How's the Pig Hunting in Florida?

[Nala]

Hey all,

I might be moving in several months to Florida.  It will be on the west coast side from the Sarasota/Bradenton are to the Ft. Myers area.  I'd like to be on the west of I75 and not in any town or crowded neighborhood encampments.

I'd like to get an idea of what the hog hunting is like.  I know I would have to go more towards the middle and south of the state to get into the good areas of hunting...is that the case?

Also since I doubt I am going to be living on a big piece of land, I will have to hunt PUBLIC lands...or meet someone that owns property and will give me access, which is a longshot at best.

I'd like to get an idea of what kind of situation to hunt that I am looking at getting into.

Any details you can give me would be awesome and really helpful.  Heck it might sway me to other areas to live that I wasn't thinking of.

Thanks everyone for any info and advice.

Larry

[Roadkill]

Apparently there are none or...those that know aren't sharing

[Soonerlongbow]

Two years ago I went to Florida and saw several sleeping along the road side.

[huskyarcher]

Never hunted public land down there, but ive hunted for years with Jim Dussias of Olde Florida Bowhunting (heading down in a couple of weeks) and killed several. I would bet its just like hunting anything public, put in more time and effort than everyone else and you will do better than everyone else!

[fnshtr]

Sent you a PM.

[Nala]

The problem is that in that area of Florida the public hunting for hogs isn't much at all.  Most WMA's that have hog hunting are draw hunts and even then they are 2 or 3 days.  Some of the WMA's up north have year around hog hunting, the one at Lake Kissimee does, I think.  I might have to end up driving a while to that one.  I'm not 100% sure about that place though.

I really don't have very much hope to hog hunt in Florida at all.
Miracles can happen though....I guess.

[Terry Green]

There are hogs all over the state...not just south or in the middle.

More in a bit...

[Terry Green]

North FL.....extreme north...like 10 miles from GA line...

   

[Terry Green]

All the following are south middle FL....

However, there are hogs within just a few miles of the beaches on either coast and the panhandle in certain areas.  FL is a hog factory...

 

[Terry Green]

[Terry Green]

[Dan Landis]

Terry, were these taken on public land?  Been thinking of going for a several week stay.  Would be nice if I could cross a hog off the bucket list.

[Terry Green]

No....they were private land.  I'm sure there's public land you can hunt in FL that has hogs....I'm just not familiar with them.

[swampdrummer]

Nala,
Green swamp, Upper Hillsborough, Richloam, Chasawhiska. For the first 3, get down in he river swamp and start looking around. Chasawiska, No clue but I've heard theres a bunch of hogs in there.

[oldskool]

When I was stationed in Fl I hunted Ocala WMA. Lots of hogs there. Along with deer, bears, turkeys and rattlesnakes.

[Mint]

I hunted Jumper Creek WMA a couple of times and I didn't know a thing about hunting and I saw a nice 8pt buck and a nice group of hogs. The hogs were exiting the WMA to go feed on nearby ranch lands and you could see were they were passing under the barb wire fence. I set up in the WMA and that crossing before first light and hunted there.
The area is very thick and swampy but was a wild place to hunt if you ventured deep into the WMA. Get a good GPS or you might get lost there, a lot of people do.

If I lived in Florida I would get on the quota hunts, try to find private land and book some hog hunts with some outfitters.

[Nala]

Terry, thank you for those pics and info.  You and the others have lifted my spirits about hog hunting when I get there.

It's tough when you go somewhere new and you don't know anyone except family and a neighbor or 2.  That makes it hard to meet those that have a lot of land where I could possibly hunt.

I will say that just based on this thread and the messages I have gotten, I feel 100% better about getting opportunities to hunt hogs in Florida!!

Awesome members here!!