Florida hunting?

[Dunndm]

Me and the fiancé have a few places we are looking to move and Florida is one of them. We are looking down south by the tip Florida. Anyone know anything about hunting out there or is it about as bad as California is in the southern zones?


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[DLOsoft]

What type of hunting are you looking to get into? The public land opportunities down hear are pretty bad. A lot of pressure and very bad deer quality, especially the further south you go in Florida. If you prefer to get a hunting lease, the prices in Florida are out of this world.

You can get into some pretty good hog hunting and decent turkey hunting if you can get into the right WMAs, but public land access is nothing like it is out west.

 

[TomM]

DLO summed it up pretty well.

Expensive leases or public. Public ain’t bad in North FL, but the regs are pretty tight on deer as there isn’t a lot of them. No antlerless harvest except archery.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Look up Lostinthewoods he hunts Florida every year.
I think he lives on the Gulfcoast.

 

[FLAK]

Hunting and Florida are two words that are not synonymous.
Lived there for 16 years.

 

[MallardSX2]

Go north to georgia. There is a lot of public land to hunt here. Especially if you have OnXmaps.

 

[Dunndm]

Sounds like southern Florida is an awful lot like southern CA, not to much public with a lot of pressure. Small deer pop with not much opportunity. I’m into any sort of hunting honestly, mostly archery deer but I’ll hunt small or big game with bow or rifle


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[Rich M]

Been in central FL for over 20 years.

IMO, hunting sucks here. Some guys do well, most get lucky every 5 +/- years or so. Your success will be based on how well you can deer hunt and how well you can learn an area.

I've gotten to the point where I apply for only 2 WMAs. If I don't draw, it doesn't bother me. If I do, I hunt with an older guy and we go dutch on the permits. He lives between the two WMAs. LOL!

I think I've shot 4 deer in FL so far. Public, private, leases - tried em all. Primarily gave up and went to GA.

If you just like to hunt, it is different - in S FL you can hunt cypress swamps, saw grass flats, flooded areas, etc. Some pretty neat stuff. Thermacell is your friend. You'll have fun. Some S FL areas are easily hunted via kayak or paddle board - really.

The rut in S FL is in July and folks are hunting deer in July! The rut in the panhandle is in January/February and folks hunt them then. So, you could hunt 8 calendar months for deer if you wanted to drive some.

The quota system isn't as bad as some out west states but it isn't easy. Good hunt areas will be 3-5+ pref points.

Duck hunting is also by quota draw for many areas. If you like ducks, look at the STAs - been the best game in town for a few years.

Lots of pigs. Good numbers of turkeys. Our main issue is access and places to hunt. 22 million folks in FL and still growing...

The fishing is decent - we have our issues but for the most part FL is still the fishing capital of the world.

 

[Dunndm]

Been in central FL for over 20 years.

IMO, hunting sucks here. Some guys do well, most get lucky every 5 +/- years or so. Your success will be based on how well you can deer hunt and how well you can learn an area.

I've gotten to the point where I apply for only 2 WMAs. If I don't draw, it doesn't bother me. If I do, I hunt with an older guy and we go dutch on the permits. He lives between the two WMAs. LOL!

I think I've shot 4 deer in FL so far. Public, private, leases - tried em all. Primarily gave up and went to GA.

If you just like to hunt, it is different - in S FL you can hunt cypress swamps, saw grass flats, flooded areas, etc. Some pretty neat stuff. Thermacell is your friend. You'll have fun. Some S FL areas are easily hunted via kayak or paddle board - really.

The rut in S FL is in July and folks are hunting deer in July! The rut in the panhandle is in January/February and folks hunt them then. So, you could hunt 8 calendar months for deer if you wanted to drive some.

The quota system isn't as bad as some out west states but it isn't easy. Good hunt areas will be 3-5+ pref points.

Duck hunting is also by quota draw for many areas. If you like ducks, look at the STAs - been the best game in town for a few years.

Lots of pigs. Good numbers of turkeys. Our main issue is access and places to hunt. 22 million folks in FL and still growing...

The fishing is decent - we have our issues but for the most part FL is still the fishing capital of the world.

That’s for all that info I appreciate it, when you say pig hunting. Do you mean public is good or still private is your chances of higher probability?


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[Rich M]

Pigs are where you find them. Private is usually better but the pigs like wet areas - plenty of those on public.

I stopped hunting them years ago - don't eat pork at all so don't hunt em.

 

[Dunndm]

Pigs are where you find them. Private is usually better but the pigs like wet areas - plenty of those on public.

I stopped hunting them years ago - don't eat pork at all so don't hunt em.

So pigs “the deer” of Florida haha well it sounds like if we do end up there I’ll get better at pig hunting and fishing real fast


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[Rich M]

No - you'll chase deer too. There are some guys who are good at it.

Go where you have the best employment, everything else will fall into place.

Remember FL is the land of 90+ heat and 90+ humidity. Go easy until you acclimate tot he weather.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Stay out of Floria. Lived here 8 years. Only reason I am still here is because it allows me the time and money with work to leave and hunt other places (mainly out west). In my mind there isn't another state with worse hunting opportunity (taken into consideration game numbers/quality, public land, lease opportunity, pressure, etc.), especially considering how large the state is.

 

[Boarmaster]

I live in Fort Myers which is Southwest Florida. I had a lease for 20 years south of Lake O. Lots of hogs , deer and turkey. Deer are small. Hogs are plentyful.
I finally got tired of killing hogs in the heat so I got in a lease in Alabama .
9 hr drive.

 

[Dunndm]

I live in Fort Myers which is Southwest Florida. I had a lease for 20 years south of Lake O. Lots of hogs , deer and turkey. Deer are small. Hogs are plentyful.
I finally got tired of killing hogs in the heat so I got in a lease in Alabama .
9 hr drive.

So it’s almost the same way as Southern California, out of state hunting is easier/better but there is still hunting to be done


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[Ray P]

Dont forget the gator hunts and the python hunting!
Oohhh........iguanas as well I believe down there!

 

[Shrek]

No , it’s not like SoCal. It’s super hot and humid and the biting insects are horrendous ! I’m a native and my family is from around the Everglades from the late 1700’s on. There’s no amount of money that would entice me to live south of I-4 and as a truck driver I made it a rule that I’d never take another load south of I-95 exit 76. I’m living in Jacksonville Florida since ‘93 but I hunt in Georgia. There’s plenty of public land to hunt with the Ocala and Oceola national forests and wma’s but the deer are small , few , and tough to hunt. Public land hogs are there but they’re hunted hard also so hard to hunt. Fishing can be great as an offset to the less than great hunting. If you haven’t experienced a Florida summer you really should come down for a visit in July and August before you move. The Panhandle is a whole different beast with much better hunting and fishing. Live Oak to Quincy is south southern Georgia and west of Quincy to the border is southern LA ( lower Alabama ).
Btw , I was stationed in SoCal so I’ve lived there also so I can compare.

 

[TomM]

Yep, panhandle is where it’s at for FL sportsman. Better hunting and good fishing. Not as far drive to excellent hunting.

 

[IL Red]

The further North you go in Florida, the more South you are.

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[Boarmaster]

I would much prefer to live in the Panhandle. Fortunately with technology and my profession affords me the ability to be in Alabama enough to satisfy me.
Not ideal but workable.