Florida?

[Thedeerfarmer]

Hey all! Wife and I have been talking about where we may or may not move after she graduates (biomedical and mechanical engineering) I can find work just about anywhere being a tradesman. Florida has come up off and on while discussing location. My only gripe with Florida is while I could fish year round, the hunting opportunity does not seem to be prevalent or even available compared to what it would be in the Midwest or Colorado. Anyone from Florida have anything to chime in? As of now with the information I have leads me to think we would be better to vacation there in January as opposed to living there. Thanks for anything anyone has!
-DF

 

[Fatcamp]

Iguanas and anacondas. Spearfishing the keys. Love Florida!

 

[spc7669]

Don’t live there but about 5 hours from the panhandle. I go several times a year because the fishing is fantastic. If you fish, it’s probably one of the best states. For hunting, not so much. It’s hot and buggy.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I live in Florida:

Pros:
Year round fishing.
Women generally take care of themselves down here since they spend alot of the year in a bathing suit.

Cons:
-Summer lasts for for 7+ months....starts in April and ends around Thanksgiving. If you like being in a perpetual state of sweat, then you will love it here.
-Your yard and any plants will grow like the amazon. Cutting once a week is not enough.
-Lovebugs.
-Hurricanes.
-No hills.
-No changing colors of the leaves.
-Too many people - 950 people per day are moving here from northeastern cities. I see people on here complaining about city slickers and liberals moving into their areas.....Florida is worse than all of them put together.
-Everything is more expensive here.
-Trying to find any kind of contractor to work on drywall, carpentry, tile work not to mention building a home, sea wall, pool, boat lift, etc. is a huge challenge. The ones who are available don't do basic things like show up when they say will, or show up at all. The good ones are booked 6-8 months out. Everyone is on island time and does things when they feel like it, and the laborers who work for them are all from the same pool of meth-monkeys. Any Air Conditioning or Plumbing company is going to stick it to you good when you are having an issue.
-Low wages due to few large employers. They use the "well we have no state income tax" as their excuse, but it's really because there are so few non-tourism based companies in the state, they know they can get away with it.
-Traffic.
-It is becoming more liberal by the day.
-Did I mention it is Hot?

________

I have a pretty awesome setup as far as living in Florida goes.....have lived here for 7 years now and I am telling you I can't wait to get the hell out of here. If it weren't for my inlaws living here, we would be GONE!

 

[FLAK]

I lived in central Fl. (Polk Co.) for 16 years. Doc pretty much nailed it.

 

[CentralFLMike]

Born and raised in Polk County, FL and still live here. Doc really nailed it. I haven't hunted in Florida in 30 years. Vacation and fish in FL but hunt elsewhere. Besides the deer being small and less pentiful than just about anywhere else, leases and land are SUPER expensive.

 

[BuckWild41]

I live in Florida:

Pros:
Year round fishing.
Women generally take care of themselves down here since they spend alot of the year in a bathing suit.

Cons:
-Summer lasts for for 7+ months....starts in April and ends around Thanksgiving. If you like being in a perpetual state of sweat, then you will love it here.
-Your yard and any plants will grow like the amazon. Cutting once a week is not enough.
-Lovebugs.
-Hurricanes.
-No hills.
-No changing colors of the leaves.
-Too many people - 950 people per day are moving here from northeastern cities. I see people on here complaining about city slickers and liberals moving into their areas.....Florida is worse than all of them put together.
-Everything is more expensive here.
-Trying to find any kind of contractor to work on drywall, carpentry, tile work not to mention building a home, sea wall, pool, boat lift, etc. is a huge challenge. The ones who are available don't do basic things like show up when they say will, or show up at all. The good ones are booked 6-8 months out. Everyone is on island time and does things when they feel like it, and the laborers who work for them are all from the same pool of meth-monkeys. Any Air Conditioning or Plumbing company is going to stick it to you good when you are having an issue.
-Low wages due to few large employers. They use the "well we have no state income tax" as their excuse, but it's really because there are so few non-tourism based companies in the state, they know they can get away with it.
-Traffic.
-It is becoming more liberal by the day.
-Did I mention it is Hot?

________

I have a pretty awesome setup as far as living in Florida goes.....have lived here for 7 years now and I am telling you I can't wait to get the hell out of here. If it weren't for my inlaws living here, we would be GONE!

Spot on post....only thing missing is a mention of how humid it is

I'm with you Doc, counting the days until I leave the state

 

[G8ters]

Northern panhandle is the only place to hunt some decent size bucks. Lots of hogs if you are in that sort of thing. Lots.

 

[Saiselgi]

If your intent is to hunt big game in beautiful country, Florida is not your location. If you can get just as much enjoyment from fishing, hard to beat. There are also some pretty good opportunities at other game; gators, hogs, turkey etc. The deer hunting is possible but it is more challenging and less pleasant due to bugs, weather and pressure.

 

[mitchamafied]

Hunting opportunity depends on where you live. As you head south, there are more people and less options. I can generally kill a deer or two and as many hogs as i want on public land here in the Big Bend area. Osceola turkeys and alligators give you a somewhat unique opportunity, but I wouldn't move here for them. The coastal fishing is fantastic. That said, its hot for most of the year and its a long drive to hunt out west. My long term plans are to leave the state.

 

[Shrek]

If you want as close to everything hunting and fishing then the panhandle is where you want to be in Florida. Mostly you would hunt Alabama and Georgia and fish in Florida. There’s some ok deer hunting in the panhandle but a hour drive north puts you in good deer hunting. Seasons are long ! Plenty of deer and hogs to hunt. As mentioned there’s alligator hunting also. Fantastic fishing both salt and fresh. Some of the nicest beaches in the world. It’s a really nice area. The rest of Florida is best avoided honestly.
When I say long I mean long ! With a Georgia and Florida hunting license you can easily hunt deer from September through mid February if you hunt with a bow. Mid January rut in the panhandle but 1.5 hour northeast in Georgia you have a November rut. With three states licenses you could legally harvest 20+ deer annually if that’s what you wanted. It’s two a day in Florida , 12 total in Georgia , and 5 in Alabama. Then there’s endless year round hog hunting on private land.

 

[highcountrymuley]

i lived in FL from 1973 to 2004. moved to CO and love it here. too many bugs, snakes, alligators, and rude folks down there. Scary to hunt public land bc of so many people and harmful critters... walked up on an alligator while stream-crossing on a turkey hunt in the dark. most scared i have ever been in my adult life. i would not recommend it if you have other options. i miss the beach though... wouldn't live there though.

 

[WestTexasBestTexas]

I have been living in Florida for a few years now after moving from Texas.

No doubt the fishing here is unparalleled. Superb whether you want to fish the Atlantic or intracoastal, Gulf coast, or if you want to mix it up with a trip to the Keys every now and then. Something else to consider is proximity to the Bahamas. Central state bass fishing is also superb.

I am fortunate enough to have access to an excellent private tract for deer/turkey here, but it seems like the situation on public land is a zoo. Dog hunting is very popular which is something that I was not too familiar with in TX. Deer are smaller but there is good opportunity for animals in north Florida or a short drive to Georgia or Alabama.

Regarding big game, it presents challenges in terms of distance and is something that I am still trying to figure out. Very long drives out west which makes it more difficult to scout leading up to the season.

I enjoy Florida but am not as avid of a fisherman as I should be to truly appreciate the state and what it has to offer. If you have a 50/50 appreciation for hunting/fishing or perhaps enjoy fishing to a higher degree, Florida could be a good state for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rsnyder]

If it weren’t for the family I’d have moved years ago. There’s decent hunting if u can stand bugs and heat. If you’re into cities we got plenty. Lots of fun to have but as already said getting deep in people

 

[Elkhntr08]

Anything for a NR to do around Orlando? I’ll be down there next week for 4 days then Panama City Beach for at least a week.
Not a Disney guy, that’s where the wife’s going to be. Looking for a place to shoot (bow or rifle) or something to shoot at.

 

[CentralFLMike]

Anything for a NR to do around Orlando? I’ll be down there next week for 4 days then Panama City Beach for at least a week.
Not a Disney guy, that’s where the wife’s going to be. Looking for a place to shoot (bow or rifle) or something to shoot at.

Triple N Ranch has a very nice public range run by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and would be closest to you in Orlando. The have two pistol ranges, two rifle ranges (100 and 200 yards), automated sporting clays, a 3D and field archery courses. Check out the FWC website to see other ranges they either manage or contract out to a private entity to manage throughout the state.