KERCE
Member
I have been looking into public land in flordia for an Osceola. I has wondering if anyone has hunted public land and had any advice to share or have some private land I could lease for a week. Thanks.
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osceola public land
- Thread starter KERCE
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Ricochet
Senior Member
At this point you could hit Green Swamp East WMA. Your best bet is quota hunts or even better special opportunity quota hunts. You are too late for the special op. hunts but I believe you can still try for some of the standard quota hunts. http://myfwc.com/ Good luck!
Gadget
Senior Member
The quota hunts were drawn last week, application deadline was November.
There is some open access public land where you don't need a permit........ come one come all
; I hunt on some every year.
There is some open access public land where you don't need a permit........ come one come all
KERCE
Member
Probably try to come as soon as I can. Bc if its anything like public land around the house, they get call shy pretty quick. But I do appreciate yalls help. Thanks.
scott ellis
Senior Member
There are three phases to the quota hunt drawing. The second phase is for anything that wasnt drawn in the initial lottery. The 3rd phase is first come first serve. The dates are on the below link.
http://myfwc.com/license/limited-entry-hunts/application-periods/
http://myfwc.com/license/limited-entry-hunts/application-periods/
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KERCE
Member
Thanks I will check it out.
big country rnr
Banned
https://hfwa.centraltechnology.net/fl_quota/public/initStatePage.do?pageNum=2Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless
this is the pages for the quotas that are drawn and whats remaining. its slim pickins
and i think they are all eastern or hybrid hunts.
i have some info on some wmas if you want to shoot me a pm. there are way to many sets of eyes on here.:grinch:And lots of hunters on the open WMAs....
That's the biggest hurdle down there. Other hunters. They really pack them in tight. Last time I gave a first timer a few specific spots, he found birds there the first morning, and some yahoo actually shot one of them off the roost while he was set up on it. It really gets wild sometimes.
KERCE
Member
Yep I know all about public land hunting. It can get frustrating at times. That's just part of it. That's crazy shooting them off roost.
Gadget
Senior Member
That's just the tip of the iceberg hunting down there, even though roost shooting is illegal in Florida I see and hear of it more down there than any other state by FAR! Other things you see more of is illegal baiting, ppl shooting over the limit, and a very aggressive nature; don't expect someone to turn back and go find another bird if your setup on one first, a lot of ppl will walk right by you to get to the bird, I've even had em walk past me and purposely run the bird off the roost so I couldn't kill him. Different world down there on public land.
trkyhntr70
Senior Member
Rick, thats exactly why I have no desire to ever go back, another reason I moved away from there.
For sure.
I was down there hunting one of the big WMAs one year, and had my small son with me. We were back off the main road a couple hundred yards on a path waiting to hear a gobble. Some guy walked up, saw us, and said, "I roosted one back here last night," and just walked right past us without slowing down. It's the standard line that excuses them for cutting you off and ruining your hunt.
Had a guy do it once when I had two boys with me while we were getting our stuff out of the truck. The trouble was, he wasn't there the night before roosting any bird, but we were. When I pointed that out to him, he mumbled and left. We ended up killing that bird we'd roosted that morning.
There was one infamous guy down on one of the big WMAs that came down about 3 years in a row, and wore tennis shoes. He was known for stopping at any truck and listening for gobbling, then would run past other hunters to the gobbling bird they were working. He actually killed one like that, so the story goes.
One time I had a fellow cuss my boys out for being where he wanted to be one morning when he got there. It was raining hard and blowing, and he was mad the weather didn't keep them in camp.
Another time, some guy actually crawled down a ditch to get in between my boys and a bird they were set up on and working, that was gobbling and coming in to them. He shot the bird about 60 yds from my two sons.
On several of the "open" WMAs, you have to get a daily quota to hunt. Our schedule was to always be in line by 2:30 a.m. in order to get near the front of the line and get a quota and back to the spot we wanted to be before anyone else did. That wears you down when you do that and then try to roost one every night.
The biggest problem down there is the other hunters. Getting away from other hunters is job one.
You'll run into some nice guys who know what they are doing, in addition to the yahoos. One time we were camping and had a guy come by that night to apologize for how rude he'd been that morning when he found us parked where he wanted to be. He said he'd driven around to all the campgrounds in the area looking for us because his conscience was bothering him. We invited him to sit around the fire and have a bite to eat. Turned out to be a real nice guy with some funny stories to tell.
After I killed my bird with an outfitter last year, I hunted a piece of public land and it was quite the opposite of what I always hear about. Myself and another man went in at daylight, found several gobbling birds in the swamp and had just about the entire place to ourselves. I only saw one other truck in the entire place.
When I go back (probably next year), I know where I'll be. Too bad you can only hunt until lunch though.
When I go back (probably next year), I know where I'll be. Too bad you can only hunt until lunch though.
bone2112
Senior Member
not that bad
The quota hunts were drawn last week, application deadline was November.
There is some open access public land where you don't need a permit........ come one come all
That sounds like an open invitation for us all to come hunt the Everglades out of your camp. You sure you have a big enough tent. I will bring my own water. Is a canteen full enough? I was thinking if about 6 of us show up you could spend a couple hours each morning kinda showing us around individually.... couldn't ya?
Gadget
Senior Member
That sounds like an open invitation for us all to come hunt the Everglades out of your camp. You sure you have a big enough tent. I will bring my own water. Is a canteen full enough? I was thinking if about 6 of us show up you could spend a couple hours each morning kinda showing us around individually.... couldn't ya?
No problem......... take yall over to "The Island", a place well known by the locals, an island surrounded by a swamp infested with about 100 Gators and a truck load of Water Moccasins, there's a loud mouthed gobbler that lives on the island that will gobble all morning inviting you to come kill him. The person who can go in there and kill him will be accepted into the "Clan".......
Bo D
Senior Member
I was hunting down south with my nephew which was maybe 10yrs old one year and had a bird on a string but was coming in slow, when he gets within 60yds some guy blast him shooting in my direction, I threw my nephew down and ran to the guy, I ripped the shotgun from the guy and threw it as far as i could and I beat the crap out of him, worst thing ever to feel a shotgun shot at you and a 10yr old boy, I just flipped out! Since that day Ive never seen another hunter around that area...some guys just learn the hard way!!! Still my favorite place to hunt Osceolas tho!
rutandstrut
Senior Member
I am not sure where y'all hunt at or are talking about. I have been hunting in Florida since the early 90'sand and have never experienced any of the things you are talking abou! I hunt almost exclusively on WMA's for Deer, Hogs and Turkeys. Normally I never see or hear another hunter. When I do they are courteous and normally stop to exchange greetings. Several of these chance encounters have resulted in new friendships and or Hunting Partners!
That is shocking.
