Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map

FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA sets 4 deer seasons (archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun-walk and general gun vehicle); archery is on August 8-30. The area is 669,541 acres of public hunting land in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, a wildlife management area in FWC's south 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.

When are the 2026-27 seasons on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA?

Legal deer: Antlered Deer having at least one antler measuring five inches or more in length with two or more points (each point being one inch or more in length).

Source: FWC Everglades and Francis S. Taylor 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 Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA need?

• General Gun-Vehicle - 35 (general gun-vehicle track permits; Conservation Area 3A North), no-cost, general gun-vehicle permits with 1 antlered deer tag (no exemptions, non-transferable, except that a general gun-vehicle permit and tag can be transferred in the field by Commission law enforcement supervisors or their designees when a tracked vehicle becomes inoperable and unable to be repaired while within the wildlife management area to which the tracked vehicle is assigned). A positive form of identification is required when using a non-transferable permit, except for a youth under 16 years of age. The sale or purchase of any quota permit or guest permit is prohibited. Note: This is the number of quota permits issued during the 2025-26 season. The total number of quota permits issued for the 2026-27 season may change based on population surveys, water levels, habitat conditions, and other variables. Please contact the South Region Office for rules of inspection and information on registration of track vehicles at 561-625-5122.

What rules apply on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA?

Dogs

• Hunting with dogs is allowed only during the general gun-vehicle season, except bird dogs and retrievers may be used to hunt snipe, waterfowl, and non-protected birds during snipe and waterfowl seasons; and any dog may be used to hunt gray squirrel, migratory birds in season, non-protected birds, quail, and rabbits during small game seasons.
• The taking or pursuing of deer, wild hog, fox, or coyote with dogs is prohibited unless each dog is equipped and monitored with devices that allow remote tracking and behavior correction.
• Dogs used for hunting may be taken onto the WMA after 8 a.m. the day before the opening of a season and shall be removed by 6 p.m. 1 day after the end of a season.
• Dogs may be trained in Francis S. Taylor Area 3B October 1-10. Harvesting wildlife with a gun is prohibited while training.
• 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

• During the general gun-vehicle season, all deer harvested shall be tagged immediately with the antlered deer tag provided by the Commission.
• When check stations are staffed on weekends during the archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun-walk, and general gun-vehicle seasons, no deer shall be quartered, dismembered, or removed from the area until checked at the check station located on the L-5 levee.
• Deer may be dismembered in the field or camp, after being checked at a check station on weekends, but each portion shall have a tag affixed to it identifying the name, address, and hunting license number of the person who killed it; the date and location at which it was taken; and shall be readily traceable to the skull plate with any attached antler.
• In addition to checking all game at an area check station, hunters must log each harvested deer prior to moving it from the point of recovery and report any deer they harvest within 24 hours of recovery. See the Florida Hunting Regulations handbook or MyFWC.com for deer harvest reporting instructions.

Guns

• All boat ramps, parking areas, roads, camping areas, levees, and adjacent powerline pads are closed to hunting.
• The discharge of a firearm outside periods open to hunting or in areas designated as closed to hunting is prohibited per s. 790.15 FS.
• Hunting with a gun on, from, or across levees or the right-of-way of roads is prohibited.
• Hunting at night with a gun is prohibited.

Access and vehicles

• Open to public access year-round.
• Motorized vehicles are prohibited on all levees except the L-4, L-5, and L-6 levees. The L-6 levee is only accessible via the L-18 Levee and Sportsman’s Crossover. See brochure map.
• During the general gun-vehicle season, only those vehicles authorized by non-transferable general gun-vehicle permits are allowed in Conservation Area 3A North during legal shooting hours, except that frogging, by airboat only, is allowed from 1 hour after sunset until 1 hour before sunrise.
• The operation of airboats is prohibited during legal shooting hours in Conservation Area 3A North during archery, muzzleloading gun, and general gun-walk seasons and in Conservation Area 2 (north of the East/West Airboat Trail only) during general-walk gun season. Hunting equipment may be transported on boats and all-terrain vehicles.
• The use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) is prohibited, except for the purposes of hunting and scouting from 6 a.m. 2 weeks prior to archery season until 6 p.m. 1 day prior to the opening day of general gun-vehicle season. During the archery, muzzleloading gun, and general gun-walk seasons, motorized vehicles may only be operated on the L-4, L-5, and L-6 levees, except ATVs and ROVs (side-by-sides) may be operated off-road.

Camping

• Camping equipment may be taken onto the area no earlier than 7 days prior to the archery season and all vehicles, camps, tents, and other camping equipment shall be removed by 6 p.m. 7 days after the close of general gun-vehicle season. During the remainder of the year, camping is allowed only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and camps may not be left unattended for more than 24 hours.
• Each camper shall assure that his or her campsite is clean at all times.
• Camping is prohibited in areas posted as closed to camping.

Bag limits

• Deer - No person shall exceed statewide bag limits. A. Area limits - Archery, muzzleloading gun, and general gun-walk seasons: 1 antlered deer per season. General gun-vehicle season: 1 antlered deer per antlered deer tag. 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.
• Turkey - Prohibited.
• Wild hog - No bag limits or size restrictions.

From FWC Everglades and Francis S. Taylor regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

How many deer are taken around Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA?

FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Everglades and Francis S. Taylor 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 Everglades and Francis S. Taylor 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 Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA?

Highways through the area: FL 84, I-75, US 27 and FL 25. Nearest towns: Weston (2 miles), Coral Springs (2 miles), Sunrise (3 miles) and Tamarac (3 miles). FWC's page for the area: Everglades and Francis S. Taylor.

The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Big Cypress WMA (next to it), Holey Land WMA (next to it), Rotenberger WMA (next to it) and Dinner Island Ranch WMA (Caracara Unit) (16 miles).

Questions hunters ask

When is deer season on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA in 2026-27?

Archery Season: August 8-30 (Conservation Area 3A North only); Muzzleloading Gun Season: September 5-13 (Conservation Area 3A North only); General Gun-Walk Season: October 3-18 (Conservation Area 3A North and the portion of Conservation Area 2A lying north of the East/West Airboat Trail only); General Gun Vehicle Season: November 21-December 6 (Conservation Area 3A North only). From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.

What deer are legal on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA?

Antlered Deer having at least one antler measuring five inches or more in length with two or more points (each point being one inch or more in length), by FWC's brochure. Antlerless deer only where and when a season says so.

Can you hunt deer with dogs on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA?

The taking or pursuing of deer, wild hog, fox, or coyote with dogs 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 Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA?

General Gun-Vehicle - 35 (general gun-vehicle track permits; Conservation Area 3A North), no-cost, general gun-vehicle permits with 1 antlered deer tag (no exemptions, non-transferable, except that a general gun-vehicle permit and tag can be transferred in the field by Commission law enforcement supervisors or their designees when a tracked vehicle becomes inoperable and unable to be repaired while within the wildlife management area to which the tracked vehicle is assigned). A positive form of identification is required when using a non-transferable permit, except for a youth under 16 years of age. The sale or purchase of any quota permit or guest permit is prohibited. Note: This is the number of quota permits issued during the 2025-26 season. The total number of quota permits issued for the 2026-27 season may change based on population surveys, water levels, habitat conditions, and other variables. Please contact the South Region Office for rules of inspection and information on registration of track vehicles at 561-625-5122.

What county is Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA in?

Broward County (421,548 acres), Miami-Dade County (206,137 acres) and Palm Beach County (41,856 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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