Florida Hunt...

It was a fun time Pat. Too bad we didn't take any really nice drake teal, even though we shot quite a few teal. I swear a few turned into hens when they hit the water. Seriously though, to judge the habitat here, you need to have seen it 15 years ago, or even just 5 years ago. In many places habitat was much better then. Brevard County use to be an incredible destination for the waterfowler...now you have to camp out in line at the managed areas where habitat is actively cultivated and restored on an ongoing basis. In the open marsh, nutrient pollution has turned open pot holes into cattail and willow carpeted wastelands. I'm here to say, we are working to fix these issues on multiple fronts. It's mostly why I don't post much anymore.
Hitch
 
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Hitch - We appreciate all the good work you have done and are doing. Keep fighting the good fight brother! People like you leave a positive mark on our waterfowling heritage. Pat
 
Steve, Thanks for the thoughtful and respectful answer. Also thanks for the "short" version. ;=)). That all makes sense, kinda like the snake answer. Personally I would have to think VERY hard about sending Booker into gator land. Every part of the country has dog hazards cars, porcupines, wolves, 220 Conibars, guys shooting cripples and ice so I'm not picking on Florida.
 
Tom, bring Booker to Florida and Drake will carry him on his back when its his turn to retrieve....not to worry what happens in the gator infested marshes to dogs of the wrong color STAYS IN THE GATOR INFESTED MARSHES OF FLORIDA....
Porcupines and Wolves....left those two off and I personally know people who have lost dogs to both...
Can it happen? FOR SURE... Does it happen?... Not very often....For instance the most popular permitted marsh, which is infested with Gators by the way and is the place Dani killed her 11 footer last year, (in the same cell that she and I and Drake and Mike have hunted many times, has NEVER had a dog even hurt by a Gator according to the present Manager and the only other manager the place has had in the 15 or more years its been open....
I'm far less likely to use a dog in the Storm Water Treatment hunting areas South of Lake Okeechobee and has been said I wouldn't swim a dog in the deep ditches that are the thermal refuges for Gators in the Winter...likewise I wouldn't send them into the giant Cattails hummocks for cripples without going with then....again based on the virtual non-existence of FIRST HAND evidence and the large numbers of dogs used in Florida without incidence I think that if one exercise good common sense they'll be alright....


So bring Booker down, we'll spray paint him the right color, BLACK, strap on a pair of tennis balls in a black sock, and the Gators will think he's a BLACK DOG and surrender at the ramp....


Steve


Steve
 
Oh come on Steve you forgot the lobotomy to make him a real black dog, he won't need tennis balls unless you are going to throw them for him. I do envy the warm weather. I didn't forget porkies but the wolf legend is just that kinda like gators ,can happen but somewhere common sense has to kick in. Seriously that is why I asked, we have very few gators in Mpls.
 
Why do you think they're so willing to swim with the Gators Tom? We'll just smack Booker on the head with a hammer and give him a temporary lobotomy...once he's back home and the dye has faded you can remove the "pair" and he'll be as good as new...

I follow an Upland Site that is "ripe" with THE BIG BAD WOLF stories....most of the dogs that have been killed appear to have been hounds and not bird dogs and there also seems to be a "peak time", that being denning season when they have unweaned pups....BIG SURPRISE that if you run a dog through a Wolf Den that they are not gonna be welcome....like you say I'm not seeing any "first hand evidence" where Bird Dogs are involved and that's not a surprise since by then the Wolves aren't at the den and the dogs are close to people.....like the Gator in the closet though there are people that are so afraid of it that they won't hunt their dogs even with the correct precautions....to me that's a loss for bot the dogs and the owners....

Let us know when you and Booker will be in Florida and we'll work in getting him in some Shark infested Waters to go with the Gators...


Steve
 
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Its a deal then come on up and we'll go chase some wolf packs. I'm a bit worried that with all this talk of "a pair" you are going to break out into a duck call commercial, please don't do that.
 
Since I think airboats are the worst thing on the Mississippi ( too loud) ... I will stay with the ice, wolves and other wonderful things of the north.... keep your lizards!


BTW-anyone want to go to St Paul next year?
 
When I was going to Florida last fall, to set the wife at ease, I told her if John brought one of his dogs, I wasn't too worried, he wouldn't put them in a high risk area. And if John didn't bring a dog, all I had to do was be faster than John.

How many have seen bear scat on their way to or from a Woodduck hole?

Chuck
 
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How many have seen bear scat on their way to or from a Woodduck hole?

Chuck
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I have. Not often, but I have.

Soooooooo lets see there....FL has snakes (BIIIIIIIG ones), gators, sharks and bears....oh and don't forget the murderous wild hog.....yup hunting here is definitely not for wienies
 
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When I was going to Florida last fall, to set the wife at ease, I told her if John brought one of his dogs, I wasn't too worried, he wouldn't put them in a high risk area. And if John didn't bring a dog, all I had to do was be faster than John.

How many have seen bear scat on their way to or from a Woodduck hole?

Chuck

Chuck--Of the many critters to be afraid of, black bears are WAY down on my list. They'll do a number on your garbage cans or compost pile if you are a slob, and your bird feeders if you are dumb enough to put them out in bear country. As for harming people and dogs, except for bear hounds who manage to catch up with the prey, I've never heard of any problems. I spend a lot of time in black bear country, step in bear scat all the time, and every bear I've ever seen--not many of them--has been running away from me. I surmise that a lot more have heard or smelled me coming and run away or hid before I got too lose. Bears habituated to human food may be another story. We don't seem to have that problem here.
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Damn, I forgot about bacon with teeth. One thing I remember about living in Ga. is don't hit one with a car. Kinda like concrete.
 
I like to hunt with the dogs and take them as often as I can. There are places I won't take the dogs though. That's why Rex stayed home on days two and three. The lagoon is safe although there are gaters in the salty water. Shallow marsh without ditches is also very safe, and having a well trained dog is most important. Snakes are another thing. I've been hit in the boot by a moccasin that was no where near water while turkey hunting. Duck hunting in cold water is one thing , but when it gets warmer, the snakes (and gators) get more lively.
BTW, Rex got his post season haircut this morning. He'll be wearing his vest for the youth hunts if it's cold.
rex001.jpg

 
Hitch - Nice to see Rex the wonder dog! I miss him already. He is welcome to come with his owner to Illinois anytime to hunt in gator free waters... Pat
 
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