Hunting News:
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) gets the headlines, but EHD is a widespread killer of deer. According to UF, “most cases of EHD occur in the late summer and early fall (August–October); however, because of Florida’s subtropical climate, it is possible to see cases of disease into the winter months, especially in south Florida, where hard freezes are rare.” Outbreaks of the disease occur on a near-annual basis. For whatever reason, these outbreaks are not nearly as severe with wild herd...
My kids saw the Christmas reindeer decorations in their preschool classroom and told the teacher, “Dad shoots those.” They also caught her drinking a Diet Mt. Dew and asked her if it was a Coors Light. Yipes. Out of the mouth of babes and all that, I guess. But, I learned a valuable lesson from a pair of three-year-olds: they pay far more attention to their surroundings than I thought and have no qualms regurgitating that information – along with… Read More »
The pos...
Less than a mile east of Cougar Bob’s Kelletville Tavern overlooking the picturesque Tionesta Creek, I spotted my first porcupine. After a 2017 Maine turkey hunt and last year’s Pennsylvania trip, I was 0-for-2 seeking a picture of one of these exotic animals in their natural habitat. At long last, a medium-sized fella milled along The Branch Road which weaves through the Allegheny National Forest. I scrambled out of the truck to snap pics. They are clumsy animals, but my… Read...
I’m sitting pretty with preference points leading up to the first application period for a 2019-20 limited entry hunt. Three for General Gun and Wild Hog. Two for Archery. One for Muzzleloading. Archery is the most exciting prospect. I badly want to tag a South Florida buck in August. On the other hand, I could apply it towards a close-to-home hunt here in Zone B for February when the weather is nicer. And if I drew an August deer hunt,… Read More »
The post Deer, Hogs, and Gato...
Harrison and I were playing something called “Super Mario Party” on something else called a “Nintendo Switch” when a faint gobble echoed across the field. We paused the game, looked at each other, then looked out of the blind window to spy a large North Carolina gobbler bee-lining it to the decoys. The Switch – essentially a beefed up Game Boy from when I was a kid – was tossed aside while I steadied Harrison for a shot. For the… Read More »
The pos...
In the May 2019 edition of Florida Game & Fish magazine – on newsstands now! – I wrote a short piece on tips for spot and stalk hog hunting. Short story even shorter – always keep the wind in your face when hunting hogs. The where’s, when’s, and how’s of hog hunting are inconsequential with a bad wind. Coyotes and deer stake a fair claim to the prize, but I totally believe hogs possess the ultimate olfactory systems in these… Read More »
The pos...