Old Florida Outdoor Festival

Two of my favorite things!

There are tons of things to do and see in Florida that have nothing to do with theme parks or beaches. Today, we loaded up the truck and went to Apopka with some friends of ours for the Old Florida Outdoor Festival. It rained on us the whole time we were there, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The ladies really cowgirled-up for us and never complained a bit about being cold and wet. There were all kinds of activities going on, but my favorite was the exhibition shooting put on by Beretta Shotguns. I also loved the decoy carvings, I could look at those all day. I wish we could have stayed and seen everything but it was just to wet and cold. I will definitely be back next year and stay the whole time. 

Decoys are like crack to me!

I like to call these two "Mr. and Mrs. Teal"

How cool is this!

Widgeon on a rope!

A Rainy Day Adventure

Ibis in the mangroves.

I woke up to the sound of rain hitting my bedroom window. I work outside, and I knew we wouldn't be working today.  I had a choice to make, do chores or go out on the refuge and take some pictures? That's a no brainer, so I grabbed my camera and fired up the truck.

Pintail

There were thousands of Pintails on the refuge today. I think these are the most beautiful ducks that visit our area. I need to get a 500mm lens to really be able to photograph ducks. I'll put it on my list of things to buy.

Banded Watersnake.

Even though it was about 52 degrees, I came across this Banded Watersnake. I am sure he was trying to get some warmth from that white gravel, but I moved him off the path to avoid his untimely death by a "Snake Hater". I am sure you know a Snake Hater. You know what I am talking about, the people who will kill a snake just because it's a snake. Did you know that most people that get bit by snakes were actually trying to kill it and would have been just fine if they had left it alone. Although this snake is easily confused with a water moccasin, it is totally harmless.

Snake in the Grass, there's a political joke in there somewhere! LOL

Say Hello to my Little Friend.

Baby Wild Hog taken from my driveway.

Actually, this cute little girl is no friend of mine. Oh sure, she's adorable right now, but take a look at her nose. She's already rooting up the ground. In just a few weeks she'll be a regular rototiller, and in five months, she'll be breeding. She will have a litter of six to eight piglets every four to five months. Do the math. There are an estimated six million wild hogs in the U.S. and their numbers are increasing. Wild hogs do millions of dollars of property damage each year.  A few years ago, I caught twenty six hogs out of a three acre piece of woods surrounded by homes in a couple of months. One of them was over four hundred pounds! Not only do they do damage to property, they can do some serious damage to you too. Their tusk are razor sharp. When cornered or startled, they will fight, and they don't like to lose. One night, I caught two sows and two boars in my trap at the same time. I knew I would have hard time handling four so I asked my wife to help me. Being the trooper she is, she helped me get all four out of the trap, tie their feet, and castrate the boars. The pigs were laying on the ground snapping their teeth (that's how they sharpen them) and the boars were growling.  I needed help picking a couple of them up and putting them in the truck. She would not lift them with me until I tied their mouths shut. After we got them home and safely into our pen, I told her that I was so impressed with her bravery. She quickly told me to never ask her for help again. She told me that she was terrified the whole time, but she never let on.

175lb Wild Boar I caught in a neighborhood.

Boar walking around on our road like he owns the place.

A Little Education

Black Bear taken minutes from downtown Daytona Beach.

When most people think of  Florida, they think of a talking mouse, or a killer whale jumping out of the water while a crowd cheers. They think of beaches, NASCAR, Bike Week, and retired people. While Florida is home to all these things, it is home to so much more. I had an idea yesterday to start this blog, a place where people can come see the real Florida, the beautiful Florida, the Florida that I love. The idea hit me when I was out on my hunting lease yesterday. I saw a very large bear near the camp area. That's right, "Bear". Most people don't even know it, but Florida is full of bears, at least my part is. Within minutes of downtown Daytona, there are a lot of bears. You very rarely see them, but I have taken many pictures of them with my trail camera.

American Alligator taken while I was duck hunting.

 I love to hunt and fish, and I love photography. It's only natural that one day, my interest would meld together. I will be bringing you images of the real Florida, images you only see if you get off the beaten path. 

Crested Caracara