Bob C and Me on the Florida Trail. | SouthernPaddler.com

Bob C and Me on the Florida Trail.

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oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
It was a beautiful day today so I decided to get some day time hiking in on the Florida Trail.
Hopped in the Jeep and went to where The Florida Trail crosses a local road , parked the Jeep and got ready to do some hiking.

I have been wanted to check this section on the West side of the road since it was opened up and cleared out a little so it wasn't so overgrown , besides it was a good excuse to get out for a while.

Hit the trail head and walked under a canopy of scrub oak and into a old prairie that is overgrown with scrub. Along the edge of the prairie the trail has two old pine trees fallen across it , under one and over the other. Lots of Deer sign along this sandy open area along with a slew of Racoon foot prints. Passed threw the area and back into the scrub oak on a narrow trail dissecting the jungle's thick vegetation.
Crossed over a swampy area on a three planked walkway and then on down a little wider path next to a pasture till i got to a really swampy area. Made my way threw a section of the marshy area till it got wetter and since I was only doing a day hike called it quits. No reason to get wet , muddy , feet along with muddy and wet pant legs since it is only a day hike and not a mud slog. Turned around and walked the trail back to the Jeep.

At the Jeep I got a drink of water and decide to go East on the trail to see what it is like ( they change the trail in this area by adding a new section ) , has to be dryer then the section I just was on since it is higher land.

Took out and following the trail East I zig zagged threw the scrub oak on the windy path following the orange blazes and into a semi open area which has been lumbered. The open sandy parts of the trail were covered with Deer prints and it sure is a nice wildlife looking area. Plenty of open area for the deer to feed in.

Now you probably have guessed it but as I followed the Orange Blazes on the trees all of a sudden the trees stopped and the area was more or less clear cut. The pine trees were missing and along with the missing trees were the missing orange blazes. The path and where a person would walk to be walking the Florida Trail has vanished.

The only thing indicating a direction was one tree on the side of the road before you entered the road , from the direction I just came. The sand road the lumber trucks must of used was all there was , one part leading East and the other more of less South. I walked a short distance South to see if I could find a Orange blaze somewhere but there was none to bee seen.

NUT'S ....OK... I will go East down the road a mile of so and see if there is a Orange Blaze left anywhere on the few standing trees ( only trees left were a few Oaks and some scrub oaks ) in the clear cut area of in the woods on the North side of the sand road.
Walking along , the wind blowing in my face and being quiet thanks to the rain packed sand it was easy just taking my time and enjoying the woods on my left and the lumbered area on my right.

Just easing along looking at the Racoon prints and Deer Prints in the sand when about 60 feet in front of me a Bob Cat came out of the woods and walked down the left hand side of the sand road going the same direction I was going. I tagged along behind the Bob Cat watching it. The cat was thin so I figured it was easing along looking for breakfast or brunch. But even being thin it was rather large for a Florida Bob Cat. Studying it , It was larger then most of the Bob Cats I have seen in this area. Yes it was a Bob Cat with the fawn coloring and the bobbed tail. We walked along for about 100 yards with me behind it and I just could not stand it anymore...

I let out a PISSSSSSssssssssssssss , the cat spun it's head around looked at me then swung its head to the left and at the same time made a large leap into the woods to it's left and vanished. I checked further down the road and could see where it had walked up the road earlier from it's prints in the sand so it was hunting the area when I wrecked it for him. I bet he will look both ways before entering a road again or at lease for a couple of days. :lol:

As a Footnote......
I walked a part of the Florida Trail about 2 miles west of this section a couple of days ago and had three deer cross over the trail in front of me. Plus there were a lot of Racoon Prints ( Looked like thy had a convention ) and in the past I have seen Wild Turkeys in the area so there is plenty of game for a cat to hunt.
About 20 years ago I walked the same general area and returning by the same path I was doing my normal thing by checking my foot prints in the sandy sections to see if anyone else was in the area or following me. No persons but in one area there were some Panther prints in my foot prints. I walked the rest of the path to the house with a 357 in my right hand.

Chuck...........
P.S. I still had the afternoon free from the planned / failed hike so I went for a Bike Ride. :roll:
 
K

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
That's a REAL wildlife sighting. I think that your bobcats are longer legged than their northern brethren up here. Ours look like a large, muscular tom cat, about the same size and build as a cement block. Maybe, an inch or two taller if he arches his back.

Dad used to tell a story about two Irismen, Pat and Mike, out trailing a bobcat. They followed him to his den, and Pat went right in after the cat. Mike, waiting outside, heard a lot of caterwallering, hisses, and Pat's loud shouts. So, Mike cupped his hands next to his mouth, and yelled in,"Hey, Pat! Do you need any help hanging on?"
"Hell no! I need help letting go?"
 
W

Wannabe

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2007
2,645
2
on the bank of Trinity Bay
That was a Great Adventure. When my grand children were young I would take them on Great Adventures. Have another before long and give us another report. I enjoyed it. Thanks.
Bob
 
O

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
tx river rat said:
Chuck
Do you have any of the big snakes in your hiking area?
Ron
Click to expand...

All the standard ones and it has been said even some of the exotics which might of migrated here from down south or were released here by some idiot.

A couple from the past that stand out were a Black Snake we had by the corn crib or Mule Barn as we called it. Just an old open shed with three sides and across from it was a enclosed shed which stored corn in the old days. That black snake had to be 10 to 12 feet long and about as wide in the center as a Cantaloupe or Musk Mellon depending on what you call it. I wanted to catch it but Dad would not hear of it , he wanted it left alone to get the Rats and the rest around the two structures.
Anytime I went in to get a tractor or to change items on them I keep a sharp eye out for that sucker.

Not far from there I killed a Rattler that was longer then I am tall and I am 6.1 .... I would guess is length at about 7 1/2 feet. I held him up and his head over my head and his tail was still on the ground so Dad could get a picture of us. He got filleted and was a snack while the center part of his hide was turned into a hatband for my Stetson.

Dad and I were in the canoe paddling up deep creek to get a hornets nest I had found and sprayed a day earlier. We got the nest and it was a large one , also got the branches it was built around.
To regress a bit.... My Captain liked to collect hornets nests and he had a couple nice ones hanging on his office walls at the Sheriffs Office. I figured he would really like this one since it was bigger then any of the others he had.

OK back to the original thought... Deep Creek was flooded and over the banks so the whole area. While paddling downstream leaving the area I thought I saw a gator swimming threw some cypress trees down stream in front of us. All I could make out was some of the back and a black area as it moved back and forth when he swam threw patches of sunlight.
I paddled the canoe threw the trees to get a better look when Dad told me to get the HELL out of there. Turning the canoe I got a good view of the gator and it was one of the biggest and longest Rattlers I have ever seen. The thing was huge and swimming across the area for dry ground. I told Dad that we could get it and Ross Allen at his Reptile Institute would pay a lot for one that big. All I can tell you is ...Dad was not going to let me get anywhere close to that rattler even with it swimming and not on dry ground. :twisted:

Back to the Captain and the Sheriffs Office....... I varnished the hornets nest and let it dry , Mounted it on a nice board and rigged it to be hung on the captains wall. When it was done I took it into him and he really liked it. In fact he hung it right over his desk so when anyone entered his office they were going to see it.
A week later I got a call from him to meet him in his office. I walked in and found hornets on his desk. Fortunately he had a spray can of insecticide and got the little suckers as they hatched out.
Moral of the story , do not hang a hornets nest in side till ALL of the Hornets are dead , even any that will hatch out later on. :lol:
By the way he keep that Hornets nest even after he retired.
 
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