Quail Hunting Season in Florida: Dates, Limits, and Rules for 2026-27
October 21, 2026
Quail hunting season in Florida runs for almost four months, and you can start planning your 2026-27 hunt now. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the statewide season opens Nov. 14 and runs through March 7, with a 12-bird daily limit.
Florida is better known for deer, turkey, and gators than for bobwhites, so quail often gets overlooked. That is a mistake if you like walking behind a pointer through open pine woods. Below you will find the dates, limits, licenses, legal methods, hours, and places to hunt, so you can head into the field with the rules covered.
Important Note: Season dates, bag limits, and area rules can change from year to year. Confirm everything with the FWC before you go, especially if you plan to hunt a wildlife management area, since each one has its own brochure and rules.
Quail Hunting Season Dates in Florida
The statewide quail season outside the wildlife management area (WMA) system runs Nov. 14 through March 7, per the FWC’s quail page. That gives you roughly 16 weeks, which is plenty of time to find birds even if work or weather costs you a few weekends.
Dates shift a little each year to keep the season on a Saturday opener. Florida’s eRegulations page shows the 2025 season ran Nov. 8 to March 1, while the 2026 season moves to Nov. 14 to March 7, with the daily and possession limits unchanged.
| Season | Statewide Dates |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Nov. 8, 2025 – March 1, 2026 |
| 2026-27 | Nov. 14, 2026 – March 7, 2027 |
WMAs often run on their own schedules. The FWC tells hunters to check the WMA regulations brochure for the specific area because seasons, dates, and bag limits may differ from the statewide season.
Pro Tip: Early season (November and December) is usually the best window. Coveys are intact and birds have not yet been pushed around by weeks of hunting pressure, and cooler weather is easier on your dogs.
Looking at other Florida seasons? Our guides to dove hunting season in Florida and turkey hunting season in Florida can help you plan a full fall calendar.
Quail Species You Can Hunt in Florida
Florida has one huntable quail: the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). It is the state’s native quail and a staple of southeastern pine ecosystems. Hunters know it for the “bob-white” whistle and for the explosive covey rise that makes the sport so addictive.
There is no pheasant, chukar, or Gambel’s quail season in the state. Bobwhites are the main upland bird Florida hunters chase, so every rule in this article applies to them.
Habitat drives where you will find birds. FWC explains that bobwhites like a patchwork of brushy fence rows, weedy fields, and open upland forests that are burned often. Your best odds are in North and Central Florida, where fire-managed pine flatwoods and agricultural edges hold the strongest wild populations.
Wild bobwhite numbers have dropped in many parts of the Southeast because of habitat loss. Expect to cover ground and work for birds on public land, and consider a preserve hunt if you want more reliable action.
Quail Bag and Possession Limits in Florida
The daily bag limit is 12 quail per hunter, and the possession limit is 24. The FWC lists both numbers on its quail regulations page, and they apply statewide outside WMAs.
The possession limit covers all quail you have in your truck, cooler, or freezer. If you hunt two days in a row and bag 12 each day, you are at the cap and cannot take more until you reduce what you hold.
Common Mistake: Some third-party hunting sites list a possession limit of 36 birds. The FWC lists 24, so treat 24 as the number to follow and verify with the agency if you see a conflict.
Some WMAs set their own limits, and quota hunts on quail enhancement areas can adjust based on population surveys. Read the brochure for your area before you cast off.
Licenses and Permits Required to Hunt Quail in Florida
You need a valid Florida hunting license to take quail, plus extra permits depending on where you hunt. Licenses are sold online through the FWC, at sporting goods stores, and at tax collector offices. Prices differ for residents and non-residents, so check the current fee schedule when you buy.
Here is what most quail hunters need:
- Hunting license: Required for all hunters unless you qualify for an exemption, such as hunting on your own property.
- Management area permit: Required to hunt most WMAs, according to Dive Bomb Industries’ Florida guide.
- Quota permit: Needed for quota hunts, which are awarded by random draw.
- Hunter safety certification: Required if you were born on or after June 1, 1975, unless you qualify for an exemption.
Quota permits help the FWC prevent overcrowding. The agency explains that quotas cap hunter numbers on smaller or high-demand WMAs, and permits are issued through random draw lotteries.
If you hunt other game with your quail license, our posts on deer hunting season in Florida and duck hunting laws in Florida cover the extra permits those seasons require.
Legal Weapons and Methods for Quail Hunting in Florida
Florida is flexible about how you take quail. The FWC allows rifles, shotguns, pistols, muzzleloaders, air guns, crossbows, and bows outside the WMA system. Quail may also be taken during archery, crossbow, and muzzleloading gun seasons using the methods allowed in those seasons.
Most hunters stick with a shotgun, and the field consensus leans light. Dive Bomb Industries recommends 20- or 28-gauge guns with improved cylinder or skeet chokes for the close, fast shots bobwhites give you.
| Method | Legal Outside WMAs? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shotgun | Yes | Most common choice; light gauges work well |
| Rifle or pistol | Yes | Rarely practical for flushing birds |
| Muzzleloader | Yes | Also legal during muzzleloading season |
| Air gun | Yes | Allowed under FWC rules |
| Bow or crossbow | Yes | Allowed; also legal during archery seasons |
Some WMAs restrict methods, so check the brochure. Bird dogs are the other big piece of the method puzzle, since a good pointer is essential for most quail hunters, as the FWC notes in its fall seasons guide.
Shooting Hours and Sunday Hunting Rules for Quail in Florida
Legal shooting hours for quail are half an hour before sunrise to sunset, according to HuntnFL’s season guide. Plan to be in the field and ready to turn the dogs loose by first light.
Florida does not have a statewide ban on Sunday hunting, so you can hunt quail on Sundays during the open season on lands where hunting is allowed. Some individual WMAs and private properties set their own schedules, so confirm days of the week in the area brochure or with the landowner.
Important Note: I could not confirm Sunday-specific wording for quail in the sources reviewed for this article. Check the FWC regulations and the brochure for your WMA before planning a Sunday hunt.
Early morning and late afternoon are the prime times to hunt, since birds feed actively then. Midday hunts are slower unless you are working cover near water or roosting areas.
Quail Hunting on Public Land and Hunting Preserves in Florida
Florida’s WMA system covers about 6 million acres, and the FWC reports it leads or owns 1.46 million of those acres and partners with cooperators on 4.54 million more. Quail are among the species hunters can pursue on many of them, depending on the area and time of year.
The FWC runs quail enhancement areas (QEAs) inside certain WMAs, with land management aimed at helping bobwhites. A recent FWC bulletin lists non-quota QEA hunt dates on Apalachicola WMA and Blackwater WMA, plus a quota hunt on the Twin Rivers – Blue Springs Unit. Dates change by year, so view the FWC’s QEA hunt page for the current schedule.
Other public areas mentioned by Florida hunting guides include Three Lakes and Jennings Forest. Always read the area brochure for dog rules, quota requirements, and released-quail allowances.
Hunting Preserves and Guided Hunts
Preserves are the dependable option, especially in North Florida’s Red Hills region. Many operate on extended seasons instead of the statewide dates. 4 Feathers Plantation in Clarksville, for example, lists an October 1 through April 20 season with half-day hunts priced at $475 per hunter and full-day hunts at $950, as of its posted rates.
Preserve hunts usually include guides, trained pointing dogs, and field transport. Some require hunter orange, so ask when you book.
Planning Your Next Hunt
Quail season pairs well with other Florida hunts if you want a full season of fieldwork. If you travel for hunting, our guides to alligator hunting season in Florida and bear hunting season in Florida help you line up the rest of your calendar.
Before you head out, re-check the FWC quail page, confirm the rules for your specific WMA, and make sure your license and permits are in order. That small amount of homework keeps the focus on the dogs, the covey rise, and a full game bag.