: May 7-9, June 4-6 (except Holmes Creek Unit) |
| Small Game Season | November 14-March 7 |
| Trapping | December 1-March 1 (Still Hunt Area) February 4-March 1 (Dog Hunt Area) |
| Fishing and Frogging | Allowed year round. |
Legal deer: Deer with at least 1 antler having 2 or more points (each point 1 inch or more in length) and having at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length if hunting south of I-10, 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 if hunting north of I-10, antlerless deer (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn) throughout the area.
Source: FWC Choctawhatchee River 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 Choctawhatchee River WMA need?
- Youth Turkey (North Zone) - 5, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey (North Zone) - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Spring Turkey (South Zone; first 9 days) - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts (one 4-day hunt followed by one 5-day hunt).
What rules apply on Choctawhatchee River WMA?
Dogs
- Dogs may be used for hunting raccoon and opossum at night throughout the WMA during the small game and general gun seasons, except in the Holmes Creek Unit and East River Island.
- In the still hunt area, hunting with dogs, other than using bird dogs, rabbit dogs, squirrel dogs, or retrievers to hunt small game and non-protected birds, is prohibited, except any dog may be used when hunting raccoon or opossum at night (except in the Holmes Creek Unit and East River Island) and to hunt wild hog during the wild hog-dog season (except in the Holmes Creek Unit).
- 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.
- 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.
Hunters, harvest reporting and other area rules
- In the spring turkey quota area (see map), turkey may only be hunted during spring turkey season and only by those individuals authorized to participate in the hunt. This area is located north of the pipeline right-of-way located up river (north) of Cedar Log Landing (Walton County) and Billy Lee Landing (Washington County).
- There is no check station requirement for this area.
- 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 and turkey harvest reporting instructions.
Guns
- Taking wildlife with centerfire and rimfire rifles and pistols, muzzleloading guns, and shotgun slugs is prohibited in the portion of the area lying northeast of Boynton Cutoff to its confluence with Holmes Creek, west of Holmes Creek to Shell Landing Road, south of Shell Landing Road to Shell Point Road, and east and then south of Shell Point Road to its terminus, and continuing due west to the Choctawhatchee River (see brochure map for more details).
- 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.
- Hunting deer with rimfire or non-expanding, full metal jacket (military ball) ammunition is prohibited.
Access and vehicles
- Open to public access year round, except access to improved recreation areas from sunset to sunrise is only allowed for individuals participating in authorized hunting and/or fishing activities, actively launching/retrieving a boat or authorized to camp within the area.
- Vehicles may be operated only on named or numbered roads.
- Parked vehicles may not obstruct a road, gate or firelane.
- No motor vehicle shall be operated in areas designated as closed to vehicular traffic.
- The use of all-terrain vehicles is prohibited.
Camping
- Camping is allowed throughout the area, except camping within designated campgrounds (see map) is allowed by permit only and subject to permit provisions. To make a camping reservation, please visit www.nwfwater.com.
- Camping is limited to 14 days within any consecutive 30-day period and prohibited where posted as “no camping.”
- Camping is limited to tents, trailers, or self-propelled camping vehicles only. Kitchen stoves, refrigerators and freezers are prohibited, unless contained in mobile campers. Lumber, sheet metal or other building materials are 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. B. Statewide limits - Annual limit 5 deer (only 3 of which may be antlerless north of I-10 and only 2 of which may be antlerless south of I-10), 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 Choctawhatchee River regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
How many deer are taken around Choctawhatchee River WMA?
FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Choctawhatchee River WMA lies in DMU D1. FWC estimates 18,958 deer (12,789 bucks, 6,169 does) in DMU D1 in the 2023-24 season, 4,694 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 Choctawhatchee River WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it |
|---|---|
| Walton County | 28,401 |
| Washington County | 15,585 |
| Bay County | 1,199 |
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 Choctawhatchee River WMA?
Highways through the area: FL 81. Nearest towns: Ebro (next to it), Vernon (3 miles), Ponce de Leon (4 miles) and Wausau (4 miles). FWC's page for the area: Choctawhatchee River.
The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Point Washington WMA (next to it), Pine Log WMA (next to it), Lafayette Creek WMA (4.9 miles) and Econfina Creek WMA (Fitzhugh Carter Tract) (6.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Choctawhatchee River WMA in 2026-27?
Archery Season: October 24-November 22; General Gun Season: November 26-29, December 12-February 3 (except Holmes Creek Unit and East River Island); Muzzleloading Gun Season: December 5-7; Archery/Muzzleloading Gun Season: November 26-29, December 12-February 3 (Holmes Creek and East River Island only) February 4-21 (throughout the area). From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.
What deer are legal on Choctawhatchee River WMA?
Deer with at least 1 antler having 2 or more points (each point 1 inch or more in length) and having at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length if hunting south of I-10, 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 if hunting north of I-10, antlerless deer (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn) throughout the area, by FWC's brochure. Antlerless deer only where and when a season says so.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Choctawhatchee River WMA?
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.
Do you need a quota permit for Choctawhatchee River WMA?
Youth Turkey (North Zone) - 5, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey (North Zone) - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Spring Turkey (South Zone; first 9 days) - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts (one 4-day hunt followed by one 5-day hunt).
What county is Choctawhatchee River WMA in?
Walton County (28,401 acres), Washington County (15,585 acres) and Bay County (1,199 acres), measured on FWC's boundary.
Get a Florida hunt plan when they open
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Use the map while you wait for your plan.
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.