Florida Weather

[Hobbes_mobile]

I can follow the weather online but wondered about conditions in Florida this spring, specifically from Orlando and south a 100 miles or so. I've seen some discussion about some significant rain lately. Has it been an especially wet year.

I'll be hunting with a friend of a friend to start so will discuss with him as well. I may jump into the WMA madness if that hunt goes especially well. I suppose ill bring rubber boots but wonder if there's any benefit over just wearing lower lighter shoes and planning on wet feet.

I've hunted wet swampy stuff before. Sometime rubber boots were a benefit but once my feet were wet I'd have been better off without them.

[aristico]

Hot as hell...

[howl]

Back when I hunted down there I settled on ripple sole jungle boots and good quick drying socks. Water drains out and socks dry as you walk. There's probably some new and improved version of that these days. For a short trip I'd probably just abuse some old non-waterproof fabric hiking boots. They'll dry over the course of a morning after being soaked.

I remember the weather as fine. 'course, I did my hunting early in the season. Headed OOS for better hunting ASAP.

[GLS]

It's getting harder and harder to find hiking boots without them being "waterproof". Which means once it finally gets inside, it will remain. And it will get inside. In SE Ga., I ran into an experienced turkey hunter wearing crocs. Gil

[Hobbes_mobile]

I may bring tennis shoes that I can change over to if/when the boots get saturated. I used to wade everything that way when the weather was warm while fishing, turkey hunting, teal hunting...

[turkyjoe]

Here's and example have a good hunt

[turkyjoe]

That's a 7810 John deer on a trail in South Florida wma

[Hobbes_mobile]

That's a 7810 John deer on a trail in South Florida wma

I'll be bringing tennis shoes and shorts for that. My white legs may scare some folks though. Maybe not If I'm up to my waist in water.

It's got Tobe better than this for a short while anyway:

Side note.........I'm pretty sure an old 4020 is the only Deere that I've driven and that was around 30 to 35 years ago.

[HunterGKS]

Don't forget to take your snake boots & gator repellent!!

[Hobbes_mobile]

Don't forget to take your snake boots & gator repellent!!

I used to wear the Lacrosse snake boots years ago when they came out. They were really comfortable and much lighter than rubber boots. They eventually started leaking and wore out. I bought a second pair and they were complete junk. They leaked immediately and wore out in no time. I've not used them since. A 12 is the only gator repellent that I'll have.

I'm more concerned with mosquitoes than anything, but the thermacell and bathing in deer should fix that.

[guesswho]

Don't forget to take your snake boots & gator repellent!!

And Python britches!

[OLE RASPY]

I may not be much help. Lol
But when me and buddy went in 2012 to kill the Osceola we didn’t wear snake stuff or we never seen a gator or snake. Hunted St. Cloud florida. Never got wet. Arrived that day and killed that day. 10,000 acres if I remember correctly. But it was a guided hunt. Payed $1500. Maybe higher now.
But on a side note I can understand where water snakes and gators can come into play.
It was HOTTTT though. 93 degrees. Got back to ky the next day and it was 20 something high.

[Hobbes_mobile]

The heat and humidity will for certain be a shock. Stepping back off the plane into Montana afterwards may be a bigger shock.

[joey46]

There is currently a "boot discussion" ongoing on www.floridasportsman.com in the General Hunting section. No real agreement there either among the locals. Yes it has been a little wetter and warmer than usual but our house A/C has been off since Thanksgiving with no discomfort. Since you're flying you won't have room for multiple pairs of footware. Give it your best guess figuring you will step into deeper than expected water at some point.
I'll add another reply with pictures that will pretty much show what a "crap shoot" guess the weather and water levels can be.
You can always PM me right before you leave and I'll give you the latest intel. My hunting buddy lives in the Orlando area and I live near Sarasota. We hunt properties in the Highlands/Hardee County area within 10 miles of Avon Park. If you end up in a WMA south of Orlando we can guess which ones will be open since you won't have a quota permit and will be limited to the few "romp and stomps". Best bet to only hunt those on weekdays. Remember south of State Route 70 is the south zone which will close two weeks earlier than you may expect. Again - good luck.

[joey46]

Adding a few pictures. Two of my hunting buddy with birds from exactly the same cypress swamp but one from a wet year and one from a dry year. Rubber boots or fast draining jungle boots normally needed here. Picture of me from last year with a late season pasture bird. Dry as could be. And a favorite picture (not mine) that has been all over the internet. The poster said it was taken in the Big Cypress area which is probably where the picture posted by "turkyjoe" was taken. Big Cypress is an area everyone should hunt at least once. Pictures of course posted in reverse order but I'm always happy when they post at all. LOL.
That panther picture is a classic. I've had bobcats do that.

[Hobbes_mobile]

We'll be flying into Sarasota. Our friends live in Winter Haven. Supposed to start hunting near Placid Lake.

[joey46]

Small world. Maybe we could meet up at the Wild Turkey Tavern on Route 27 between Avon Park and Lake Placid. Has good food and several full mount Osceolas on the walls. A tradition for us at least once or twice per season.

[guesswho]

We'll be flying into Sarasota. Our friends live in Winter Haven. Supposed to start hunting near Placid Lake.

Small world indeed. I grew up in Lakeland, and hunted Avon Park and South. Had some private just South of Hwy 70.

[soiltester]

I'll be in the Lake Wales area the 21st and hope to head to Venice after and do some Gulf fishing again this year!!

[Hobbes_mobile]

I'll be in the Lake Wales area the 21st and hope to head to Venice after and do some Gulf fishing again this year!!

Who do you do your Gulf fishing with?

[soiltester]

I'll be in the Lake Wales area the 21st and hope to head to Venice after and do some Gulf fishing again this year!!

Who do you do your Gulf fishing with?

My Michigan farmer buddy/ex-client, where/who I turkey and goose hunt with


Here's his boat :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDMWop3OKAo

[Hobbes_mobile]

Oh, okay. I thought maybe you were going with a commercial outfit.

[GLS]

In looking at the Florida sportsman web site listed above, it reminded me of the boots I wore for the first 20 years or more turkey hunting. Jungle boots, Vietnam era. Designed to let the water in and out for quick drying. They'd eventually wear out from constant wet. The last pair I bought were the Altama and they didn't last but a couple of seasons. Ebay has them for as low as $30 a pair. Probably won't last, but I am considering ordering two pair to alternate for drying purposes this year. There are a couple of places I hunt that are deeper than rubber boots and I refuse to wear hip boots. Lightweight Turtleskin snake gaiters will help with the no shoulders issue at least above the foot and ankle.

[soiltester]

Oh, okay. I thought maybe you were going with a commercial outfit.

I can get you the names of a couple Captains that he's fished with and good friends with out of Venice.
Sad part, is the weather has to be just right, for it all to come to be.

[joey46]

Going to maybe set a record for daytime highs today and Sunday. 90 degrees. No rain to speak of. Walked through some close by undeveloped sections of Sarasota/Charlotte Counties several times over the past week (no legal hunting areas). Heard three gobblers sounding off at first light Thursday morning. They shut up after fly down. Heard hens yesterday but no gobbles. Situation normal. Heading out now to walk and listen again.