With November now only a month away and temperatures (hopefully) beginning to cool, we are finally approaching backpacking season in Central Florida. But as most Florida Trail lovers know, many of the great places to backpack here, including most of the forested sections of the Florida National Scenic Trail, are on land that we’ll have to share with hunters. And with so many of these areas managed by different governing entities that choose different dates for hunting seasons, it can be tricky to figure out when to avoid our favorite places to hike and backpack. My goal with this post is to provide some one-stop shopping for this information with links to pages where you can learn more.
Before I begin, I think it’s important to give a shout-out to our hunters. Hunters are truly the brothers and sisters of our backpacking community. They cherish the lands we use and often fight as hard as we do for their preservation, and they usually treat them with the same dignity we do. Many of our state parks and state and county forest preserves only exist because hunters that used them for hunting clubs donated them and insisted upon their continued public enjoyment. I’ve met many hunters while on the trail, including plenty of personnel at check stations, and without exception, they have been as friendly as can be, often even offering me rides. Although I typically try to avoid our shared spaces when hunters are there, it is as much to avoid scaring off their quarry as for any fear for my safety.
A few quick notes for what I’ve shared below. While most of the links below describe dates for all kinds of hunting, I’ve listed here only the dates for general gun and muzzleloading gun season (i.e., deer), hog, and turkey. Although hunting areas also have seasons for archery, small game, raccoon, and even fox and bobcat, those seasons seem to be less busy and less risky. Even for the seasons I list, you can typically backpack through these areas during hunting seasons (with some notable exceptions like the Green Swamp East)—but you’ll want to make sure you wear plenty of orange while you’re hiking. I’ve also only listed dates for areas near my Central Florida home where I’ve done most of my backpacking (specifically, the Eastern and Western Corridors of the Florida Trail north of the split near Three Lakes WMA and south of the 88 Store in the Ocala National Forest).
Eastern Corridor
Three Lakes WMA: Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 18-20 (2025). General Gun: Oct. 24-26, Nov. 1 – Dec. 28 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 14-15 and Mar. 21 – Apr. 26 (2026).
Bull Creek WMA: Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 18-20 (2025). General Gun: Nov. 1 – Dec. 28 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 14-15 and Mar. 21 – Apr. 26 (2026).
Tosohatchee WMA: Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 23-26 and Oct. 30 – Nov. 2 (2025). General Gun: Nov. 13-16 and 21-23 (2025). Wild Hog-Dog: Jan. 9-15 and Feb. 6-12 (2026). Turkey: Mar. 21-23 and Apr. 3-5 and 17-19 (2026).
Seminole Ranch WMA: Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 (2025). General Gun: Nov. 14-16 and 21-23 (2025). Wild Hog-Dog: Jan. 24-30 (2026). Turkey: Mar. 14-15, 21-23, and 27-29 and Apr. 3-5 and 17-19 (2026).
Bronson State Forest: Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 (2025). General Gun: Nov. 7-9, 14-16, and 28-30 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 14-15, 21-24, and 27-30 and Apr. 3-6 and 17-19 (2026).
Little Big Econ WMA: Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 and Nov. 7-9 (2025). General Gun: Nov. 14-16, 21-23, and 28-30 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 14-15, 21-24, and 26-29 and Apr. 2-5 (2026).
[These hunt dates are only for the Kilbee and Yarborough Tracts of the Little Big Econ WMA–There is no hunting along the sections of the Florida Trail running through Little Big Econ State Forest.]
Seminole State Forest: General Gun: Oct. 17-19, Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, and Dec. 3-7 (2025). Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 24-26 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 21-25 and Mar. 28 – Apr. 1 (2026).
Ocala National Forest (south of the 88 Store)
+ Pipeline Unit (SR 42 north to SR 40 + CR 314 north to CR 316): General Gun: Nov. 8 (2025) – Jan. 4 (2026). Turkey: Mar. 14-16 and 26-29 and Apr. 2-5, 9-12, and 16-19 (2026)
+ Hopkins Prairie Unit (FR 46 north to CR 314): Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 24-26 (2025). General Gun: Nov. 8 (2025) – Jan. 4 (2026). Turkey: Mar. 14-16 and 26-29 and Apr. 2-5, 9-12, and 16-19 (2026)
The link above also contains a link to the map of the Ocala National Forest’s hunting units (including the Lake Delancy Unit (north of CR 316) and Church Lake Unit (west of CR 314A)). No hunting is permitted in the Juniper Wilderness Area (between the Pipeline and Hopkins Prairie Units).
Western Corridor
Green Swamp East Tract: Wild Hog-Dog: Oct. 2-5 (2025). General Gun: Dec. 6 (2025) – Feb. 1 (2026). Turkey: Mar. 21 – Apr. 26 (2026).
Green Swamp West Tract: Wild Hog: Oct. 11-13 (2025). Wild Hog-Dog: Oct. 22-24 (2025). General Gun: Jan. 1-4 and 15-18 and Feb. 5-8 (2026). Turkey: Mar. 21-24, Mar. 30 – Apr. 2, and Apr. 4-7, 13-16, and 18-21 (2026).
Richloam Tract of Withlacoochee State Forest: General Gun: Nov. 22 (2025) – Jan. 18 (2026). Wild Hog-Dog: Oct. 2-5 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 14-15 and Mar. 21 – Apr. 26 (2026).
[There are also hunt dates for Wild Hog in April, May, and June (2026), but only for portions of Richloam that are east of CR 471 (which are east of the Florida Trail and the three main hiking loops there).]
Croom Tract of Withlacoochee State Forest: Muzzleloading Gun: Oct. 18-20 (2025). General Gun: Nov. 1-23 and 28-30 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 21-23, Mar. 31 – Apr. 2, and Apr. 14-16 (2026).
Citrus Tract of Withlacoochee State Forest: Muzzleloading Gun: Nov. 28-30 and Dec. 12-14 (2025). General Gun: Dec. 5-7 and 26-28 (2025). Turkey: Mar. 14-15 and 24-27 and Apr. 7-10 and 21-24 (2026).
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