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Florida County Finder
Answer six questions and get Florida counties ranked by habitat fit, 2026–27 zone season dates, public land and FWC deer harvest estimates.
How the Florida finder works
FWC estimates deer harvest for each deer management unit from its hunter survey. This tool scores all 67 counties using those estimates for 2021–22 to 2023–24 (split over each unit's counties by area), USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as national forests, water management district lands and wildlife management areas.
Season fit uses the 2026–2027 Florida Hunting Regulations: the four hunting zones' archery, crossbow, muzzleloading and general gun deer seasons, antlerless gun dates by DMU, fall turkey by zone, spring turkey north and south of State Road 70, the Dec. 5–27 bear hunt, quail and migratory birds.
Species covered
- White-tailed deer
- Black bear
- Wild turkey
Upland birds (ranked by county)
- Quail
Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)
- Ducks
- Canada and dark geese
- Snow and Ross's geese
- Mourning dove
- American woodcock
About every species on the species page →
Data sources
- FWC deer harvest survey 2021–22 to 2023–24 (estimated harvest by deer management unit)
- https://www.eregulations.com/assets/docs/guides/26FLHD_LR3.pdf
- USGS PAD-US 3.0 (Fee); NPS parks and monuments excluded
- USGS NLCD 2021 Land Cover (250 m resample)
- USGS 3DEP elevation service
Florida hunting FAQ
When does Florida deer season open in 2026?
Zone A (south Florida) archery opens Aug. 1; Zone C archery opens Sept. 19 and general gun Nov. 7; Zone B archery opens Oct. 17; Zone D (the Panhandle) archery opens Oct. 24 with general gun Thanksgiving weekend and Dec. 12–Feb. 21.
Which Florida counties have the most deer?
FWC's survey puts the highest harvest per square mile in the Panhandle's DMU D2 (Holmes, Jackson, Santa Rosa and Gadsden counties), then north Florida's DMU C5 (Madison, Suwannee and Leon) and DMU D1.
Is there a bear season in Florida?
Yes. The 2026 bear hunt runs Dec. 5–27 by drawn permit only, in four bear harvest zones. Dogs and bait are not allowed.
Florida harvest leaders
The counties with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.
Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)
- Palm Beach County: 40,654 per year
- Brevard County: 25,666 per year
- Glades County: 18,100 per year
- Hendry County: 14,322 per year
- Osceola County: 14,213 per year
Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)
- St. Johns County: 342 per year
- Hillsborough County: 253 per year
- Marion County: 148 per year
- Duval County: 85 per year