Florida this spring

[TKE921]

I will be going to central florida to hunt this spring.  I will be down there right about the opening of their season and have a few ?s.

1)  What is the "average" temp at that time of year?
2)  Will I need bug spray and/or a Thermacell at that time of year?
3)  I have seen people mentioning a lot of snakes there....do I need snake boots?
4)  Anything else I should know....this will be my first time hunting turkeys in florida.

[Crghss]

1. 60 -70 degrees, bepends where you're at.
2. Yes
3. I don't, but most people will say yes.
4. Do you have land to hunt? You've missed FWC drawing for WMA's.

[ddturkeyhunter]

 From MN so only hunted it five times this year will be six but other wise. 1)you said average so yes that is that 60-70 but have morningin 40 so have a few sweatshirts along just incase.2)Need bug spray some years others not. But have the area I hunt some years so dry can go anywhere and next year can four foot water where I walked before and gatores everywhere.3) I would say yes, I have stepped over two, so got lucky. I lot of the guys that live donw there that i hunt with dont wear anything. And say there just for us wussies from up north, they make me feel good while walking,so I wear them. But your sitting on the ground as much as walking, so just keep your eye open. 4) If your hunting on public get ready for a zoo of people, but private land should be good. Enjoy and good luck.

[bbcoach]

Have fun!!!!!!!!!  Hunting other states are a BLAST!!!!
1. Middle of March can bring some cool mornings but average is probably 60-70
2. Yes.  Maybe permethrin as well for ticks
3.  Not required but be careful where you step
4.  As I've already stated ENJOY the experience.  Chasing birds in other states is Fantastic.

[squidd]

1. Light Fleece for AM that you can throw in a pack
2. Both and then more bug spray
3. I only wear rubber boots -haven't had an issue 'yet' ?
4. Google Map scout the snot out of the area and have 3-4 backup places to roll to. Don't be surprised on public land that you'll have others running up on you if you have a bird working; shoot him quick and take a picture afterwards vice worrying about a 10-min video. Don't expect to layup birds the night before, they love fire-breaks and lanes coming from private property to the WMA. Don't be too worried about hogs or gators, but if you get deep into some swamp/canals/flag ponds, just be wary.  Lots of sand so careful on how/where you lay your gun.

Enjoy the different scenery/birds and think about +70 not the -30 you're getting in a few days.

[BigGobbler]

Mornings can be cool 45* and sometimes frost. Normally start out with a long sleeve shirt under a sweat shirt and then by 9am its in the 60*. Its going to be wet rubber boots will be needed snake boots if you have them

[RutnNStrutn]

1 - For the opener, it can be anywhere from the 30's to the 90's. Most of the time it is moderate with lows in the 50's and high's in the low 70's. The only way to know is to check the 10 day forecast before you leave, with the understanding that the "weather guessers" often bumble the forecast. There is a saying down here in FLA, "Don't like the weather? Wait 10 minutes."
2 - Thermacell works fine. I hate spraying bug spray on myself. Ticks can be bad depending on where you are at, so I'd spray your clothes with Permathrin before you come down.
3 - Snakes? Yes!! Snake boots? Absolutely!! Preferably waterproof.
4 - Osceolas ain't northeastern Easterns. I've hunted WV, and loved how vocal those gobblers were. In FLA, that's not the case. It's not uncommon to have few if any gobbles, even early in the season. Even on a good gobbling day, they normally only gobble for about an hour and a half, then start tapering off. By mid-morning they are usually done gobbling except for the occasional courtesy gobble.
Running and gunning doesn't work very well in FLA because the gobblers are tight beaked. So bring a Gobbler Lounger or other comfortable chair. When Osceolas go quiet, the best bet is to sit over decoys in an open area where they can be seen from far off, or in regular travel routes. If you're hunting the opener, strutting dekes and jakes work very well.
Best of luck to you!! Are you hunting public or private?

[backwater]

1 - For the opener, it can be anywhere from the 30's to the 90's. Most of the time it is moderate with lows in the 50's and high's in the low 70's. The only way to know is to check the 10 day forecast before you leave, with the understanding that the "weather guessers" often bumble the forecast. There is a saying down here in FLA, "Don't like the weather? Wait 10 minutes."
2 - Thermacell works fine. I hate spraying bug spray on myself. Ticks can be bad depending on where you are at, so I'd spray your clothes with Permathrin before you come down.
3 - Snakes? Yes!! Snake boots? Absolutely!! Preferably waterproof.
4 - Osceolas ain't northeastern Easterns. I've hunted WV, and loved how vocal those gobblers were. In FLA, that's not the case. It's not uncommon to have few if any gobbles, even early in the season. Even on a good gobbling day, they normally only gobble for about an hour and a half, then start tapering off. By mid-morning they are usually done gobbling except for the occasional courtesy gobble.
Running and gunning doesn't work very well in FLA because the gobblers are tight beaked. So bring a Gobbler Lounger or other comfortable chair. When Osceolas go quiet, the best bet is to sit over decoys in an open area where they can be seen from far off, or in regular travel routes. If you're hunting the opener, strutting dekes and jakes work very well.
Best of luck to you!! Are you hunting public or private?

That pretty much nailed it.   I have had it so cold in Central Florida during March that I couldn't feel my fingers....and the opposite extreme.
We use rubber boots but we definitely see the occasional snake.   
Enjoy your experience.

[TKE921]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I will be hunting with an outfitter I met years ago.  The wife actually booked a summer pig hunt for me during out honeymoon.  Even here in WV i pack around a Browning turkey chair so I will be ready for a long sit(s) if need be.  I am a tick magnet so I will definitely spray all my clothes with permethrin and buy a few extra cans of off spray in addition to the thermacell.