season in Florida panhandle zone starts October 25th and is over at the end of February or thereabouts.
i also live and hunt in South Alabama, which transitioned to the later October 25th opening, and closes now on February 10th. There's a 10 day closed period in December.
and i, too, have learned the importance of opening day. with such a long season, our deer are very pressured, and by the end of the season, they act like they all have PTSD. spooky as heck! you never get a shot at a relaxed, unaware deer around here after the first week or two. gotta make that first chance count!