Charlotte, Lee County, Florida · 83,832 acres
Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area Hunting 2026: Species & Access
Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area covers 83,832 acres near Punta Gorda in Charlotte, Lee County. Prairies, marshes and pine flatwoods maintained through an active prescribed-burn program, about 15 miles northwest of Fort Myers and 5 miles from Punta Gorda — one of the biggest WMAs in Florida, and a nationally known bobwhite quail destination.
01 — What you can hunt here
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| Northern bobwhite quail | The signature species — includes a field-trial quota hunt in addition to standard quail seasons. |
| White-tailed deer | Quota permit required for archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun hunts. |
| Feral hogs | Present in good numbers alongside deer. |
| Small game | Gray squirrel and eastern cottontail rabbit, under general seasons. |
| Turkey | Present and huntable; check current quota requirements by hunt type. |
02 — Access rules specific to this WMA
- Quota permits are required for archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun and field-trial quail hunts — apply through FWC's quota system ahead of time.
- Horseback riding, fishing and general recreational access require either a management area permit or payment of a daily-use fee.
- The separate Yucca Pens Unit runs its own quota-permit requirement for muzzleloading gun and general gun hunts.
- Off-road vehicle misuse has caused serious habitat damage here — ORV use is restricted to designated areas under a dedicated ORV regulations policy, not open cross-country travel.
04 — Facilities
Camping: Primitive camping allowed with an FWC permit. No shooting range on-site.
Supports hiking, biking and horseback riding alongside hunting and fishing — a broad-use property, not a hunting-only tract, which is part of why access to non-hunting activities carries its own permit or fee.
05 — Where to go next
Babcock-Webb's national reputation rests on quail — the field-trial quota hunt here draws hunters who'd otherwise never look at a Florida WMA — but the property runs Florida's now-familiar layered quota system on top of that: archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun deer all need their own quota permits, and the Yucca Pens Unit runs an entirely separate quota requirement from the main tract. The active ORV-damage problem is worth knowing before showing up expecting open cross-country access — this is a managed-trail property, not a free-roam one.
Florida hunting license costs and permits →
Verified · Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission · Last verified 2026-08-09
Publisher's note. Read from FWC, retrieved 2026-08-09. Review due 2027-08-01. WMA-specific rules and closures can change between seasons — confirm before you hunt.