Conservation News
S. Florida hunters lead conservation effort
By Steve Waters
Aside from its Osceola turkeys, which make up part of the grand slam of turkey hunting, Florida is not much of a hunting destination.
The state does not have big-bodied white-tailed deer like Michigan and Nebraska, primarily because Florida deer don't have to fatten up for a cold, snowy winter when food is scarce. (Many years ago, the old Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission let loose some northern deer in Florida, and within two years those deer were the same size as native whitetails.)
Florida does have a fair amount of wild hogs, but so do some states that have big deer. Hunting for ducks can be good in Florida, but most waterfowlers flock to the Mississippi Flyway states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
When it comes to protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat, though, South Floridians are worldwide leaders thanks to their efforts on behalf of Safari Club International.
SCI, which is headquartered in Arizona and has nearly 50,000 members, has 12 chapters comprising 1,676 active members in Florida. Six of those chapters are in South Florida.
Click Here for Full Story
|
