Best time to hunt central Florida

[bowmike]

Looking to hunt florida next year. Wondering what is your oppinion on the best time to hunt it. WOuld it be worth my time to come down a few days early to locate birds instead of just going in blind and hunting. I am used to pressure but hear florida is terrible. Also it is illegal to stalk turkey in the spring in PA but don't see anything listed for Florida.

Any help is appreciated.

I am imagining that early season would be best when hunting public land, but are the birds really henned up?

[RutnNStrutn]

Personally I would come down for the opener. Yes, they are henned up but I've always had good luck.
Definitely worth your while to come down a few days early to pattern the birds & learn the terrain.

[Old Gobbler]

Opening weekend -

Typical weather pattern is that the birds begin to get fired up in February --

[deerhunt1988]

I've made three trips to central Florida public land, each trip throwing in 2 days of scouting before the opener. Two full days of scouting has lead to 3 trigger pulls on opening weekend. So needless to say, I highly advocate getting their beforehand and scouting!

[outdoors]

SCOUTING BEFORE THE BIG HUNT  , YES .     
                HUNTING THE OPENENING  , YES .
                               AND I FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY . DON'T RUN @ GUN HEAR IN FL. ON  WMAs  NOT A GOOD IDEA  ,   BEST O F LUCK .

[swamp_bird89]

Opening weekend for central florida........like said before they are usually wide open during the middle and end of February. Some of the best action I have seen has been on youth hunts, which come the weekend before opening day.

[Muzzy61]

Opening weekend for central florida........like said before they are usually wide open during the middle and end of February. Some of the best action I have seen has been on youth hunts, which come the weekend before opening day.

I agree on the opening weekend. The last couple of years my best hunts have been taking my nephews during the youth weekend before the opener.

[Wingbone]

I have hunted the opener and the closer there. I limited both times, but the opener I have to say was more exciting. Saw lots of people and even butted heads with a couple of them, but definitely heard a lot more gobbling on the opener. To me, it was very similar to hunting other states as far as hunting pressured birds vs. Non-pressured.