Other than the worldwide and deadly COVID-19 pandemic, it was a perfect morning for Paul and I to be spring gobbler hunting on Florida public land. We had the trailhead to ourselves in Devils Hammock WMA in Levy County. We had come close to connecting with more than one Osceola gobbler here the week before and had a good idea where they were roosting, so our confidence was high. Keep in mind the Osceola, Meleagris gallopavo osceola, which occurs only in the Florida Peninsula, is widely considered the most challenging to hunt of the six wild turkey subspecies. They aren’t as vocal as the Eastern turkey, and often come in without making a sound. But I had my lucky wing-bone call that I made from an Osceola gobbler I killed a decade ago. This call is so powerful, simply having it in my vest is strong medicine. Yelping with it would be a death sentence for any gobbler that heard it, so I also brought my best camera to document the hunt.
 
Before first light we eased our way to the edge of a creek bottom where we thought the gobbler would be enjoying his last dreams of hot hens before departing this world thanks to a deadly pattern of 12-gauge Federal TSS turkey loads. In short order, a gobbler fired off within 50-75 yards, so we knew we were in the perfect spot! We quickly set out a few decoys and settled into our blinds with great shooting lanes into the bottom, from where we hoped he would soon come strutting into our set-up.
 
Just as I finished readying my calls and gun, we heard another turkey, a hen, fly down between us and the gobbler. It was disappointing, but we still had hopes of calling him and his girlfriend our way. But he flew down and moved just south of us. He answered our best slutty hen yelps, but it was with that dreaded, “I’m here and I’ve got plenty for you too, baby, come on over.” He gobbled his invitation multiple times as he and his hen moved away.
 
Ok, time for Plan B. After whispering back and forth, with Paul using the phrase, “Those bastards” multiple times, we decided to move and set up in the area we last heard him. I’ll save the reader further disappointment and just come out with it … no, we never saw him, or even got him to gobble again. After an hour or two we packed up our gear and moped back to the truck. But little did we know the morning’s excitement wasn’t over.
 
After stowing our gear, as responsible Back Country Hunters and Anglers members, we began picking up trash in the parking area. Paul found a spent 16-gauge shotgun shell and explained they usually have purple hulls, something I didn’t know. A few minutes later, he said “Here’s another one.” As he picked it up, with disbelief we both realized that instead of a 16-gauge shell, he was holding a used purple tampon applicator! With a look of horror of in his eyes, Paul quickly dropped it. After grabbing a disinfectant wipe to dispose of the applicator and sanitizing our hands like our lives depended on it (though I never touched it), we both got a really big laugh out of his misfortune, noting how similar the two objects appear from a distance.
 
Lessons Learned / Gear: 

• The Osceola never ceases to impress and frustrate
• Be ready to pick up and move and move fast. A decent percentage of the Osceola turkeys I've killed were from my second or third set-up
• Decoys can be very important
• A short barreled shotgun that patterns well out to 40 yds 
• Pop-up blind and comfortable seat
• I'm using a red dot sight this year and like it. I can shoot with or without my dang reading glasses on and with both eyes open.

Credits:

• Paul Ramey for his writing expertise

​

The deer hunting gods sent us plenty of photos and videos of decent Florida Public Land bucks leading up to archery and through the gun seasons. However, as soon as the archery season started and throughout gun season those bucks were no where to be seen. Yes, the heat, rain, wind, moon, insects, conspired to make many hunting days miserable. 
After the "living hell" of archery season, as Paul L. described it, I still had hope for the last hunts of the gun season.  
on one of the last hunts, Paul R. and I set out with our 30-06 and .308 "deer" rifles with absolute confidence. That confidence quickly waned and was sliding towards despair after one of our last  morning hunts and of sitting and sitting high in a tree with out seeing a thing.
I decided to walk and stalk for hogs and look for buck sign later that morning....who knows I may even see a buck, I foolishly thought. I cased my 30-06 and loaded my walk and stalk rifle of choice, a short barreled AR-15 with Hornady .223 Full Boar ammo. I chose an old logging trail through some open swamp and hammocks that terminated at the marsh. I like the old logging or tram trails as they are sometimes called. They were constructed long ago to log the hard to reach areas in the swamps. Typically 8'  to 10' wide and about a foot higher than the surrounding swamp, they make great pathways to access hard to reach areas and are heavy used by deer and hogs. Often these logging trails connect oak and pine hammocks with large ancient Live Oaks and palmetto thickets that provide food and bedding. 

The sow and piglets in the video were following a logging trail  that connects multiple oak hammocks. The hogs almost always seem to take the easy and direct route where deer will at times avoid using the logging trails if they sense danger.
Very slowly walking and watching with the wind in my face, I was feeling good to be out of the tree stand. Seeing fresh deer and hog sign made me think that even the deer gods might shine on me. I still hunted the logging trail for approximately 1-1/2 miles until the trail ran out against the marsh, actually a game trail continued to a nearby island but the island was too thick to approach quietly. After a few detours and exploring a couple side trails I turned and headed back.
I moved a bit faster as the wind was not favorable and I doubted that I would see any game. However, not a 1/4 mile from my truck a hog bolted out of the swamp and in the split second it took to shoulder my rifle the hog was out of sight into an oak hammock and palmetto thicket. I jogged down the trail until I was downwind of the thicket then moved extremely slowly toward the palmettos. As I make it the edge of the thicket, stopping with each step to look and listen, I saw a palmetto frond slightly move approximately 30 feet away. I shouldered my rifle and looked through my scope set at 1.5 power I saw the online of the black hog standing under the palmettos. I placed the red dot on the hog and squeezed the trigger. The Hornady .223 Full Boar hollow point found its mark and the hog tumbled over. I approached slowly and saw that it was a small to medium sow and took a second shot to end it.

The next weekend brought with it the last hunt of the deer season and I was determined to kill a buck. Paul R. and I decided to hunt an area where some very nice bucks had recently showed up on camera. We carried our climbers in and set up about 200 yds away from each other. I was so determined to kill a buck that I brought my 30-06 rifle, sure that having my "deer" rifle in the stand would be looked upon with favor by the deer gods. I climbed to about 30 feet in a large and tall pine to ensure that my scent would not be an issue. No bucks presented themselves along the swamp edge or small clearing and trail I was watching but early in the evening I heard some splashing coming towards me along the swamp edge. Sure my prayers and commitment had paid off,  I was already looking through the 3x9 scope for the big buck but he had already morphed into a big black boar hog. I put my crosshairs just behind his shoulder and took a quartering shot. The 168 grain Hornady Precision Hunter bullet dropped the hog in its tracks.

And so that's how my "deer" season went. And I have come to accept that the hunting gods may have determined that I will forever be roaming the swamps and hammocks in search of wild and invasive hogs to kill..... so be it.
I'm thinking of building an AR-15 in .300 blackout to help with that effort.

GEAR USED:

• Daniel Defense AR-15 chambered in .556 with Steiner 1x4 illuminated reticle scope.
• Kimber Montana chambered in 30-06 with 3x9 scope
• Kuiu RA 2200 pack with my standard loadout for day hunts (water bladder and way too much gear).
• Ruger Super Redhawk in .44 Magnum shooting 230 grain solids carried in a chest holster
• Snake boots

LESSONS LEARNED:

• The AR-15 shooting the .223 Hornady Full Boar ammo is effective but perhaps too light a round for large hogs, although I have killed one or two large ones with it. The 30-06 is a fantastic rifle and cartridge but doesn't allow for fast, both eyes open target acquisition or fast enough follow up shots on running hogs. Hence my idea that an AR-15 chambered in .300 Blackout may be an ideal set up (?).

Paul with a sow he arrowed one evening at the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
Gear:

• Mathews no cam bow
• Magnus buzzcut stinger broadhead
• Easton carbon arrows
• Shot at approx. 30 yds from a Summit climber tree stand

The arrow went through the hog on a diagonal entering the side and passing through and breaking the rear ham bone. The hog ran a few yards.
Paul was set up on the edge of a small oak hammock with swamp on three sides when he heard the sow coming through the swamp. 
The weather has been unseasonably hot this September and early October. As Paul put it, "a living hell." Now, Paul is from Colorado, and not acclimated to the misery. In fairness I think it was just downright miserable. Even the morning hunts were hot. By the time we hiked in the 2 miles to our setups and climbed up in our stands we were soaked. But that was often the easy part. Then came the kamikaze yellow flies and or mosquitoes and the gnats that made you fantasize about calling in a napalm run on your coordinates to bring the misery to an end. You had to cover as much exposed skin as possible to deal with it — and did I mention our Thermacells and deet had no effect on the gnats....in fact we now wonder if it is a perverse attractant. 
But yet Paul and I went back time and time again. We even had another buddy from Gainesville join us on a couple hunts. Why did we? What is wrong or right with us? Are we simply the last of the dinosaurs, a generation that still believes in going to the wilderness to kill something and drag it home for dinner? These and other questions will be pondered over the campfire next month in the San Juan Mountains National Forest of Colorado in pursuit of Elk. At least it will be cold.

An “interesting” find during this weeklong hunt was a den of pigmy rattlesnakes residing within inches of our trail to our tree stands. Upon discovery of the snakes....by nearly stepping on them, we relocated our trail.
In the photo above we observed two male pigmy rattlesnakes fighting for dominance....apparently on mating activity per our buddy that works for the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. BTW-the museum is well worth your time if you’re in the area.

Other Recommended Gear:

• Snake boots
• Gloves and face mask/head covering for the gnats
• Lots of water...and hydrate prior to getting out there
• A good attitude

No trophy deer yet on camera but this a very nice public land buck by our standards

There is still some high water but its receding fast.

 Bike unloaded and ready for another sweat drenched 6 or so mile ride to swap out game camera SD cards. Its early September and the humidity and temps are both in the 90's and the ride will be made even more miserable....I mean FUN! .........and made even more fun by the addition of mosquitoes and yellow flies! I also never see anyone else out here.....how lucky am to have this refuge to myself!!!

A flooded trail crossing

For bow hunters (bow hunters is another name for gluttons for punishment), these beautiful summer days in July and August are to be cherished if you can appreciate and endure very hot temperatures with sweat drenching humidity (in between the numerous thunderstorms), yellow flies, mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, active alligators, snakes and all the other beautiful flora and fauna that surrounds you as you bike and hike with eyes burning from your sweat, and your heart beating out if your chest.
It's a test of wills and strength. It's definitely mind of matter. Your mind wanders and you ponder the meaning of life and why you don't have one, in moments of weakness you even question why you are out here but then you snap back and go through mental checklists...did I remember the SD cards, how pissed you are that your snake boots are no longer waterproof, why you have no friends that will go with you, etc. Then you settle into a groove, conserve energy when you can, focus on your surroundings, the next location to scout, next game camera to replace the SD card, drink regularly from your packs hydration reservoir, etc., and re-discover that this is where you belong, This is real life for you. And this makes you a better hunter.

To add to the fun this year, August is wet and getting wetter. Over the top of your boots wet.

Valuable pre-season scouting tools:

• A decent mountain bike. I purchased mine from a pawn shop and made a few modifications.
• Waterproof snake boots or rubber boots 
• A game cart / trailer you can pull with your bike
• A machete or heavy bush knife (I use the Esee Junglas) and small saw for trimming shooting lanes, etc.
• small pack with hydration bladder
• bug repellent, face mask, hat, rain jacket, etc.
• first aid kit / survival kit
• GPS or GPS program on your phone. I have a Garmin handheld and GAIA GPS app on my phone.

After a few more hunts and four more dead hogs shooting a Daniel Defense M4 platform with a few modifications and shooting Hornady Full Boar .223 ammo I have a few observations. First to put my comments in context, I typically hunt public lands and hunt well off the beaten track, often walking for miles through swamps and hammocks, stalking hogs. The M4's light weight , and carbine length, lends itself to the type of hunting I do.

• The DD M4 platform is an excellent hog carbine when modified with a good trigger and low power, fast optic.
• The optic I chose is a Steiner 1-4 power with an illuminated reticle. The scope is bright in low light, has good eye relief and an adjustable red dot reticle. I found it relatively easy to stay on running hogs through the swamp. 
• Trigger: I chose a a 3.5 pound CMC trigger. It was an easy drop in installation and breaks very clean and resets lighting fast. And at about $160 its a good value. 
• Light: I installed a basic Streamlight forward on the M-Lok rail where it is easy to turn on and off.

Impressions of the Hornady Full Boar .223 ammunition:
PRO's:

• It's an impressive load, fast, accurate, with good penetration, expansion and devastating wound channel.
• You still need decent shot placement for a kill.
• The low recoil allows you to stay on fast moving targets and fast follow up shots.

CON's:

• This is a light load, too light for less than ideal shot placement.
• I would not want to test this load against a large charging boar.

Lessons learned:

• The M4 carbine properly set up can be an effective easy and enjoyable to hunt hogs with, and well suited to the walk and stalk / still hunting.
• The largest hog I killed was just over 200 pounds and it took two shots on the run to take him down. 
• Smaller hogs can be taken down with one well placed shot.
• It would be wise to carry a large caliber side arm if things go sideways with a large hog.

Having shot hogs with a number of different weapons from arrows to 250 grain, .50 cal black-powder rounds, I decided to try a couple different M4 / AR-15 set ups.
I'm in the process of setting up a used Daniel Defense M4 carbine I found in a local pawn shop, chambered in 6.8 SPC. I'm setting it up with a Leupold 3x9 VX-R firedot scope, installed a 3.5 pound trigger and a free float M-Lok handguard. As soon as I have killed some hogs with it I will post my impressions.
In the interim I set up a Daniel Defense M4 short carbine in 5.56. I installed a 3.5 pound CMC trigger, light, and a 1x4 Steiner illuminated reticle scope.
Impressions after killing 5 hogs:

• The M4 carbine is easy to carry and handles well. I like to walk and stalk hogs in the swamps and hammocks of Florida and the M4 lends itself to this style of hunting.
• The low power scope (I typically have it set on 2x) works extremely well in close quarters and when shooting hogs on the run with both eyes open.
• Shooting Hornady Full Boar ammunition in .223  with 50 grain bullets is surprisingly accurate and deadly. The wound channels are impressive and even large hogs can be taken down with one or two well placed shots.

This 202 pound Boar was stopped with a .223 Hornady Full Boar round while on the run with one well placed shot.

Smaller hogs are great targets for a well placed .223

This photo of the thick plate (1" to 1-1/2" thick) covering a large hogs vitals and shoulder is where you don't want to shoot a large hog with a light caliber round.

Final thoughts:

• The M4 platform in .223 / 5.56, set up properly works well for hogs
• If hunting in swamps / heavy cover with shots taken at close range out to 100 yds, often in the run, use a low power, tactical scope you can shoot with both eyes open.
• Shoot quality ammo designed for hogs like the .223 Hornady Full Boar.
• An illuminated reticle (Steiner and Leupold make great ones), can really help in low light and shooting hogs on the run.
• Practice shooting and handling your carbine often and under different conditions as walking and stalking for hogs often results in fast reaction times.

Ok, It's late August and It's still wet, very wet and of course hot and humid. Other than that its perfect scouting weather. Trails that are typically dry are soaked.  

On public lands where we hunt, walking or biking is the only way in and out. 
My favorite scouting gear has become my chest pack. Made by Hill People Gear.
It is comfortable and holds the essential gear you want close.

You can bike, hike, and shoot your bow or rifle with it on. The back zipper pocket also fits a full size semi auto pistol or revolver with an approx. 5-1/2" barrel. My Ruger Redhawk in .44 Mag with a 5-1/2" barrel fits well.  I highly recommend this chest pack.

We have been collecting some deer and hog photos as well. here's a photo of a typical 100 pound hog. we are seeing lots of hogs all sizes and the deer are making a good showing as well.

First, I scout and hunt off trail on public lands in the incredible Big Bend region of Florida's Gulf Coast. This area during a typical summer is wet, hot, with overgrown thickets, few trails, interspersed with hammocks, surrounded by lowlands, swamps, sloughs, etc.
This environment is best suited to mosquitoes, ticks, snakes, alligators and wild hogs. During the hot and humid summer only a few of us that may be lacking in common sense, in between visits from girlfriends, without wives or wishing we were, those that appreciate the challenge and punishment, and/or simply enjoy the wonder and freedom that Teddy Roosevelt,  Aldo Leopold, Boone, and others knew and cherished, or some combination of, venture to scout for the upcoming hunting seasons.
My gear suggestions may not in themselves make you a more successful hunter but they will make you a safer, more comfortable hunter.

I will start with transportation. On public lands it comes down to feet or bikes. I found a nice mountain bike at a pawn shop that works well. Since taking this photo I added some ATV type gun holders.

Snake boots may be the most important. Over the last couple years I wore out a pair of Rocky snake boots. They were good enough for me to recommend them. I came close to stepping on a venomous snake a number of times , but I was not bitten, so I can not vouch for them being fang proof. The materials do inspire confidence though and made me believe they were "snake proof".
Pros:
Comfortable, lightweight, good soles, waterproof...for a while.
Cons:
They eventually were not waterproof anymore, but all other components held up well.

My prefered pre-season  scouting knife has the following qualities:

• A strong high carbon blade suitable for chopping, trailblazing etc.
• Long enough to blaze trails and for camp chores.
• Having a sheath that is versatile, strong and secure.
• Having a handle that is non-slip with a comfortable contour.
• Having a durable non-reflective, rust resistance  finish.

What I do with it:

• Trim trails
• Cut shooting lanes
• All manner of camp chores

My favorite and highly recommended knife:
ESEE: JUNGLAS
It has all the qualities above and is an absolute pleasure to use. This knife is not for wimps, it is more machete than knife but thanks to it's dimensions and weight it can be used for long periods of time without fatigue. 
What about the cost?!?!:
A buddy once said, "you can't put a price on love". I think we all have to prioritize what is important and its far better to purchase high quality gear that will serve you for the long haul than what passes for gear today.
I bought my first rifle when I was 16, it was a used pre-64, Winchester Model 94, in 30-30, for $55., and because it is a great, simple, well designed, utilitarian, high quality and versatile rifle, I will always have it. 
The Esee Junglas is that kind of tool, if you buy one, I expect you will enjoy, appreciate and keep it.

Let me know what you think!