Hunting News:
Riding back to Florida from North Carolina at the moment. For the first time in a dozen years, a deer isn’t riding home with me. I saw a doe the first evening, but it was a marginal shot and I had plenty of time to crack a deer. That was foolish, freezer-wise. For whatever reason, the deer simply weren’t moving. In a camp of ten hunters spread across the countryside during what was supposedly the rut, no one was seeing… Read More »
The post A History of Deer Hunting Excuse...
Though no proof pictures exist, I have shot coots. Most waterfowlers have, I reckon. They know the deal. The well-laid plans of hot waterfowling proceed only to miss the critical detail of having ducks arrive. Then the reliable coot skitter-walks a little too close to the decoys. It’s a reaction strike, like a dog chasing a ball or bass popping a lure. Whether shooting one coot begets more coot-shooting is a personal decision, though. (Then there’s Nick above. Clearly he… Read ...
The initial black bear was a mere 75-80 pounds. It looked like a bowling ball with ears. Reminded me more of a wild hog than anything, including its straight-line desire to hit the corn pile. The last I saw of that youngster he’d grown feet, placing those front paws behind the back ones as fast as possible when a 150-200 pound animal arrived. The new bear belly-flopped in the feed, raking fistfuls of yellow snacks into his mouth in the… Read More »
The post North Carolina Black Bear M...
Florida deer hunting is firing on all cylinders in November. Every Zone has a season. While the archery and blackpowder crowds have done well so far – follow lower_florida_bucks on Instagram if you need proof – big bucks will really start dropping when centerfires hit the woods. Antlerless deer will head to the processor this month, as well. Zones A, C, and D have antlerless seasons in November. As always, the dates that follow are for private lands. Please check… Read More ...
Though a distant concern to the residents that were about to get walloped by Hurricane Michael last month, I couldn’t help but wonder how St. Vincent NWR and its wildlife would fare. I went on a Sambar hunt there two years ago. Having been on the island, it was easy to imagine Michael’s storm surge wiping it flat. Reports say the island made it through OK. The docks at Indian Pass were badly damaged, apparently. The wildlife endured, as well,… Read More »
The post 2018 Sam...
Many thanks to Mike Tussey of Osceola Outdoors for his input on duck decoying tips for November 2018’s edition of Florida Sportsman. Osceola Outdoors, in addition to being well-regarded in the turkey hunting business, guides duck hunters around Lake Okeechobee on public and private waters. This experience leads to plenty of know-how when it comes to decoying birds throughout a season. In short, this seminar runs through different decoying tips that evolve as the season progresses. What wor...