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Post by outdoorsfl on Jun 23, 2024 10:54:01 GMT -5
Pulled a general gun quota for Tosohatchee WMA. In part, I applied because you are permitted to take a doe (freezer-filler). While I have driven by this WMA about a million times, I have never hunted it. OnX shows the area to be pretty thick, with a lot of swamp, plan to find oaks/pinch points between the deeper/wet areas. The FWC brochure stated that there is no camping during hunting season and that hunters must check-in prior to hunting, both of which will be a bit of hassle for an out-of-towner. Anyone have any experience, tips, etc. with this WMA? Thanks in advance!
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Post by shodog on Jun 23, 2024 11:11:17 GMT -5
There are a lot of hogs in there. Gotta park at designated parking spots. Also seems fairly crowded. They give a lot of permits for that place and it seems to me that it has a higher rate of folks that show up than most other quotas that I've gotten. The squirrel hunting is fantastic. The check in process is no prblem. There is really only one way in anyway and they come to your window and give you a card to show you checked in. Takes a few seconds.
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Post by swampdog on Jun 23, 2024 11:30:07 GMT -5
Father in law killed his only Florida buck (7 pt.) there. I liked the habitat, though I only hunted it once after it opened a long time ago. I believe the close proximity to Orlando and that growth corridor makes it pretty popular for hunter attendance. Go scout and enjoy your hunt.
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Post by richm on Jun 23, 2024 15:15:28 GMT -5
Ive hunted it a handful of times. Never seen a deer from a stand. Is what it is.
The have 150 permits per hunt plus guests for 7,000 acres.
At the end of the season, after 6 or 9 hunts, there will be 100 deer on the board. Biggest buck will be 150-160 pounds.
Some guys crush the hunt, most dont see a thing.
Good luck!
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Post by One Man Gang on Jun 23, 2024 17:08:43 GMT -5
A quick Toso hog hunt without dogs. _ The place is predictable as far as numbers every season but it's not as easy as you might think. I feel the parking situation helps the hunting but hinders the effort... if that makes sense.
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Post by meateater on Jun 24, 2024 11:57:16 GMT -5
A quick Toso hog hunt without dogs. View Attachment_ The place is predictable as far as numbers every season but it's not as easy as you might think. I feel the parking situation helps the hunting but hinders the effort... if that makes sense. looks like a slow day, was it raining or 105 degress out.
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Post by One Man Gang on Jun 24, 2024 12:09:36 GMT -5
A quick Toso hog hunt without dogs. View Attachment_ The place is predictable as far as numbers every season but it's not as easy as you might think. I feel the parking situation helps the hunting but hinders the effort... if that makes sense. looks like a slow day, was it raining or 105 degress out. Lol! You got me brother. A slow day indeed. Temps started out in the 50s but climbed rapidly of course. To be fair though, we only planned to day hunt it. The pic was taken around noon at the check station and I figured I had enough to clean at that point so we threw in the towel... Think I was back in Palm Beach and showered before 1700. I think we all need more slow days like these.
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6thgen
Junior Member
Posts: 86
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Post by 6thgen on Jun 25, 2024 7:16:23 GMT -5
Killed my first deer with a bow there in 83 or 84. I think it was the first or second year it was open. I still have the palmetto frond the arrow went through before it hit her. I also shot a hog that day at 4 feet and it took the arrow and ran off like nothing happened... We slip hunted and used an old logging tram road that went east to west. We walked under a stand hunter that was asleep. He never knew me and Dad walked by. Good luck out there.
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grizzl
Junior Member
Posts: 21
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Post by grizzl on Jun 25, 2024 12:27:52 GMT -5
My son and I hunt it every other year because of preference points and it being the closest WMA we can scout thoroughly before the season. We do get on deer but its hard hunting..lots of scouting every year because the deer are transient. Got to find the food source being utilized..acorns are few and far between each year. There are good deer there but getting a shot on them with a 3 day quota is *lucky*. We get our deer during Muzz mostly before GG pushes them nocturnal.
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Post by swampdog on Jun 25, 2024 12:52:42 GMT -5
That’s great intel griz and perfect for our new guy.
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Post by One Man Gang on Jun 25, 2024 13:05:14 GMT -5
I was lucky enough to hunt the lease on the south border (Fat City Hunt Club) several times about 20 years ago with one of our now deceased harbor masters.
There are definitely some nice deer around that area. The woods used to join the WMA to the lease back then. Now I believe that fence line has been flat cleared from the WMA fence to about 200 yards inside the lease. A lot of the toso hunters used to poach that fence line so the rancher or the hunt club had it cleared.
I have heard many times from a couple different Toso Prostaffers to head for the gas line down south and then head for the river. Go until you cannot go anymore, then go a little farther. One of them used to use his mountain bike to hunt down there until he retired and moved to Tennessee. He always seemed to do pretty well, but he lives to hunt.
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grizzl
Junior Member
Posts: 21
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Post by grizzl on Jun 25, 2024 16:22:16 GMT -5
<abbr>deleted for format</abbr>
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grizzl
Junior Member
Posts: 21
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Post by grizzl on Jun 25, 2024 16:26:03 GMT -5
I have heard many times from a couple different Toso Prostaffers to head for the gas line down south and then head for the river. Go until you cannot go anymore, then go a little farther. One of them used to use his mountain bike to hunt down there until he retired and moved to Tennessee. He always seemed to do pretty well, but he lives to hunt. That is one well known strategy and many people do that (to the extent the have the stamina, even with a bike, that is 3+ miles back..trouble with that is WATER. The roads/firebreaks FLOOD making biking and walking a nightmare like last year...that was bad..they closed main roads because of flooding...If you plan on doing that, go to the USGS webpage for CHRISTMAS and log the River Gauge Height the day you scout there and see how passable it is. Then watch the gauge until is is up higher and scout it again and so on...I could tell you the magic number but you need to earn your stripes hunting public land :)Good Luck!
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Post by outdoorsfl on Jun 30, 2024 15:43:10 GMT -5
Bump for out-of-owners: any nearby campsite recommendations?
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grizzl
Junior Member
Posts: 21
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Post by grizzl on Jul 1, 2024 11:15:25 GMT -5
Bump for out-of-owners: any nearby campsite recommendations?
The landowner right across from the entrance rents "space" for a camper.....
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