I’ve been taking to the woods a lot lately, especially the local public lands, and thought maybe I might stay with you some of what I found. I’ll tell you this week, about my forecast for the archery season in the Chassahowitzka WMA. It’s going to be a good season.
Now, the Chassahowitzka WMA is a bit over 24,000 acres situated on the northwestern corner of our county. It’s a beautiful mix of pine flats and flat wood scrub and large oak hammocks with mixed old-growth hardwoods. There is plenty of access to deep cypress swamps and tidal marsh on the far western edge. And all of it is loaded with the opportunity to put a bit of fresh protein on your table.
Now, primarily, during archery season the target game is whitetail deer. I found enough signs in both the flat woods and hardwoods to predict a good season. Of the tracks I read, quite a few were left by bucks and with the liberal antler restrictions, with at least one antler having two or more points with at least one of the main beams being five inches in length.
Turkeys are present in really good numbers. There are tracks all over the sandy roads and I noted an awful lot of dustbowls. There are abundant tracks left by mature gobblers, however, this WMA is one of the few that allows us to harvest either sex for turkeys. I promise you, each time I enter the property for a buck, I’ll be carrying a wing bone yelper around my neck. I do love me a mess of fried breast nuggets on my plate!
Looking for hogs? That’s one species I didn’t find in nearly as plentiful numbers, however, I didn’t get to the western areas and suspect you can find enough to make you happy as they generally feed closer to the Gulf in the heat of Summer.
Now know that the season begins on the 14th of September, but for the first nine days, you’ll need to be in possession of one of the one hundred and fifty quota permits issued by our Florida Wildlife Commission. Or, a guest permit accompanied by a permit holder. But, on day ten, the gates are open for all bowhunters. I don’t have a quota permit myself, but you can bet, I will be in there on day ten!
Be bear aware! Along the edges of the oak hammocks and ponds, I came across a bear sign aplenty. Florida black bears are definitely shy and do not want an encounter with any of us, but take an extra minute and put your coolers in the can of your pickup. It’s not likely you’ll have a problem, but why tempt Yogi n’ BooBoo with the offer of a snack at your expense?
Where to begin? Since the season opens on the fourteenth, you can bet you’ll be in the woods, well ahead of the acorn drop. I’d recommend taking a hard look at the flat woods and locating a good amount of palmetto berries; you can gauge the feeding activity by the sign you find. Those berries, as they begin to ripen, are an important part of a whitetail’s diet, but definitely keep an eye out for persimmons.
Persimmon trees with fruit on them are a huge draw. I found a few small patches of persimmon growing near some low areas with water. And those persimmons attract an awful lot of game. Once the ripe fruit begins to fall, deer will alter their travel patterns to bring them to those small groves, looking for any freshly fallen fruit.
If you have any questions or comments about today’s column or the Chassahowitzka WMA, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. God Bless, and good hunting!
