 "The Yearling" was filmed on location in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness in the Ocala National Forest in Florida.A hiking trail in the area, "The Yearling Trail", is named after the story, and gives access to sites where the family lived whose stories inspired the novel.MGM originally began production on "The Yearling" in 1941, with Spencer Tracy set to star as the patriarch, and with Victor Fleming chosen to direct.