Never Hunted, Want to Start - Tampa

[Haikan]

I am an intermediate archer with a recurve bow and I want to start hunting with my girlfriend.  I've never hunted, and nobody in my family has ever hunted.  I don't know any friends who hunt in Florida (so the mentor route is a no-go) however money's been tight and I would like to get started hunting for some organic, free-range meat.

I don't really care what's going on the table, I'll hunt anything that is likely to be found and slain by a novice hunter with no teacher.  I have read some books on hunting, took the bowhunter ed course online and am scheduled for a hunter's safety course, and I am in excellent physical shape (as is my girlfriend).  I'd love to get a wild hog, but again, I'd settle for raccoon or even squirrel.

Could someone give me some pointers on how I could get started?  I'm really intimidated by all of the regulations with WMAs because I've never held a tag in my hand/used a quota card or anything like that before.  I am good at making friends so maybe I could ask people to use their land for healing their varmint woes?  Any advice will be taken with great gratitude.

Thanks!

-Andy

[wooddamon1]

Check these guys out, I'll bet you will meet some great guys with plenty of info for ya...

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Traditional-Bowhunters-of-Florida/254901034592886?ref=ts&fref=ts

I'm sure others will chime in from FL. Good luck, you'll have a blast.

[gringol]

I'll send you a pm.  The wma regs are pretty intimidating, but aren't that bad once you've read them a few times.  Fl is in the south, and the south has a long history of pay to hunt operations.I dont think you'll have much luck finding people that will let you hunt unless you pay them.  The wmas can be good, but can also be extremely frustrating.  I would be happy to take you out to a couple.

[DamselflyFarm]

That hunter safety course you're signed up for will be a big help.

[Huh]

Around 2000 I was on Eglin airforce base and we camped, fished and hunted on base land.  Saw quite a few deer too.  I know it isn't in your backyard, but it might be another public land option for a long weekend.

[Converml]

If you have lived in the city all your life or if not but haven't been around the hunting scene, the  best thing to do would be get out in the woods just sit down and watch. It's a different world and needs to be understood ( as best we can) so it can be respected before it is hunted. What you learned in collage required time and the woods is a more demanding teacher. That said enjoy the years you have ahead of you it is a wonderful journey.

[Haikan]

Thank you everyone for the help and words of wisdom! Before moving to Tampa I lived in a heavily forested small town in PA where I hiked and fished a lot. If only florida woods were the same I'd not be as nervous, but I'm definitely "going in cold" with these southern woods.         :D

[Converml]

Nothing to be nervous about. There are many on site who have never killed anything bigger than a flea so just don't get discouraged.

Hunting trad is MUCH more difficult than with other forms of equipment because it requires a familiarity with the habits and goings on in the hunted area. I never got a buck last year but didn't have the time to put in becoming familiar with new hunting grounds to me. If I had hunted with diffrent equipment that may have been diffrent as the buck I saw came out bout 75 yards from me and skipped through some geese before he settled to graze.

     Not trying to discourage you but just don't want you to become discouraged thinking that success is measured by how many kills you have as some other sites can encourage at times. Just don't plan on filling the freezer and living off hunting anytime soon.
   
    Fortunately you like hiking as that is a big part of hunting. If I come back to the house and didn't kill anything I tell the wife I went stumping if I didn't find a stump to shoot at well then I went hiking.                that will be the best thing you can do to become more familiar with the grounds you are hunting.
                     
   Then the stuff you will pick up here as well. So keep asking and welcome aboard.

[Sam McMichael]

Look up TBOF, Traditional Bowhunters of Florida. They are great folks, sponsor some really nice 3D shoots, and can help you get started bowhunting. They will be able to steer you toward good hunting areas and can recommend guide services. They have a forum on Trad Gang. Just introduce yourself and they will respond with a lot of good advice. You may find that that the no-no aspect of mentoring may well become a yes-yes when you get to know some of these people. Also, get a copy of Florida's hunting regulations, and that will help you get started with learning all the regulatory info. Good luck and good hunting.

[old_goat2]

you live in a great place to bowfish too! There are some forums dedicated to that too which might get you into some like minded people to do the mentor thing.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

  I want to start hunting with my girlfriend......  

I see a conflict of interest going on here unless your girl friend is an experienced hunter and / or shares the same interest in doing this.... Personally my wife doesn't want anything to do with the killing part. Once it's hanging meat.... She's Game on!  

The hunting part is fun stuff, but the part of hunting that requires you to spill blood and be responsible for it, isn't for everyone.....  You may want to start with small game like rabbits. if you can kill and field dress rabbits without loosing your lunch, you'll be fine with deer. i don't think i wouldn't recommend making a hog your first kill.... it may end up being your last one....

[Bowwild]

I would recommend you check with your Florida Wildlife Agency as well.  Your state has excellent "learn to hunt-type programs" including mentored hunts.

Some of the animals you've listed or folks are suggesting have very distinct hunting seasons. You'll want to first and foremost about by wildlife regulations that sportsmen and women put into force more than 100 years ago.

[Juan Matos]

Our stories are similar.  My parents didn't hunt.  No one in my family hunted.  But we did have a fishing background.  That let to Field and Stream magazines at my place when I was a kid which brought hunting into my radar.  When I was 18 I luckily stumbled into a place that sold hunting licenses and someone there gave me point in the right direction.

I just looked at the WMAs map of florida.  Ocala isn't the closest one to Tampa but it does seem to have the best harvest figures.  I would try to get over there if you could make it.  Back in the day I lent a friend of mine with zero hunt experience a .270 rifle I had.  He and another clueless buddy spent a weekend there.  The guy that I lend the rifle to killed a buck and the other guy saw bucks.  Go to Ocala if you can.  I'm in Miami and wish it wasn't so far so that I could go every weekend during archery season.  I believe going regularly would be dooable for you.

[tarponnut]

I highly recommend getting involved in TBOF. You'll meet a lot of nice folks who are very willing to share their knowledge.
Getting permission to hunt private land in Florida is very difficult at best. I would focus on learning as much as you can about the closest WMA to where you live.Get out and walk it, find sign, stump shoot(if it's allowed). Having an intimate knowledge of your hunting ground will really up the odds in your favor.
Success in traditional bowhunting should never be judged on whether you killed something or not. Many of the close misses, or almosts are more memorable than the harvests.

[Haikan]

All of this advice is invaluable; thank you all so much! I'm really allured to rabbit hunting because I like the idea of combing through brush with a partner fifteen feet abreast, (and the aforementioned girlfriend has a slightly keener eye for spotting animals than I do which could be handy), so I've started practicing shooting stuffed animals she tosses through the air for moving-target practice. Also it seems one can hunt rabbit any time of the year, like hogs.  

[gringol]

Ocala has deer, but bow hunting it is brutal.  Bucks only, and not a lot.  Its a great area, but i wouldn't get too excited about the possibilities for a newbie to harvest a deer up there with a bow.

[Dave Lay]

this may be against the grain, but as a total newbe to hunting, have you considered small game hunting with a .22? then progress into a bow? the meat on the table seems to be your driving force and thats good, but the learning curve may discourage you...

[Haikan]

If I can I'd like to avoid using or owning a gun. Just a personal preference. I do plan on going to the Upper Hillsborough WMA ahead of time and without my bow to check out the area and practice finding and stalking rabbits if I can. It's legal to enter a WMA and sneak up on animals pre-license as long as you don't kill anything, right? I just want practice getting within 15 yards for now.

[gringol]

Upper Hillsborough is quota permit only.  I'd spend my time at green swamp if i were you, no quota permit for archery.  

Stalking down here is very hard.  Things are very brushy and the brush is pretty noisy.  Finding a good spot and sitting will probably be more productive.  Stalking is more fun, but down here when youre moving you usually dont see the game until you're busted.

[joe ashton]

there is a great resource in Florida.
Nicki Roth at archery outfitters. google him.
He has hog hunts that are very inexpensive and you will learn a ton of hunting stuff.  Good luck.
Joe