Croom WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map

FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Croom WMA sets 2 deer seasons (muzzleloading gun and general gun); muzzleloading gun is on October 24-26. The area is 20,313 acres of public hunting land in Hernando and Sumter counties, a wildlife management area in FWC's southwest 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.

When are the 2026-27 seasons on Croom WMA?

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.

Source: FWC Croom 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 Croom WMA need?

• Muzzleloading Gun - 300, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun (first 9 days) - 300, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Spring Turkey - 15, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 3 hunts.

What rules apply on Croom WMA?

Dogs

• Hunting deer or wild hog with dogs is prohibited.
• The taking or pursuing of fox 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.
• Hunting with dogs is prohibited, except small game (quail, rabbit, squirrel and migratory birds) and non-protected birds may be hunted with any dog during the small game season, and dogs of any size are allowed during the fox, raccoon, opossum and bobcat season south of Croom Road.
• Dogs are prohibited within the Croom Motorcycle Area.
• 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

• All wildlife must be checked at the check station during the muzzleloading gun, general gun (first 9 days only) and spring turkey seasons, during periods when the check station is staffed. Note: The area check station will not be staffed during the 2026-27 season.
• 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 harvested 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.
• During periods when the check station is staffed, no deer or turkey shall be dismembered until checked at the check station.
• Hunting is prohibited on the Withlacoochee State Trail.

Guns

• Hunting with firearms is prohibited within the Croom Motorcycle Area. In the Croom Motorcycle area hunting with bows, crossbows or air guns is allowed during general gun and small game seasons and hunting with bows or crossbows is allowed during spring turkey season.
• 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

• Open to public access year round.
• Motor vehicles shall be operated only on open roads shown on the brochure map, except for individuals who qualify for AMP or SUV permits. For more information visit the ADA for Hunters web page.
• 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 airboats, all-terrain vehicles, tracked vehicles, swamp buggies and unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles are prohibited, except as allowed by the FFS.

Camping

• The Florida Forest Service regulates camping and a fee is required. Hunt camps also require a permit for reserved camping. Sale of available reserved hunt camp sites begins the first Thursday after Labor Day.

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 2 of which may be antlerless), daily 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 Croom regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

How many deer are taken around Croom WMA?

FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Croom 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 Croom WMA in?

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 Croom WMA?

Highways through the area: FL 93 and I-75. Nearest towns: Brooksville (7 miles), Bushnell (8 miles), Webster (8 miles) and Center Hill (11 miles). FWC's page for the area: Croom.

The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Richloam WMA (1.9 miles), Jumper Creek WMA (4.7 miles), Citrus WMA (6 miles) and Green Swamp West Unit (6.7 miles).

Questions hunters ask

When is deer season on Croom WMA in 2026-27?

Muzzleloading Gun Season: October 24-26; General Gun Season: November 7-29. From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.

What deer are legal on Croom 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, by FWC's brochure. Antlerless deer only where and when a season says so.

Can you hunt deer with dogs on Croom WMA?

Hunting deer or wild hog with dogs is prohibited.

Do you need a quota permit for Croom WMA?

Muzzleloading Gun - 300, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun (first 9 days) - 300, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Spring Turkey - 15, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 3 hunts.

What county is Croom WMA in?

Hernando County (17,099 acres) and Sumter County (3,214 acres), measured on FWC's boundary.

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.

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