Ocala WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map

FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Ocala WMA sets 4 deer seasons (archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun and general gun season - church lake unit); archery is on September 26-October 25. The area is 382,735 acres of public hunting land in Marion, Lake and Putnam 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.

When are the 2026-27 seasons on Ocala 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 Ocala 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 Ocala WMA need?

• Muzzleloading Gun (Church Lake Unit) - 250, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun (Pipeline Unit) - 6,000, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun Dog (Church Lake Unit) - 250 no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun Still (Church Lake Unit) - 250 no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Youth Turkey - 15 (Hopkins Prairie Unit), 40 (Lake Delancy Unit), 10 (Church Lake Unit) and 110 (Pipeline Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 30 (Hopkins Prairie Unit), 100 (Lake Delancy Unit), 15 (Church Lake Unit) and 220 (Pipeline Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 4 hunts.

What rules apply on Ocala WMA?

Dogs

• The taking or pursuing of deer, bear, 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.
• Dogs used for hunting may be taken onto the area 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 the season.
• Hunting with dogs is prohibited in the Hopkins Prairie and Lake Delancy Units, except bird dogs and retrievers are allowed during the migratory bird, dove and waterfowl seasons and any dog may be used for hunting small game (quail, rabbit, squirrel and migratory birds) and non-protected birds during the small game season.
• Hunting deer with dogs is allowed only in the Pipeline and Church Lake units during the designated general gun seasons (excluding the general gun still-season in the Church Lake Unit).
• The Pipeline and Church Lake units also allow dogs to be used for hunting small game (quail, rabbit, squirrel and migratory birds) and non-protected birds during the small game season. Bird dogs and retrievers are allowed during migratory bird, dove and waterfowl seasons.

Hunters, harvest reporting and other area rules

• 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.
• 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

• Any person who in taking or attempting to take any wildlife knowingly propels or causes to be propelled any potentially lethal projectile (which includes any projectile launched from any firearm, bow, crossbow, or similar tensile device) over or across private land without authorization commits trespass, a felony of the third degree.
• Taking of wildlife by use of a gun on or from the rights-of-way of all paved roads; Forest Road 69 from State Road 42 to County Road 445; Forest Road 14; Forest Road 13; Blue Creek Lodge Road; Deerhaven Road; North Boulevard; Forest Road 46 east of Forest Road 33; Forest Road 33 south of Forest Road 46; Forest Road 05 south of Forest Road 38; and all county, state and Forest Service Roads in the Church Lake Unit is prohibited.
• The discharge of a firearm outside of periods open to hunting or in areas closed to hunting is prohibited per s. 790.15 FS.
• Hunting at night with a gun is prohibited (see exceptions under general gun season and fox, raccoon, opossum, and bobcat season). Taking wildlife at night with a gun equipped with a thermal or night-vision device is prohibited.

Access and vehicles

• Open to public access year round.
• Motorized vehicles are only allowed on National Forest System roads and trails as shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) that are designated for motor vehicle use. The MVUM also identifies the vehicle classes allowed on each route and in each area; and any seasonal restrictions. General Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) access information, maps and downloadable apps are available at the following websites: www.fs.usda.gov/main/florida/maps-pubs and https://store.avenza.com/products/motor-vehicle-use-map-mvum-ocala-national-forest-us-forest-service-r8-map. Free OHV maps are available at the Lake George and the Seminole Ranger District Offices.
• Parked vehicles may not obstruct a road, gate or firelane.
• No motor vehicle shall be operated in areas designated as closed to vehicular traffic.
• Class 1 electric bicycles may be operated according to rules for traditional, non-motorized bicycles. All other electric bicycles may be operated only on named or numbered roads open to motorized vehicles. For more information visit: https://myfwc.com/ebike/.

Camping

• Camping is allowed throughout the year. Use of trailers or self-propelled camping vehicles is prohibited except in designated campgrounds.
• During the general gun season, camping is prohibited, except in designated campgrounds and Juniper Prairie Wilderness.
• All camping on this area, including developed campgrounds and dispersed camping, is limited to a 14 day stay within a 30 day period by USFS regulations.

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 - Daily limit 1 antlered deer per person. The take of antlerless deer is prohibited. 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 Ocala regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

How many deer are taken around Ocala WMA?

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

Highways through the area: FL 19 and FL 40. Nearest towns: Welaka (2 miles), Umatilla (3 miles), DeLand (6 miles) and Pomona Park (7 miles). FWC's page for the area: Ocala.

The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Caravelle Ranch WMA (next to it), Seminole Forest WMA (Lake Tracy Unit) (next to it), Gores Landing WMA (next to it) and Lake George WMA (Dexter/Mary Farms Unit) (next to it).

Questions hunters ask

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

Archery Season: September 26-October 25; Muzzleloading Gun Season: October 30-November 1 (Hopkins Prairie, Lake Delancy and Church Lake units); General Gun Season: November 14-January 10 (Pipeline, Lake Delancy and Hopkins Prairie units); General Gun Season - Church Lake Unit: General Gun Dog: November 14-22 General Gun Still: November 28-December 6. From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.

What deer are legal on Ocala 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 Ocala WMA?

The taking or pursuing of deer, bear, 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 Ocala WMA?

Muzzleloading Gun (Church Lake Unit) - 250, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun (Pipeline Unit) - 6,000, no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun Dog (Church Lake Unit) - 250 no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). General Gun Still (Church Lake Unit) - 250 no-cost, quota permits (exemptions allowed). Youth Turkey - 15 (Hopkins Prairie Unit), 40 (Lake Delancy Unit), 10 (Church Lake Unit) and 110 (Pipeline Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 30 (Hopkins Prairie Unit), 100 (Lake Delancy Unit), 15 (Church Lake Unit) and 220 (Pipeline Unit), no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 4 hunts.

What county is Ocala WMA in?

Marion County (274,541 acres), Lake County (84,268 acres) and Putnam County (23,919 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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