The Florida Experience
Contributors to this thread:Bowfishing
From: wam
05-Jun-20
First of all I want to thank everyone on here that post there stories and pictures. You all inspire people like me to go and follow their dreams and complete their goals. A dream of mine was always to take a gator with a bow so I booked my spring trip in Florida for a gator and hogs, but there is more things hunt/fish so my Florida trip went from 3 days to 14 days. Day 1- I loaded up my “shaggin Wagon” and left Ohio and headed to Florida
From: wam
05-Jun-20
The first leg of the trip was a Saltwater Bowfishing trip Off of downtown Miami for string rays, I did a night and day hunt. The night hunt rained almost all night so the night was not successful but I did get some night pictures of Miami. The day hunt was also really slow, I did connect with one stingray but the arrow pulled out right when I tried to bring him to the boat. But I did see some manatees which was a awesome experience for a Ohio boy.
From: midwest
05-Jun-20
Dang, no manatee tag? ;-)
Looking forward to the story!
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
Next leg I went about an hour north of Okeechobee. The weather was horrible . Rained all day the first 2 days but I still sat in a blind for hogs and 1 day we even let the dogs out . That was a new experience. Even with the weather “pork was on sale in Florida “
From: wam
05-Jun-20
This Hog is the one we used to dogs for
This Hog is the one we used to dogs for
From: wam
05-Jun-20
This Boar come in to the corn feeder
This Boar come in to the corn feeder
From: wam
05-Jun-20
With the weather the night gator hunting was really tough. The good thing is this time of year the gators are in Rut and looking for females and the property’s we were hunting butted up to the Kissimmee River, which was full of gators but you can only hunt state land in September and October but we only had private land tags. I spot and stalked a couple gators in a reservoir at citrus farms. Some failed and some gators were smaller then I was looking for,
From: wam
05-Jun-20
We found this gator in a farm pond and knew he was a good gator. I tried to stalk him twice but everytime I got close enough to attempt a shot he went under water, so we decided to go in the middle of the night and set up a blind. So the next morning before sunrise I got in the blind and threw out some pig lungs to help pull him in. After sunrise I seen him hanging on 1 side of the pond and It took 3 hours before he decided to come into range. I needed him to be 15 yards for me to be able to connect with my big game retrieval system. Finally I got a arrow into his belly,
From: wam
05-Jun-20
After I shoot I grab the string and he pulls me out of the blind chair and the blind flips over from the string pressure on the blind window. Once I got control on him I was able to call for help. After fighting him and my help shows up and I was able to put an arrow “actually 3 arrows” into his brain to finish him off to make this a 100% bow kill!
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
11’ 6” Dinosaur
11’ 6” Dinosaur
From: Highlife
05-Jun-20
Way to go ! Looks like you had a very successful trip.
From: wam
05-Jun-20
Next leg headed down to the Everglades, jumped on an air boats and shot a bunch of Blue Talpia that night and 1 plecko.
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
After being out all night, The next day we got out the rod and reels And fished the canals for peacock bass and jaguar cichlids and large mouth
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
Next day we hit the canals for the invasive iguanas. There a couple of you here that inspired me to go after theses! They are everywhere!! And a blast to shoot with a bow!!!
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
The spiny tail iguana, the most aggressive iguana
The spiny tail iguana, the most aggressive iguana
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
The last leg of my trip I headed far south to key west where I hopped on a boat and headed 20 mikes south off shore to bowfish Maui Maui. We would troll and catch a schoolie and bring him buy the boat and when the school would follow him we would shoot!! This was a tough hunt because what look like 2’ deep was really 10’ deep
From: wam
05-Jun-20
From: wam
05-Jun-20
This was a awesome trip and experience for the off season. Florida is a bow hunters paradise !!!
From: Huntcell
05-Jun-20
Wow ! Holy Cats! WoW!!!!
What a bowhunting safari and right here in the states. Congrats MAN. That is quite the gator and story also. >>>>>———>
From: bentshaft
05-Jun-20
Nice! That's a cool trip.
From: HUNT MAN
05-Jun-20
Great post!! Congrats
From: t-roy
05-Jun-20
I’m with midwest. Bummer that you didn’t draw a manatee permit! Looks like you made the most of it on everything else, Will! Did you take a freezer full stuff back home to Ohio with you, in the shaggin wagon?
From: JL
05-Jun-20
Wow!...nice gator! That would have been a hoot! That green fish is a small dolphin (or dolphin fish or dorado) in Florida.
From: JohnMC
06-Jun-20
Wow looks like fun! Am I see four different bow you used in those pictures?
From: BULELK1
06-Jun-20
Man-Oh-Man!!!
Congrats Big Fella,
Robb
From: JW
06-Jun-20
Grats buddy! Hell of a gator!
From: hdaman
06-Jun-20
You put together one heck of a trip, congrats!
From: midwest
06-Jun-20
Congrats, man....that sounds like a blast! Thanks for bringing the story here!
From: Rgiesey
06-Jun-20
Great trip! Thanks!
From: Sitting Bull
06-Jun-20
Sounds like a real blast!
From: wam
06-Jun-20
T-Roy Yes the freezer was completely full. Had to get a cooler for what didn’t fit in the freezer
From: BOWNUT
06-Jun-20
What a great trip. I love the Key's but I never thought of bowhunting there.
From: bghunter
06-Jun-20
I love florida and love hunting down there. Looks like you sure made the best of your adventure. Who did you hunt with? I shot my gator sounds like in similar area.
From: Buffalo1
06-Jun-20
A great adventure there with some neat trophies. Definitely a Baskin and Robbins style hunt ! Congrats !!
From: wam
06-Jun-20
T-Roy Yes the freezer was completely full. Had to get a cooler for what didn’t fit in the freezer
From: ryanrc
06-Jun-20
Awesome. You should be a hunter travel guide.
From: JL
06-Jun-20
Never killed or eaten an iguana but it looks interesting enough I'd try it if I got one down in Florida.
From: Quinn @work
06-Jun-20
That's a Florida Safari if I've ever seen one. I'm jealous! Congrats.
From: Buffalo1
06-Jun-20
A great adventure there with some neat trophies. Definitely a Baskin and Robbins style hunt ! Congrats !!
From: JTreeman
06-Jun-20
Awesome trip, congrats.
—Jim
From: Lucas
06-Jun-20
Looks like a fun trip, congratulations on a great gator!
From: ki-ke
06-Jun-20
Heck of an adventure!! Thanks for sharing
From: drycreek
06-Jun-20
Looks like a great adventure to me ! Interesting variety of targets for sure.
From: krieger
07-Jun-20
Heckuva trip! You got a Black Spiny Iggy, that's pretty cool, thanks for posting, what an adventure!
From: Beav
08-Jun-20
Congrats on a great trip and thanks for sharing!
From: GhostBird
08-Jun-20
Neat trip... congratulations.
