Last week, I told y’all about my scouting trips out to the Chassahowitzka WMA on our most western edge of the county. Today, I want to tell you about my trips out to visit the WMA along our Eastern edge. The Richloam Wildlife Management Area. Now, we here in Hernando County don’t have exclusive rights to this fifty-eight thousand acre plus property as we share it with Sumter, Pasco and Lake Counties, but it surely is worth a ride out there for a hunt.
One thing nice about Richloam is that archery season, beginning September 18th does not require a quota permit in order to hunt during the first nine days.
Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Hunting license, management area permit, archery permit, deer permit (if hunting deer), wild turkey permit (if hunting wild turkey) and migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds).
And it hosts a very healthy population of game. Legal to hunt: deer with at least one antler having three or more points (each point 1-inch or more in length) OR a main beam length of 10 inches or more, wild hog, turkey of either sex, gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria, migratory birds in season, and non-protected birds. That leaves little reason not to put some sort of meat on your table.
I want you, it’s wet! There is easy access for all types of vehicles on the graded and well-maintained main roads. But, if you get off onto too many of the side trails, you’d best have a good four-wheel drive. The forest has a healthy mixture of hardwood river bottoms, big cypress swamps and high piney flat woods, but I recommend the swamps don’t be afraid to get a little wet. Inside the big swamps, there are small tussock islands and if you find them, know these are often the most used bedding areas for the older bucks. It’s almost impossible to sneak up on them. But slip on while he’s out feeding and you won’t mind the soggy boots one bit!
Finding those tiny islands can cost you a lot of wading or you can learn to read a topographical map. Once you survey a topo map, you can spot these tiny islands and save yourself a lot of blind wandering.
Here’s a huge bonus: Richloam is host to arguably the highest density of wild turkeys anywhere in central Florida. And, they are available to hunt, either sex. An occasional yelp and some clucks can put one of those beautiful and delicious birds in your truck. I carry a wingbone yelper around my neck on a lanyard any time I’m out with my bow. It’s called in quite a few, past turkey dinners for me.
Now, folks, I hope you know how much I love hearing from you all, so drop me a note at [email protected]. God Bless, and good hunting!
