My Hunting Lease

[FrankT]

I am going to document my lease in this thread, Bay County FL, 12 miles from the beach, 4 past the InterCoastal and just South of a WildLife Management area. Approx 2000 acres, pine land owned by St Joe, same Lessor for 15 years. We are S of IH 10 sand based land, little farming, poor soil, smaller deer than N of IH 10, Ebro FL S about 5 miles to Steelfield RD on Hwy 79 for you Google Earth folks...Will be adding videos and pictures continuously.

I think this will explain the equipment we use and why, also why high dollar night vision is pretty much a waste of money, why we use the guns we do, bait, setups and other equipment.

Please feel free to ask questions, make suggestions and enjoy looking at hunting the way we have to do it for our area. I just thought it might be interesting to see how different parts of the Country hunt and setup.

 

[Itsazonik]

Night vision does have disadvantages down here. Such short distances and all the humidity. I have been using my green light with good effect. Most people I run into at the ranges here are all about sighting in their rifles at 200 yards. I always ask them why and they tell me they want to be able to take long shots on hogs and deer. I always try to tell them the only place they will get to shoot at 200 yards or more is right there at the range. Everywhere I have hunted in Florida has always been a max of 100 yards with most at 30 to 70 yards. I started sighting in at 50 or 75 yards.

 

[FrankT]

This is sorts the entrance rd to me lease about 1/2 way in starting around where I park to walk in and my cleaning station and storage area.

Typical 12' towers that are in most of the hunting areas, we have 10-12

Main Plot, planted each Fall, Rackmaster and loads of clover

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Frank, look forward to the updates. I like seeing that stuff!
Mr. Wisconsin, I hear that when it comes to shorter shots. I put away my 270 since I got an AR. here in Texas.

 

[Oso Grande]

I'm in for the pics and updates!

 

[Itsazonik]

Beautiful set up you have there Frank

 

[Itsazonik]

Frank, look forward to the updates. I like seeing that stuff!
Mr. Wisconsin, I hear that when it comes to shorter shots. I put away my 270 since I got an AR. here in Texas.

This is the very reason I carry my 338 specter most of the time. It's super light and awesome for anything out to 100 yards. Everything else is used when I go out of state. When I go up to Georgia to hunt deer some of our shots are between 100 and 200 yards. The 6.8 works great. When I hunt mule deer in Nevada I take the 338 win mag with 185 grain ttsx and I can shoot out to 400 yards easily.

 

[FrankT]

I took my dashcam out, forgot to turn on the mic as I was narrating the whole way, made it in short clips, even so it takes an hour each to upload to Utube due to my slow connection.

This is the first plot, shooting tower, ground blind that gets moved around, feeder, roll barrel, trough, solar lights and trail cams

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

This is the very reason I carry my 338 specter most of the time. It's super light and awesome for anything out to 100 yards. Everything else is used when I go out of state. When I go up to Georgia to hunt deer some of our shots are between 100 and 200 yards. The 6.8 works great. When I hunt mule deer in Nevada I take the 338 win mag with 185 grain ttsx and I can shoot out to 400 yards easily.

What is a 338 Specter?

 

[FrankT]

This is the middle area, have a box blind 5' legs and a camo area next to it for wheelchair hunter or hiding an ATV/UTV. 2 250yd shots, 1 75 and 1 40. Feeders at 75 and 200, plot growing at the ends and along side the road. This also has a storage building, 55gal barrels for corn storage, ice chests, tools and such.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

How big is your lease? 2000 acres?
How many guys on lease and is it expensive?

 

[FrankT]

How big is your lease? 2000 acres?
How many guys on lease and is it expensive?

What I am showing here so far is my personal area, We have 13 guys some have 1-2-3 areas, really lots of sanctuary areas, some are too thick to hunt or wet and have gators. Yes 2000 acres and we are the cheapest in the County/area ..700 for a base area and 350 for the second and 300 for the 3rd and more. StJoe sold their timberland to the Mormons(the largest private land holder in FL) they retained 250,000 acres for future development and that is what we are on, This year the Mormons raised the prices 1/3 if leased at all. Over in Pensacola that land is already twice ours or more just 90 miles away.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

When you say Base area, how big is that or does it vary?

 

[FrankT]

It varies with natural boundaries and safety in mind, for the last 5 years I have been trying to consolidate and lessen members, I think there were 17 guys the first year I was there. I would like it to get to 10, all w multiple areas but there is always pressure to add "someone" who may be a friend or something. I am looking at adding some acres of private land if I get the chance. We always have people who want on the lease but I offer additional areas to members first. The Lease owner also lets us use his tractor and implements, then we are required to mow the roads as fire breaks and I try to do for the members that need it when I can. The members are responsible for their own plots, corn feeders, shooting houses and such. The lease owns a lot of gear and if it is in your area then you maintain, like tripods, feeders, towers, blinds.

 

[FrankT]

Here we are 250 yards downrange from the box blind, headed back to it. Feeder 200 yds from box blind, trough, solar lights on trees to the right, roll barrel and a tower on the left 60 yrd shot. Planted plot to the smaller feeder and roll barrel 75 yds from box blind. Box blind and camo area next to it. Typical shots are single as the rst are in the brush befor you know it, almost never run down the road/plot.

Past the feeder and 40 yards to the left at the end of the 250 yards is another wide sendero like the one the feeder is on and another 250 yards to the creek/swamp but is not brush cut, going to do that this year.

 

[BigRedDog]

very cool

 

[FrankT]

This Vid is coming out of the back area back to the first plot. The road along there has water on each side that stays until the Summer dries it up. At the end on the Right is a small stand of trees past the feeder, around it has been planted and there is a natural spring in the middle. From this feeder to the furthest one is about 500yds and I will walk between them. At night I let the solar powered motion lights alert me to activity and I will head that direction, or wait for them, as I know where they are going.

 

[FrankT]

This is another part of the lease and where a creek crosses the road, a hard rock bottom for the logging trucks. This area was just clearcut and 1/2 replanted already. The lease is constantly changing as the loggers cut. This creek forms a pond on either side of the road and houses our 8' female gator, there are 3 years of young in this pond. The males come 2-3 miles to breed with her, we feed her carcasses during the year. Most time you can see her in the pond, she had just ducked under as I was passing.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Frank, you should "wrastle" that thing. Make a good video.

 

[FrankT]

I am saving the gator wrassling for one of you who come to visit!