Arbuckle WMA
At 13,531 acres, Arbuckle WMA is a medium-sized tract located in the heart of Polk County. It's on the southwest shore of Lake Arbuckle and also has smaller Lake Godwin entirely within its boundaries. In addition, Reedy, Livingston and Isabell creeks all run through the property, so there's plenty of water for turkeys.

Access to the area is quite good, with School Bus Road running through the center of it.

One word of caution is in order, however. There is a substantial block of private land within the boundaries of the WMA. Check the map in the WMA brochure and use caution to prevent straying onto private land while hunting this area.

Spring turkey season on Arbuckle WMA runs March 22-24 and April 5-7. A daily hunt permit is required on this area during turkey season. Ten daily permits are available on a first come, first served basis at the School Bus Road check station.

Last year hunters killed two turkeys on the area during 39 days of hunting, for a success rate of 19.5 man-days per turkey.

Hickory Mound Unit
Big Bend WMA
The Hickory Mound Unit is another medium-sized property spanning more than 14,400 acres in Taylor County. It is adjacent to the Big Bend Aquatic Preserve Marsh Buffer, so as you might think, it's swampy. However, there are a number of roads into the area, so access should be fairly decent as long as the weather is reasonably dry.

Spring turkey season is open on the Hickory Mound Unit from March 19 through April 24. Daily hunt permits are available at the check station on a first come, first served basis.

Last year hunters killed six gobblers on the tract during 142 man-days of effort, for a hunter success rate of 23.7 days per bird.

Three Lakes WMA
Three Lakes is a huge 52,900-acre WMA located in Osceola County on the east side of Lake Kissimmee. Lake Marian is on the south side of the area, and Lake Jackson is entirely within its borders. As a result, the area has a lot of riverine swamp that turkeys love.

Access to the interior of Three Lakes WMA is good, with a number of forest roads crossing the area. The Florida Turnpike and the Florida Trail both traverse the area, so caution should be exercised when hunting near either. In addition, there are several small areas that are closed to hunting. Consult the WMA brochure for more information.

Spring turkey season is open on Three Lakes WMA from March 19 through April 24. No daily hunt permit is required for this area. Last year hunters killed 109 turkeys on Three Lakes during 2,706 man-days in the woods. That works out to a hunter success rate of 25.3 man-days per bird.

Upper Hillsborough WMA
Located in northern Polk County adjacent to the Pasco County line, this 5,178-acre area contains some of the headwaters of the Hillsborough River. The area is easily accessible from State Route 54, 2 1/2 miles east of Zephyrhills.

There is a campground just inside the main gate and an improved road you can drive in on. A number of unimproved foot-traffic-only roads traverse the interior of the area as well, and a railroad cuts across it.

Spring turkey season on Upper Hillsborough runs March 23 through April 21 on Wednesdays and Thursdays only. You must have a daily hunt permit while on the WMA. Seventy-five daily permits are available at the check station for each two-day period on a first come, first served basis.

Last year hunters killed 12 turkeys during 309 man-days of hunting. That works out to 25.8 man-days of effort for each bird.