Deer hunters in south Walton County can hunt the 12,400-acre Point Washington WMA. Most of the area is south of U.S. Highway 98 and it's sandwiched between Sandestin and Panama City Beach.

Capt. Scott Lindsey, a Panama City Beach resident who hunted Point Washington last season, estimated that he saw 50 to 55 deer, the vast majority of them does.

"Deer were pretty predictable. They'd come out in the morning and afternoons," Lindsey said. "You find a place where there's a lot of sign, and they'll cross there."

If there's any knock on the area, Lindsey said it's all the "extra" human traffic on the area. He suggests getting well away from the main road to enjoy your hunt.

The Florida Division of Forestry is the lead managing agency for the tract and has a good rotational burning plan in place to keep the area open and the habitat in optimum condition for wildlife.

The remaining portion of the 2006-07 hunting season for modern firearms runs Dec. 9 through Jan 31, followed by an 11-day muzzleloading gun/archery season Feb. 15-25.

The Choctawhatchee River WMA stretches for more than 25 miles along the river in Walton, Washington, Bay and Holmes counties. Nearly all of the 57,300-acre area is flood-plain hardwood habitat or marsh. It was bought years ago by the Northwest Florida Water Management District to protect the river.

Unless you happen to be in a hunting lease or know a landowner whose property borders the area, the only access to the area is by boat. For a hunt, of course, that requires a bit more preparation and planning. Because of the nature of the topography, it is also smart to carry either a compass or GPS unit when entering the region.

The on the plus side, the area's long deer season allows you to hunt the rut, which usually falls in January. Until the last four to five years, most hunting pressure here was light, but that's changing. Hunters putting in a little extra effort to get away from crowds have made things a little busier on the tract during the last few hunting seasons.

One note of caution regarding hunting during prolonged rainy weather: Small changes in water levels in the river and swamp can change the appearance of the area, and make getting back to a boat difficult. Plan accordingly.

The hunting season continues on the area from Dec. 9 through Jan. 31, with the 11-day archery/muzzleloader season following.

This is the first year Lafayette Creek WMA is open to public hunting. The area is small, at just 3,160 acres, but likely to have some good deer.