Florida's Public Land

[freedomhunter]

Hey guys, well season as been going on here for less than a month and I have not been able to get out very much maybe 2 times now.  The times I was able to get out I am finding myself wanting to walk deeper into the woods due to all the other hunters.  I kid you not there are tree stands 20 yards from the main road I have a friend that put one up maybe 35 yards in.  Trying to convince him that he needs to work for a deer on the public land if he wants to bag one.

Anyways, Florida is really think brush especially where I am between that and all the water I am finding it near impossible to walk my 20lb climber with me and I am really thinking about ground hunting.  I have been watching a lot of scouting and picking wind directions which is important, but every time I go it seems the wind does not have just one direction.  

My question is, how would you long term trad hunters tackle this situation.  This is year two for me and have yet to bag a four legged creature with my bow.   The deer will have to be 15 yards or under, because that is where I am comfortable shooting.

With my experience am I better off struggling with my climber even though I might not get as far in as I would like or do you think my odds would be better deeper in without the climber.

The place I am looking at is known as a very hard place to hunt and be successful, but man would it be nice to pull a deer from that public land with a trad bow.  The feeling of accomplishment!

Thanks

[Blaino]

the wind is something you'll have to learn to deal with since you are close to the coast....  it's the same for me in SC...  from the N at sun up then by 9:00am it has been blowing every direction  twice! it seem that we get the most consistant wind pre and post fronts.

it also sounds like you should hunt more!!!!  

[bigbadjon]

I can't really help on your public land strategy. My recommendation is to get a lease. Florida's public land is crowded, poaching is prevalent, and our trees don't accomadate climbing stands well. There's also people tromping all around the woods trying to hunt pigs while deer hunters are in the stand. It sucks. You may also apply for limited entry hunts to beat the crowds.

[gringol]

I have also struggled on public land in FL.  There are areas that dont get a ton of pressure, though.  The ocala nf doesn't get over run.  I have had most of my close encounters in areas where tree stands just don't work well, thickets, logged clearings, etc.  these areas don't get much pressure and seem to hold deer during the season.  I have all but abandoned tree stands on public land here because it makes me more mobile and allows me to hunt areas that seem to get less pressure.

[Hossmiller]

I don't live or hunt in Florida, but I hunt in some pretty challenging public land in Arkansas. It's not only thick and brushy in places, but steep as a cows face too. I wouldn't be past leaving your climber at the truck if I were in your shoes. There are tons of guys on here who consistently harvest from the ground every year. That would allow you to get in deeper away from the crowds. I don't know the laws in Florida regarding cutting brush, but another option would be to throw some pruners and para cord in your pack and fashion a ground blind once to your desired location. By the way do you run into many gators down there? Good luck

[freedomhunter]

Yeah, I hear ya about hunting more.  The best joys of my life are my two little ones and I keep telling myself I go to work so much for them and a lot of the times I do have off I spend with them as well.  Years from now though I will wish I spent more time with them even if it did cut into hunting time for that I am certain.  

Seems like everyone is saying the same thing about public land here in FL.  I really cant afford a lease so I am stuck with public land, which requires a lot of work.  I am looking at tiger bay because its the closes thing I have to me.  When it cools off I have a place I will be trying that requires my boat.  Big buck rubs in this spot, but with all the rain I am sure it is flooded right now seeing its so close to the river.  

I think I am going to go a few times without the climber.  It makes since that during bow season the deer will be in the areas with the least amount of pressure, which is going to be where people cant put a stand.  Between the heat and the bugs though it will be miserable on the ground.  I wonder if the thermacell will still be usable, because despite what the company says it still has a scent.

[gringol]

The thermacell will work.  If the deer smell the thermacell they've smelled you already anyway.

Also, don't avoid mid day.  Most guys leave the woods by 9:30 or so and don't return until late.  That means low pressure at mid day.  Florida deer eat 90 degree days for breakfast, and I've seen plenty of activity in the middle of the day.

[freedomhunter]

I will be putting all the advice to use.  I thought about bringing along lunch and doing a full day just to see if I can see anything.  Hearing guys seeing action mid-day is encouraging.

[nineworlds9]

I must be in the minority because I don't find the WMA's that I hunt overrun at all!  Heck there are often days where I feel like I am hunting my own thousand upon thousand acre large private lease!  LOL.  Sure there are busy days, but that's usually on opening or closing weekends, the rest of the time many WMA's up this way seem deserted.  Heck I went an entire season without seeing one FWC vehicle a few seasons ago.  Many of the WMA's up here sport some of the prettiest Florida woods you've seen.  I see critters, whether deer or small game nearly every time I go out.  My greatest challenge in the last couple years since I started ground hunting is just getting in range of game, but I have come VERY close.  It is only a matter of time before I get that perfect opportunity soon.  Ground hunting in the thick FL woods is very challenging at times, its an ambush game, but finding places where habitat types intersect or several land features converge seems to be the ticket.  The wheelie treestand guys seem very predictable, and seem lazy, so I take advantage and don't mind a hike.  I haven't done my job unless I have walked at least a mile or two during each hunt.  

Remember, ground hunts where you cover ground but maybe don't bring home a kill = awesome scouting opportunity.

Fortune favors the bold.  Invest in waterproof snake boots, pack water and a snack, bring your binoculars, and have fun!

[gringol]

You're right Chuck.  A lot of areas don't get much pressure,  but they can still be a challenge to hunt.  Last year bow Hunters in the green swamp harvested something like 12 deer.  That's 12 deer on 50,000+ acres by over 1,600 Hunters in a month.  That's some tough hunting.

The deer are in there, but by Odin's beard they're tough to get on!

[nineworlds9]

Yeah I have encountered some rough bush.  Often hit dead ends where its just too thick and had to double back, so I agree with you.  

Makes me think of two quotes I once discovered inside of fortune cookies:

"All things come to him that goes after them"

"All things are difficult before they are easy"

[freedomhunter]

If you don't feel comfortable saying the wma's you hunt I understand.  Internet scouting is becoming something else, but when you say north are you in the panhandle area?  I am in central Fl and there are a lot of people that visit my closest WMA.  I agree that if you ground hunt there is more opportunity for unworked area such as scrub pine or swamp that people do not feel like tracking.  I have been looking at Google maps looking for an area I want to try to hike into.  Food sources seem to be a problem to locate along with bedding areas.  Its all flooded cypress or pine trees.  I really don't understand what the deer are even eating.  Not like there are a lot of oak trees in this area.  

Like an old timer told me once deer hunting is easy as long as you are where the deer are or want to be.

[Mint]

I would get yourself a real cheap used mountain bike and trick it out so it can hold your climber and then get deep in the wma and hunt all day.  When  I hunted Citrus WMA I learned to get to the areas where they were feeding by the tracks. Good luck.

[bigbadjon]

Hunting in thd panhandle isn't nearly as bad as central and southern parts of the state. Check out Green Swamp in turkey season if you want to see hunting pressure.

[nineworlds9]

Course I'll say where I hunt, its public!  LOL!

Aucilla WMA -love it
Ochlockonee River WMA -small, but a total gem and my fav, less than 10 min from my house
Talquin WMA -some gorgeous woods like the first two, on a lake
Joe Budd WMA -FWC training area but a total gem too, some great habitat, but generally a quota is required

Then of course there's all the others around here.  Tallahassee has a huge number of WMAs in close proximity.  It is truly a sportsman's paradise.

[freedomhunter]

Lucky you, sounds like you got it made.  A little to far from me.  When you look for deer feeding areas here in FL what are you looking for?  Tiger Bay is nothing but pines and cypress.  I have found grass that grows along some of the service roads, which right now are knee to thigh deep in water, but besides that I have no clue what to look for.  It literally is all swamp.

[Cavscout9753]

freedom: I hear you on the public land. Georgia can be a little like florida with the palmettos and swamp tracks. We do have some hardwoods on post though. I am ground hunting this season as well but I won't bore everyone with repeating what I have said already on other threads. Theres a recent thread by Robyn called "another question for you ground hunters" or something to that effect. As of where to set up, once to decide to do it you'll see the spots. Finding scat is always good if you can, it'll say what they're eating. Then you just find that and the trails going into it. Bingo! As for pressure, I hunt on post and always pick the out of the way spots, not necessarily the furthest away, just overlooked. Ive never seen another hunter in the woods. Their cars, but never them. Rough spots tend to just be thin "walls" of crap that open up to good land if youre willing to break 50 meters of scrub. Sometimes. Don't give up. Build brush blinds here and there. They'll stay there forever and just require some maintenance here and there and after a while you'll have 5,10,15 different spots to work. Wind is wind. I use cover spray and a lightweight ghillie and have some luck. All in all lots of things to try and always remember it CAN and HAS been done.

[freedomhunter]

Thanks I will look for that post and keep everyone informed of my luck during the season.  I will be doing mostly all bow hunting this year.

[KenH]

Florida deer are not as acorn oriented feeders as whitetails elsewhere.  LOTS of other things they eat here, including fruits, mushrooms, cross vines, Hercules club, persimmons, Smilax spp., sourwood, Persea spp., redbud, buttonbush, ash, Crataegus spp., tupelo and gum trees, beautyberry, seddges and palmetto berries.

[KSdan]

Treesaddle and some steps.