Hunting in Florida: Top Spots for Hunting in the Sunshine State

The sunshine state offers a variety of hunting options for hunters of all ages. But hunting isn’t the act of simply walking out into a field and shooting game, first you have to find it.

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Here are some of the top spots for hunting in Florida, according to wideopenspaces.com:

Roberts Ranch, Palatka
If you are new to Florida, visiting or just looking for a good hunt, then look no further than Roberts Ranch. Palatka is less than an hour’s drive east of Gainesville and the ranch offers three-day guided hunts that include wild hogs, turkey, and whitetail deer.

Apalachicola National Forest, Florida Panhandle
This wildlife management area covers just less than 600,000 acres. The Apalachicola National Forest is located in Florida’s panhandle and can be easily navigated by the state road system. This is a very popular hunting spot in Florida for both beginning and novice hunters. Deer are plentiful in the region.

Hog Hunting
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has noted that wild hog hunting opportunities are plentiful throughout the state. Their website makes the following recommendations for hog hunting.

1. In the Northwest Region of the state, including Aucilla, Blackwater Hutton Unit, portions of Blackwater, Apalachicola Bradwell Unit, Choctawhatchee River and portions of Joe Budd.

2. The North Central Region, including: Andrews, Flying Eagle, Big Bend Hickory Mound Unit, Big Bend Snipe Island Unit, Big Bend Tide Swamp Unit, Mallory Swamp, Steinhatchee Springs and Devil's Hammock.

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3. The Northeast Region includes Tosohatchee, which is the best hog area where hunters get to use dogs. In terms of sheer numbers of hogs taken, Three Lakes typically is tops, followed by Tosohatchee, Triple N Ranch, Guana River, Bull Creek, Three Lakes Prairie Lakes Unit, and Fort Drum.

4. The Southwest/South Region is home to Green Swamp and has the largest harvest each year, followed by Green Swamp West. Other areas of high hog yield include: Babcock/Webb, Chassahowitzka , Myakka State Forest. Dinner Island Ranch, J.W. Corbett, Dupuis, Okaloacoochee Slough, Allapattah Flats, and Hungryland.

Small Game
The best areas to find small game, such as rabbit, squirrel, and dove is the Northwest Region, North Central Region, Northeast Region, and the South/ Southwest Region, according to the FWC.

For more definitive numbers of annual harvests and the locations, visit the FWC website.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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