akhunt

Wanted to say hey to all those Florida Crakers!! Been reading your messages; makes me miss home. Born in Tampa, raised in Lakeland/Mulberry. Been living in Alaska the past 16yrs. Started hunting seriously about 5 yrs ago. Will be moving back to Florida in about 8 yrs., after my kids graduate. I can't wait to get down there a do so hunting in the south. This cold weather is unbelievable to hunt in!!!

Chuck7

Howdy,
I'm in Florida. mulberry now has a nice super center Walmart. If your ever coming down let me know. We can meet for breakfast or something. Theres a few other locals on hereto as well.C7

akhunt

Thanks for the offer, Chuck7!! I know, exactly, which Walmart you are talking about. It's on Carter Rd., believe by the old ballfields. Man, is Mulberry growing; soon it'll be just another part of Lakeland. I was down that way last summer to visit my folks, first time in 5 years. Where are you located? How long you been hunting? What do you hunt? I'm looking forward to hunting deer, turkey, and hogs!!! I can't wait!!!!

Chuck7

Where are you located?Grove Park..200 yds from Southeastern College. It's now Southeastern University. I came here in 1981 to attend. the Bible college. I now teach in an elementary school off of Combee Road.Before 1981 I lived in Maryland.

How long you been hunting?Since I was 13... I'm 52 now .. I did lay off 10 years when I was goingto school and into the service. Florida..the last 5 years. Green Swamp.What do you hunt?Deer , Hogs. Turkey and squirrels.I'm looking forward to hunting deer, turkey, and hogs!!! I can't wait!!!!

Amen..maybe we can meet for breakfast . I've also hunted Kicco { River Ranch} My son played baseball at that field your talking about. I coached baseball.

N. Cook

I have been looking for a forum of Florida deer hunters whom seem to be a good cross section and this one seems good.

Are you aware the FWC is in the midst of a reveiw of "deer management" in Florida which could result in a new "program" by mid summer?

Some facts to consider. Deer hunting drives license sales in most states. Florida license sales have declined from about 250,000 a few years ago to 135,000. Although most states have some degree of decline, stillhighly populated states, even in the north such as Ohio, put 400,000 to 1 million LICENSE BUYING hunters in the field on opening day of deer season. The Florida decline is in the face of a almost doubling of the population....We all know the "retirement" demographics of Florida, but many of the new residents are young and do (or did) hunt.

Why the rapid decline in deer hunters in Florida?

The "antis" are on the march, placing anti hunting measures on state ballots...ie: the elimination of dove hunting in Michigan by a two to one margin this Nov. (and Michigan has a lot of hunters!). What do you think could happen if "hunting" was on the Florida ballot with such low sales of licenses?

Now the hard question...how do we get at least a new batch of 100,000 license buyers in Florida pronto (five years orless)to stop the decline and begin to rebuild political clout?

In other words, since deer hunting drives sales....how does the current program in Florida need to be changed?

There will be a period of "public comment" before the new plan is put in place...set for July.

CamoCop

i think for one we need alot more or better QDM (quality deer management). we need food plots in our W.M.A.'s with replanted oaks. the fed's come in and cut all the trees and just replant pines (because they profit from pines). pines do nothing health wise for the deer population. if we can get the deer quality up, you will see a HUGE increase in hunters and license purchases. hunters are here, just everyone buys into leases in other states like Georgia, Alabama, S. Carolina because this state is notorious for poor deer quality. to tell you the truth, this state is fixing to lose another hunter/license. next year i am looking for an out of state lease. i spend too much money and time into hunting to not benefit (deer quality, loss of W.M.A.'s, road closures within the W.M.A.'s. etc.) it's become too much of a headache to hunt florida anymore.

motor

one thing that would help, i believe, is add more doe days per season..here we have only one week for does..

dpj1030

I hunt in Pensacola. Walnut Hill. Century. Milton. etcc... Blackwater river wma

FLBandit

I live in Polk City, and hunt Green Swamp! (Well, I hang out and hike there so far!) I'm in my first season of hunting, so I'm still trying to learn my way around out there.

jebo0420

new to the forum, but have hunted since i could be put on stand... live in daytona and i hunt private land when i can but as of this year it's been all wma. tiger bay mostly. plan on making a trip this year to AL late season.