At its August meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule changes that will expand youth turkey hunting opportunities on public lands. The amendments extend the duration of youth turkey hunts from two days to four, now running from Friday through Monday, across 104 wildlife management areas (WMAs). This adjustment aligns with a similar change made earlier for lands outside the WMA system for the 2026 youth turkey season.
During these designated youth turkey hunting days, access to 21 WMAs will be limited to youth hunters and their supervising adults. The commission noted that while more hunting days are being offered, there will be no increase in the total number of youth quota permits issued. Additionally, these changes do not impact WMAs that currently do not offer youth turkey hunts.
The FWC sought public input on the proposed changes in June and received over 2,000 responses. According to the commission, “over 80% in support of both proposals.” The agency stated that “these changes provide additional opportunities for youth with more hunting days,” emphasizing that permit numbers remain unchanged.
For further details about youth turkey hunting days, interested individuals can visit MyFWC.com/Turkey and select “Youth Turkey Hunt Weekends.”
