Anybody ever go hunting and wish they didn't?
I went to the Green Swamp MNGT Area here in Florida Saturday. I decided to hunt the Uplands area of this 48,000 + acre area because of all the rain we have had. The roads and fire cuts had stretches of ankle deep water for a 100 yards or more. This is planted pines, wire grass and palmettos.
We came up on a muddy part of a fire cut/ road and started seeing these wiggly tracks in the mud, like, a whole bunch. There were no feet print so it was pretty obvious it was a snake or lots of snakes and not small gators. I've hunted here 20 some years and have never seen this many snake tracks in one area. Well I went on instant alert when I saw fresh ones. I had just discussed with the wife the night before about wearing snake boots and chaps or my stalking shoes, guess what I wore?
It wasn't ten seconds, with the sun glaring in my face and I saw a Moccassin about 4' long 10' in front of me. I got him with a Judo point and then Charlie hit him with a rubber blunt. I skinned it out, it had a six inch catfish, Warmouth perch, and bullfrog in it. How those fish were living in a Pine forest was amazing to me. Then we went on down the road wading in ankle deep water.
We heard some hogs off in the pine trees and I headed off after them, slipping in through the wire grass and wading water. I hadn't gone 20 yds and almost stepped on a 3 footer. I shot that one and was really starting to not have a lot of fun. Everywhere I walked I was seeing small bullfrogs jumping. I skinned that one,too. Then we seperated at a "T" road intersection. I hadn't walked 30 yds and there was another one. I spent the rest of the morning walking, watching the ground in front of me and every step I placed my foot. Didn't see the doe early enough to get a good shot till it was too late. I was ready to call it a day and come back with my snake chaps on. It is too far from a hospital to get popped by one of those little nasties.
