WHERE TO HUNT
Many WMAs offer turkey hunting, but most of the areas with the best turkey populations are managed under the Special Opportunity Hunt system or the Quota Hunt system. That is part of the reason those areas maintain good populations. If you applied and received a permit for either of these types of hunts, you are set for the season. Both types of hunts are popular, and there are rarely permits left over.

If you don't have a permit, better start planning for next season right now. Permit applications are available sometime around Christmas each year. Fill one out and you may get a crack at the birds on one of those better hunts in 2006.

That doesn't mean that you don't have a shot at a turkey on public land this year, however. There are some WMAs that are open for walk-up hunts.

Perrin said that by taking a look at the harvest data for these public tracts and matching those numbers with hunter success, you can get a good idea of where your best bets are for bagging a gobbler.

"I generally like to get an idea of a WMA's relative performance by considering its 'hunter success' for turkeys," Perrin said. "For example, Andrews WMA had 12 turkeys harvested with 102 days of hunting pressure; thus its hunter success would be 102 divided by 12, for 8.5 hunter-days per turkey, which is a good success rate."

By doing the same calculation for all the WMAs, we can get a snapshot look at hunting prospects on WMAs statewide.

Joe Budd WMA
Joe Budd WMA, located in Gadsden County, is an area with a variety of habitats. The tract's 11,039 acres contain flatwood-type habitat, as well as upland hardwoods and river swamp, making it a great area for turkeys.

The Little River runs through the WMA, providing some of the bottomland. There's also a good bit of relief in the area, which is unusual for Florida. The lowest point is about 70 feet above sea level along the edge of Lake Talquin, and the highest elevation is around 160 feet.

Biologists have planted a number of food plots on this tract.

To hunt turkeys on Joe Budd, you need a daily hunt permit. There are a total of 20 permits available on a first come, first served basis at the check station. During the spring turkey hunt, Joe Budd is divided into seven zones. Zones A, B, C, D, F and G are limited to three hunters each, and Zone E allows only two. Zone tags are available at the check station when you pick up your daily permit.

Spring turkey season on Joe Budd runs March 19 through April 24, Saturdays and Sundays only. Last year hunters took a total of 17 turkeys off Joe Budd during 200 man-days of effort. That works out to 12.5 days for each turkey taken.

Aucilla WMA
Located in Jefferson and Taylor counties, Aucilla WMA covers more than 47,500 acres. The Aucilla and Wacissa rivers run through the area, along with several sloughs. These provide a lot of river swamp terrain. The WMA is only 12 miles from Tallahassee, so it is easily reached by and popular with Capitol City hunters.

Spring turkey season on Aucilla WMA is March 19 through April 24. If you enter the area through the Western Sloughs check station, be sure to stop and pick up a mandatory daily hunt permit.

Last year hunters killed eight turkeys on Aucilla during 109 man-days of hunting, for a hunter success rate of 13.6 days per turkey.