Florida in six weeks

[Gobblerjim]

Good luck, we are heading to Florida too around the 13th or 14th. I'm looking forward to the trip . The only things worrying me are mosquitoes and cotton mouths.

Bring a thermocell. Plan on using a whole fuel a day if it's warm out. If it's cool there not so bad. The moccasins are not that bad. It's dry season now so usually they're by the waters edge. Saw a bunch of Pygmies and a coral snake last year. I heard they are starting to gobble. I'll be hunting march 1st.

[Turkey Trot]

Watch out for those gators. Moccasins too. Where are you hunting?

And the panthers. 

[Gobblerjim]

Oh ya panthers too. Lol

[RutnNStrutn]

Perry, if you don't already have one, buy yourself a Thermacell!! They are outstanding on mosquitos, even in Florida swamps!! A nice pair of snake boots is a good idea also, especially if you are going to Texas next season.

[Muzzy61]

Good luck, we are heading to Florida too around the 13th or 14th. I'm looking forward to the trip . The only things worrying me are mosquitoes and cotton mouths.

thermacell will take care of the mosquitoes. Best $20 you could ever spend.

[darn2ten]

Use to live right beside Polk county and hunted it quite a bit. As has been said, mosquitos can be bad. Auburndale is where you are thinking of, not Auburnville. Polk Co. is a pretty wet swampy county with a lot of cow pastures, so I would recommend some knee high waterproof boots. Osceolas are normally not as vocal as easterns and will slip in quiet on you quite often so always be ready. Oh, and has already been mentioned earlier, watch out for cottonmouths. They're plentiful in Polk Co. Last but not least, good luck! One more question, you hunting private or a WMA?

[perrysbirds]

Use to live right beside Polk county and hunted it quite a bit. As has been said, mosquitos can be bad. Auburndale is where you are thinking of, not Auburnville. Polk Co. is a pretty wet swampy county with a lot of cow pastures, so I would recommend some knee high waterproof boots. Osceolas are normally not as vocal as easterns and will slip in quiet on you quite often so always be ready. Oh, and has already been mentioned earlier, watch out for cottonmouths. They're plentiful in Polk Co. Last but not least, good luck! One more question, you hunting private or a WMA?
[/quote

I have a termacell and I well prepared in that aspect.
Yes Auburndale is the area and I have a gentleman that's taking me out to hunt.
He has private and he hunts public land I beleive as well...
As for the cottonmouths... I wouldn't know what one looks like but it's on my mine that's for sure...
Yeah I've been told that the birds are not as vocal there but I will have to wait and see.

[Tom Threetoes]

We've got the Thermacells, sounds like we need to load up on refills. TT

[perrysbirds]

I'm just very curious of what I'm going to see...
Also very excited.....
My season starts up here in Ontario on April 25th and they way this winter is going I might be hunting in the snow at that time .....so Florida is going to be awesome I'm sure..

[Old Gobbler]

Someone mentioned panthers I have a spot or two out in the swamp , that is so bad with panthers you walk down the trail with a loaded .40 cal pistol in your hand ..... No joke , when you see a 200 pound big male at 20 feet , you will understand  they can shred a 250 wild boar in a split second - I also can't sleep out in a open campfire for fear of the same -

My buddy has a property right in the middle of the panther preserve , and you MUST hunt in a pop up blind , big cats everywhere

But anyways the gobblers are going bezerk right now with the gobbling down here , it's getting warm - and it's on !

[Rio Fan]

Guys, this might be a stupid question, but when you say panthers are those the same thing as cougars/mountain lions?  Seems like I remember some guys saying they've seen black panthers too.

[Old Gobbler]

Rio fan , this is a very hot topic down here right now , - years ago the fwc released some Texas cougars to beef up the genetic stock of the Florida panthers -  well there is a population explosion of panthers now , and the fwc is full of bs over it

The panther project is the sacred cow of the fwc , it provides many people with jobs , and anytime they want to block public access to somewhere or they need money they whip out the panther card - if the mystique of the endangered panther was ever to wear off  the money would dry up and so would the jobs ---- panthers =$$$$$ the state still claims there is 15o panthers but I suspect they may be approaching 1000

The panthers we have down here , from 20 years ago were so inbred that many had only one testicle or were suspected to be infertile - after they brought in the Texas cougars , they exploded in population , and they also wiped out the hogs and deer for entire vast regions of southern Florida - they raid mini farms and eat peoples  goats and hogs, and just this year a lady was walking her dog over by ft Meyers and a panther ran up grabbed her dog , dragged it into the bushes where the horrified lady had to listen to her pet dog being eaten , popping and snapping of bones etc.....  The fwc just covers it up - the day is coming very soon.... Where someone's child is going to be dragged off by this sacred cow cat hear me now and believe me latter

[Gobblerjim]

Word on the street is panthers love northerners and Canadians. Taste like chicken. Meow

[Rio Fan]

Old Gobbler, thanks for all of that information...very interesting!

[Muzzy61]

 

Word on the street is panthers love northerners and Canadians. Taste like chicken. Meow