no hunting this year

[ofl0926]

good morning everyone. i just need to vent my frustration out. living in south florida sucks for hunting.

so i usually hunt with my dad in GA when i dont plan a trip somewhere. well, its time for me to move. our schedules sometimes dont workout or he invites people i can not be around.
what do you guys suggest i do to be able to hunt yearly? i was thinking maybe getting on a lease?!? problem i have is that my job (DOD Firefighter), i cant take all that time off to set stands and what not. what suggestions can you guys offer me?

oh and to top it off, yesterday my wife is like the garage smells funny... i knew immediately where to go check. she accidentally left the meat freezer open, everything defrosted, blood everywhere... everything is spoiled.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I've found out that you can't always rely on other people. I make my own plans and invite people where I see fit. It takes a lot of time planning and making sure that I have everything to do it on my own. In the end it is worth it, because I always go. Someone flaking out doesn't ruin my hunt, because I can just go by myself.

 

[quackaddict]

Suck it up and look at all that Florida has to offer. You've got around 6 million acres of public land to hunt. You can kill multiple deer per year. You can kill several turkeys a year. Don't forget hogs. Same situation if you drive to SC, AL, or GA.

And learn to fish. Florida has some of the best inshore and freshwater fishing in the country.

It's all about what you make of it. I mean, where else in the USofA can you go kill Bermese Pythons?

Florida's Wildlife Management Area Regulations

Public Land: Hunting and Fishing in Florida | Outdoor Life

 

[ofl0926]

Suck it up and look at all that Florida has to offer. You've got around 6 million acres of public land to hunt. You can kill multiple deer per year. You can kill several turkeys a year. Don't forget hogs. Same situation if you drive to SC, AL, or GA.

And learn to fish. Florida has some of the best inshore and freshwater fishing in the country.

It's all about what you make of it. I mean, where else in the USofA can you go kill Bermese Pythons?

Florida's Wildlife Management Area Regulations

Public Land: Hunting and Fishing in Florida | Outdoor Life

Yeah I completely agree with you. I’ve done and still do the fishing thing. Had a boat, just sold it cause we had a baby. Still fresh water and salt water fish sometimes.
As far as the hunting goes... I know a few older gentlemen that are friends that hunt that area and say it flat out sucks. They have gotten shot at before, mosquitoes are crazy and the area is severely over hunted. Maybe northern Florida might be different.


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[WV Mountaineer]

I'd move if I had to in order to be able to hunt. I'm serious about that too. The thing about hunting is its something you have to decide to do. There is always going to be something that needs to be done and, will take priority over hunting if you allow it. So, make finding you a hunting area priority and start doing it. That's the only thing that is going to work for you. No matter where you live. Good luck and God Bless

 

[BrushyHillGuide]

I'd move if I had to in order to be able to hunt. I'm serious about that too. The thing about hunting is its something you have to decide to do. There is always going to be something that needs to be done and, will take priority over hunting if you allow it. So, make finding you a hunting area priority and start doing it. That's the only thing that is going to work for you. No matter where you live. Good luck and God Bless

This is sage advice.

Pick a hunt you want to do, plan it, budget for it and just DO IT! Not saying it's easy but nothing worth a darn ever is; and it's possible if you set your mind to it.

Sounds like you need a hunting buddy. I'd suggest finding a friend who's a hunter, buddying up and doing your hunts together. Best thing is, if they're married (with a kid) and your wives hit it off. Just makes things easier. I guess I'm lucky, I've always had at least one really close hunting buddy.


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[adamm88]

Do hang and hunts or hunt on the ground. Just because you cant preset stands doesn't mean you cant hunt.


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[texag10]

In Texas, the land of no public hunting, I shot a whitetail doe with my bow 5 miles from my office, in sight of cars on the interstate and with a tanker truck loading up at a gas well while sitting in a camp chair on the ground. Is it as cool as some of the canyons on private ground in West Texas or my elk hunt in CO? Absolutely not, but it is hunting, and I think having to hike in and not being allowed to bait gives me a leg up over someone learning to hunt over a feeder.

That being said, I'm moving west in 3 months.

 

[ofl0926]

This is sage advice.

Pick a hunt you want to do, plan it, budget for it and just DO IT! Not saying it's easy but nothing worth a darn ever is; and it's possible if you set your mind to it.

Sounds like you need a hunting buddy. I'd suggest finding a friend who's a hunter, buddying up and doing your hunts together. Best thing is, if they're married (with a kid) and your wives hit it off. Just makes things easier. I guess I'm lucky, I've always had at least one really close hunting buddy.


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Yeah that is where I had my dad but this year was a bit of a let down on his part. Long story.



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[ofl0926]

This is sage advice.

Pick a hunt you want to do, plan it, budget for it and just DO IT! Not saying it's easy but nothing worth a darn ever is; and it's possible if you set your mind to it.

Sounds like you need a hunting buddy. I'd suggest finding a friend who's a hunter, buddying up and doing your hunts together. Best thing is, if they're married (with a kid) and your wives hit it off. Just makes things easier. I guess I'm lucky, I've always had at least one really close hunting buddy.


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I dis this last year with an outfitter in SD. Went by myself and had a blast. Shot a nice whitetail and speed goat with my bow. This is an option just expensive. But if I really want to hunt, I can save for it.


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[mvmnts]

Florida has a lot to offer, the boating and fishing is fantastic, but maintaining a boat is expensive and if that's not your thing, you're not going to have a good time. The hunting in Florida sucks. I just moved out of there and I highly recommend you start working on that. Sorry to hear about the spoilage, that suuuucks.

 

[Rich M]

I'm in Central Florida - hunting here is poor when compared with other places. GA is the best game in town within a reasonable drive.

So you are saying that you can't take a few days off here and there to go set stands on a lease in GA? Most fire fighters I know are on 4 off 3 or 7 on 7 off or something like that.

Seems like you want to be handed an easy hunting trip every now and again and have been happy with that. In that case it is nice when it happens but stinks if it doesn't. You have no control, you might not want control. You might not want the outright expense and responsibility that comes with it. It isn't for everyone. Essentially you will make what you want to happen, happen and what doesn't matter as much will slide.

Take some time and figure out what you want - do you want to be responsible or a lease? If not, save up $1500-$2500 and do a 3 or 4 day hunt in GA or AL with an outfitter. Just don't tell them that you will shoot a doe, do the big buck talk and they'll put you in better stands. Say you'll shoot a doe and they'll put you in crappy stands - been there & done that.

In order take control of your destiny, you need to figure out what is important to you. Then make the changes to have it happen. Sometimes it aint easy. I just went to WY for antelope - spent about 100 hours figuring stuff out, research, etc. Applied and pulled permit, drive 30+ hours out there, scouted 21 hours before the season, fought the orange army & won - shot 2. Drove about 40 hours on the way home. Used 8 vacation days. Hunted 1 day and parts of the next 2 days - put another guy on one. A GA lease is easier, but I gave that up to go to WY and pretty much hunt 1 day for an antelope to fulfill a desire.

BTW - sorry about the freezer. I had one go and lost a bunch - disheartening to say the least.

 

[ofl0926]

I'm in Central Florida - hunting here is poor when compared with other places. GA is the best game in town within a reasonable drive.

So you are saying that you can't take a few days off here and there to go set stands on a lease in GA? Most fire fighters I know are on 4 off 3 or 7 on 7 off or something like that.

Seems like you want to be handed an easy hunting trip every now and again and have been happy with that. In that case it is nice when it happens but stinks if it doesn't. You have no control, you might not want control. You might not want the outright expense and responsibility that comes with it. It isn't for everyone. Essentially you will make what you want to happen, happen and what doesn't matter as much will slide.

Take some time and figure out what you want - do you want to be responsible or a lease? If not, save up $1500-$2500 and do a 3 or 4 day hunt in GA or AL with an outfitter. Just don't tell them that you will shoot a doe, do the big buck talk and they'll put you in better stands. Say you'll shoot a doe and they'll put you in crappy stands - been there & done that.

In order take control of your destiny, you need to figure out what is important to you. Then make the changes to have it happen. Sometimes it aint easy. I just went to WY for antelope - spent about 100 hours figuring stuff out, research, etc. Applied and pulled permit, drive 30+ hours out there, scouted 21 hours before the season, fought the orange army & won - shot 2. Drove about 40 hours on the way home. Used 8 vacation days. Hunted 1 day and parts of the next 2 days - put another guy on one. A GA lease is easier, but I gave that up to go to WY and pretty much hunt 1 day for an antelope to fulfill a desire.

BTW - sorry about the freezer. I had one go and lost a bunch - disheartening to say the least.

I work 48hrs on shift then 72hrs off shift. The problem I run into, the leave schedule is ran by seniority. Since I’ve been only in the federal system for 6 years, I’m still on the bottom and only beat out two ppl. Now I also factor in vacation time with my family that takes some of my leave. I wish I was able to just take days off and go prepare stuff. Unfortunately I don’t have a schedule that allows me. Granted I could take a week off and go set stands and then another week off to go hunt but I won’t be able to contribute to maintenance on a lease.
The outfitter thing I have done once. Last year I went to SD for whitetail and antelope. Great time but expensive after everything. I do plan on a big hunt like that every other year. I’m just trying to find something to do in between those years. Like I said, I usually hunt with my pops and he lives in GA. Unfortunately sometimes our schedule conflicts or some people are there that I rather not be around. My thing is, i want to be able to go hunt when I want. I’m done relying on people. Nothing against my pops but I just need to move on.


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[ofl0926]

Florida has a lot to offer, the boating and fishing is fantastic, but maintaining a boat is expensive and if that's not your thing, you're not going to have a good time. The hunting in Florida sucks. I just moved out of there and I highly recommend you start working on that. Sorry to hear about the spoilage, that suuuucks.

The plan is to eventually leave Florida but I can’t right now. My military reserve career has me tied to my location right now. Most federal firefighter departments don’t hire people still in the reserves. I only have eight years left to retire from the military. My base is the only base that I know of that will hire you while still being in the reserves. Most bases will not hire you cause it’s a critically manned position. So I’m gutting it out till I’m done with the military


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[quackaddict]

I don't mean for this to sound like a dick, but you are on 2 days, off 3 days. That's a LOT of time. Most of us do the whole M-F, 8-5 thing and then get a whopping 2 days off to juggle our hobbies, time with the family, and house work. I'd say you have more than enough time to help on a lease...they typically have 4 or 5 "work days" at most spread throughout the whole year. You set your stands and they pretty much stay there through the entire season. It might take 2 or 3 days TOTAL to get a couple of stands set and lanes cut. I never moved stands once we set them(for years at a time) on the leases I was on back east. One of those 3 days off you get at a time, you drive to the lease, sit in your stand, whack something, then go back home. Maybe you have to spend a day pulling stands down after the season depending on club rules. Granted, it's not a trip out West, but you're schedule definitely allows time for lease hunting within a few hours of home.

 

[JDeanP]

There is no way I wouldn't be hunting all the time if I lived anywhere in FL. If it's worth the drive from TN, it has to be worth the drive from several counties over. You can also shoot up into GA, as others already mentioned, for even more hunting.

I like to hunt. Period. Do I prefer some critters over others? Sure, but I'll hunt any of them. FL has plenty enough if hunting for the sake of hunting.

 

[ohoopee]

Georgia is full of public Wma's. I enjoy hunting several private farms but still find public the most challenging and enjoyable. Tough hunting but the scouting and camping is a blast. This year GA has put food plots on some of the Wma's again. Don't imagine sitting on plots is productive but it does provide an area for a person to get close to habitat. I don't rifle hunt but imagine world opens up when you can see more than 50 yds!! lol))

 

[ohoopee]

Ps. Wearing pink socks and playing theme music to "broke back mountain" will usually ensure solidarity in the woods near your hunting area. Not sure this method will work in the N. Ga Wma's as those are closer to the Appalachians and you will probably entice some cult following))

 

[JDeanP]

Ps. Wearing pink socks and playing theme music to "broke back mountain" will usually ensure solidarity in the woods near your hunting area.

I wouldn't know that theme music even if it walked up and smacked me on the rear.

 

[Scoot]

JDP I'm pretty sure it's your rear that it would target.