Big buck makes a daylight appearance on one of the writer's trail cams. Trail cams may be operated year-round on most Florida WMAs (always check WMA brochure) but must be labeled with the owner's Go Outdoors Florida customer identification number.
January 12, 2026
By Ian Nance
Successful deer hunting on Florida’s public lands requires scouting and lots of it. And frankly, Florida’s public lands are difficult to scout.
For one, the state’s thicker habitats and warm climate challenge hunters when identifying key travel routes and trails. Unlike the Great North Woods come winter, there’s ample food and browse year-round without them working too hard for it. Zeroing in on one source is tough. Heck, just about anywhere here can be a bedding area.
Next, you don’t really want to be scouting too close to or during hunting season for risk of spooking your game, but the summers are near-unbearable between the thunderstorms, heat, humidity, and mosquitoes, not to mention the rainwater swelling rivers and swamps. Whiny, yes, but a valid complaint for many.
Finally, access is problematic during certain times and particular places. Many Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are closed to vehicular travel during the offseason.
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But, what if I told you there are prime opportunities each fall and winter to take advantage of kinder conditions and better access during periods when the woods are easier to navigate and you can hunt at the same time?
Yes, public land small game seasons provide the chance for deer hunters to scout properties for upcoming seasons, typically after their current deer hunts have passed.
For better or worse, I’m going to reference the Green Swamp WMA near my home in Lakeland for why you should be taking advantage of small game seasons, but carefully review brochures for your chosen WMA, as they each have their own set of rules and hunting dates.
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Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area is one of many WMAs around Florida which host late winter/early spring small game hunts. (MyFWC.com) 1. Improved Access Green Swamp WMA is 50,692 acres. That is a lot of acreage to cover on a property that is hard-hunted throughout deer season. To find spots away from the crowds requires digging deep into the woods.
For the 2025-26 season, Green Swamp has a small game season from February 7–March 1 on Saturdays and Sundays.. No special quota permits are required to hunt, and vehicular access is permitted on marked trails. After these dates—aside from a frogging season in the summer—it’s foot or bike travel only.
I think I’ve led this to the obvious, but the open gates improve opportunities to cover more ground to scout. Yes, boot leather will be required to sus out honey-holes away from the main grades, but truck travel allows better coverage of the area than walking in at the gate.
If for no other reason, vehicular access is the best reason to utilize small game seasons, especially on larger properties.
2. Improved Accessibility About that boot leather. No, most of Florida does not have the classic fall when the leaves change colors and drop, but by January and February the underbrush is greatly reduced which aids in unearthing deer sign otherwise obscured by foliage. Most winters are relatively dry, and you’ll be able to poke deeper into swamps, near river bottoms, and around depression marshes than would’ve been impassable a few months prior.
Add in the pleasant weather, and it’s time to hike. Search for old deer sign such as rubs, scrapes, and trails. The deer will typically use these areas—or close to these areas—annually. You’ll also likely discover old treestands and flagging tape, indicators of where other hunters have been.
Each property differs, of course, but if you need to go exploring and bushwhacking without worry about impacting deer activity, there is no easier time than now to educate yourself and begin formulating a plan for the upcoming year.
3. Get to Hunting During the Green Swamp small-game season, hunters can pursue not only squirrels and rabbit but also wild hogs and predators. Hunting is a process of discovery, accidentally and otherwise, and the skills and knowledge acquired in locating one species often play when pursuing a different animal.
The squirrels and hogs, especially, will be found in many of the places you'll find deer in the coming fall. Oak hammocks and river bottoms, for sure. While scouring the canopies for bushytails, some close observation of the oaks will reveal empty acorn caps to show which trees produced mast. Still-hunting hogs is an effective means of stumbling across deer sign throughout a property.
As for predators—I’ve called in numerous deer, does mostly, on a rabbit squealer in areas I didn't figure to have deer nearby.
Deer season is long in Florida, and I know the thought of dragging out of bed another cold morning might not excite many come late January, but there is a payoff for doing so besides a pan of squirrel and gravy.
During small game hunting seasons, remember to be attentive for whitetail sign such as this rub. (Ian Nance photo) Final Thoughts Keep records of deer sightings, trails, and other sign as memories fade over the summer. There are numerous smartphone apps that even an unc such as myself operates with ease. I'll run cellular trail cameras year-round, if allowed, to keep tabs on the comings and goings of the local deer.
