OUAIL SHOOTING IN SOUTH FLORIDA. 



C. II. STOKES. 



Editor Recreation: Quail shooting in 

 South Florida is royal sport. From No- 

 vember until the first of March, the weather 

 is all that could be desired; cool, with gen- 

 erally a pleasant breeze from the Gulf, or 

 from the Atlantic. There is just enough 

 wind to fan the cheeks of the hunter and 

 blow the scent to the dogs. 



country could not be imagined. The soft 

 blue of a semi-tropical sky is reflected in 

 a thousand lakes bordered with stately 

 palms and strange aquatic growths. 



The giant pines and strangely gnarled 

 oaks are thickly hung with a drapery of long 

 and beautiful Spanish moss. 



The general lay of this section is different 



AMATEUR PHOTO BY C. H. STOKES. 



QUAIL SHOOTING IN SOUTH FLORIDA. 



The woods are open — so much so, that 

 we hunt from horse and trap, driving every- 

 where. The ground is covered with short 

 wire grass, broken now and then by patches 

 of saw palmetto which affords excellent 

 cover for the birds. I have shot quail in 

 many States, but nowhere else have I found 

 them so plenty or on such favorable 

 ground. I recommend this section to all 

 sportsmen. 



The country is brand new. It has been 

 opened up but a short time and though 2 

 railroads lead to it, it is a little off the gen- 

 eral tourist route. So far, feather and fur 

 have escaped the guns of the globe trotters 

 and pot hunters. 



Two men and 2 dogs often bring in a bag 

 of 60 quails as the result of a day's sport.* 



For the lover of nature, a more beautiful 



*At least 30 too many.— Editor. 



from the rest of the State. The Apopka 

 mountain region, with Clermont as the cen- 

 ter, is high and rolling. The water is soft 

 and pure, the people hospitable and inter- 

 estingj and the alligators mild and curious. 



Other game than quail is found in abun- 

 dance. Turtle doves are often seen in flocks 

 of a thousand and more. It is the home of 

 the fox squirrel. Snipe and ducks delight 

 to sport in and about the waters of the 

 many lakes. Rabbits are so common they 

 are seldom shot. Turkeys and deer can be 

 found, within a day's drive, in sufficient 

 numbers to make the chase interesting and 

 exciting. 



The bass fishing is excellent. Great black 

 beauties are often caught weighing 10 to 15 

 pounds, with flesh as sweet and juicy as that 

 of their more Northern cousins. 



Mohawk, Fla. 



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