Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit): 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit) sets 4 deer seasons (archery, family hunt, muzzleloading gun and general gun); archery is on October 24-26, October 30-November 1, November 6-8, 13-15. The area is 8,182 acres of public hunting land in Franklin County, 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.
Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)Other FWC WMAsNational forestNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 8,182 acres, measured on FWC's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin |
| Deer management unit | DMU D1 |
| Deer seasons | Archery, family hunt, muzzleloading gun and general gun |
| Archery | October 24-26, October 30-November 1, November 6-8, 13-15 |
| General gun | December 25-27, January 1-3, 22-24 |
| Spring turkey | Youth Turkey: March 12-15; Spring Turkey: March 20-21, 27-28, April 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 |
| Legal deer | Antlered deer having at least 1 antler with 4 or more points (each point being 1 inch or more in length) OR a main beam of 14 inches or more in length, 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 | Family hunts, small game, camping, fishing and horseback riding |
| Nearest towns | Sopchoppy (5 mi), Carrabelle (10 mi) and St. Marks (19 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Archery Season | October 24-26, October 30-November 1, November 6-8, 13-15 |
| Family Hunt | November 26-29 |
| Muzzleloading Gun Season | December 5-7, January 29-31 |
| General Gun Season | December 25-27, January 1-3, 22-24 |
| Spring Turkey Season | Youth Turkey: March 12-15; Spring Turkey: March 20-21, 27-28, April 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 |
| Small Game Season | February 1-March 7 |
| Trapping | Prohibited. |
| Fishing and Frogging | Allowed year round. |
Legal deer: Antlered deer having at least 1 antler with 4 or more points (each point being 1 inch or more in length) OR a main beam of 14 inches or more in length, antlerless deer (which includes does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but not spotted fawn).
Source: FWC Tate's Hell - St. James Island Unit 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 Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit) need?
- Archery - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 4 hunts. Muzzleloading Gun - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Family Hunt - 15, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). General Gun - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 3 hunts. Youth Turkey - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 7, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 6 hunts.
What rules apply on Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)?
Dogs
- Hunting with dogs is prohibited, except bird dogs and retrievers may be used for hunting doves, ducks, geese, coot, snipe, and woodcock during their respective statewide seasons (non-protected birds may also be hunted with bird dogs and retrievers when pursuing these migratory game birds as described here) and any dog may be used to hunt small game (quail, rabbits, gray squirrel, and migratory birds in season) and non-protected birds during small game season.
- 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.
- Taking bear with the aid of dogs is prohibited.
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
- 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
- Public access is allowed year-round.
- Motor vehicles may be operated only on designated roads and parking areas as indicated on the hunt map, except for individuals who qualify for AMP permits. For more information visit the ADA for Hunters web page.
- Motor vehicles shall not be parked in such a manner as to obstruct a road, gate, or firelane.
- Airboats, off-highway vehicles (including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides), swamp buggies, tracked vehicles, and unlicensed and unregistered (non-street legal) motorcycles are prohibited, except as allowed by the Florida Forest Service.
- Motor vehicles must enter and exit the area at a designated entrance as indicated on the hunt map.
Camping
- Prohibited.
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 - 1 antlered deer per quota permit, except during the archery season when the bag limit is one antlered or antlerless deer per quota permit and the family hunt when the bag limit is 2 antlered deer per quota permit (but no more than 1 per person). 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 Tate's Hell - St. James Island Unit regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
How many deer are taken around Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)?
FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit) 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 Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit) in?
| County | Acres of the area in it |
|---|---|
| Franklin County | 8,182 |
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 Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)?
Highways within 5 miles: FL 30, US 98, US 319 and FL 377. Nearest towns: Sopchoppy (5 miles), Carrabelle (10 miles) and St. Marks (19 miles). FWC's page for the area: Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit).
The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Tate's Hell WMA (next to it), Tate's Hell WMA (Womack Creek Unit) (1.2 miles), Apalachicola WMA (1.7 miles) and Wakulla WMA (20.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit) in 2026-27?
Archery Season: October 24-26, October 30-November 1, November 6-8, 13-15; Family Hunt: November 26-29; Muzzleloading Gun Season: December 5-7, January 29-31; General Gun Season: December 25-27, January 1-3, 22-24. From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.
What deer are legal on Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)?
Antlered deer having at least 1 antler with 4 or more points (each point being 1 inch or more in length) OR a main beam of 14 inches or more in length, 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 Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)?
FWC's summary lists no deer dog season for Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit).
Do you need a quota permit for Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit)?
Archery - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 4 hunts. Muzzleloading Gun - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. Family Hunt - 15, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). General Gun - 25, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 3 hunts. Youth Turkey - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 7, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 6 hunts.
What county is Tate's Hell WMA (St. James Island Unit) in?
Franklin County, 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.