Mexico ten miles south, there were colorful birds other than 

 ducks ibis, herons of all sizes and hues, pelicans sailing in comic 

 silhouette. Why hadn't I found this country years before? Why 

 be bitten by frost and snow when this hospitable land was here 

 to enjoy? 



The day before, I'd flown over the Everglades area from 

 Naples south to Shark River, north to Immokalee. Extending 

 for 30 miles east of Naples were dozens of small fresh waterways 

 flowing into the salt water of the Ten Thousand Islands that 

 laced the Gulf. Between these waterways were hundreds of ponds 

 and meandering lakes. And on the airplane flight I hadn't spot- 

 ted twenty boats in all that big domain. 



Most local hunters confine duck shooting to Saturdays and 

 Sundays. The concentration of guns moves birds and increases 

 the flight shooting. On a week day you may have to pole through 

 the winding channels for two or three hours to jump-shoot a 

 limit. Of course, you can take a fly rod along and tie into tackle- 

 busting snook to fill out a reasonable day. 



The secret of the good shooting is partly the game preserve 

 north of the Trail. The preserve provides a rest ground and 

 concentration area for waterfowl. 



Are guides required? The answer is no. 



Access to the area in a practical sense is keyed to bridge num- 

 bers. Beginning at the north Collier County line on Route 41, 

 you cross Bridge Number One. You'll cross a hundred more 

 before you are halfway to Miami on the Trail. These bridges 

 are your landmarks, or milestones. 



Could you get lost, spend a night of horror in the insect- and 

 reptile-ridden "glades"? It's possible, but it would take a lot 

 of mismanagement. 



Rudimentary precautions are these: Before you go, tell a 

 friend your bridge number of departure. Plan to get back to 

 the Trail by dark. Take a compass. If ever in doubt, prepare 

 for the trip by snitching a piece of old bedsheet from home, tear 

 it in strips and tie the strips on prominent snags as you work in 

 from your starting bridge. 



In dry years rugged individualists hunt into the sea of grass 



58 



