Newbie Hunter

The U

Just gettin into huntin in SE & SW florida and have had a lot of fun already just gettin out in the woods. Right now I'm trying to pick up on scouting and before that I need to brush up on terminology. I'm pickin up terminology from several hunters but it seems they all have different interpretations. I have a few questions to start:
(1) What is a flagpong? I hear hunt the flagpond. I hear sevral quotes as I saw the deer walk across the flagpond. Then I hear a guy refer to a flagpond as a vegetated island (anything from palmettos, pines, wax myrtles or all together) in the middle of a wetland surrounded by pine woods.
(2) Hunt the Cypress Heads? Is this finding cypress head islands in the middle of a wetland or big areas of cypress stands. Deer don't bed there do they
(3) Walkt the rub line? The intent is find the main bedding area and the food plot course. What do deer mainly feed on in the middle of big area of pinewoods where a rub line is discovered - Look for oaks or berry/fig plants? Hard for me to tell what exacty their feeding on.

Any input of your interpretation is appreciated.

JRussell

The U wrote: »

Just gettin into huntin in SE & SW florida and have had a lot of fun already just gettin out in the woods. Right now I'm trying to pick up on scouting and before that I need to brush up on terminology. I'm pickin up terminology from several hunters but it seems they all have different interpretations. I have a few questions to start:
(1) What is a flagpong? I hear hunt the flagpond. I hear sevral quotes as I saw the deer walk across the flagpond. Then I hear a guy refer to a flagpond as a vegetated island (anything from palmettos, pines, wax myrtles or all together) in the middle of a wetland surrounded by pine woods.
(2) Hunt the Cypress Heads? Is this finding cypress head islands in the middle of a wetland or big areas of cypress stands. Deer don't bed there do they
(3) Walkt the rub line? The intent is find the main bedding area and the food plot course. What do deer mainly feed on in the middle of big area of pinewoods where a rub line is discovered - Look for oaks or berry/fig plants? Hard for me to tell what exacty their feeding on.

Any input of your interpretation is appreciated.

#1 A flag pond is a low lying area that is normally flooded and has a muck bottom. Plants typically called flags grow in these areas. Deer like to feed in and around them.

#2 Deer like to walk the edges of cypress heads and sometimes use game trails that are inside the larger more mature heads.

#3 Food sources will change throughout the year. If acorns are dropping they will probably be feeding on those. There is food everywhere in FL though so targeting a food source can be difficult. For example I recently watched a doe feed on hitchhikers for 30mins!

Cyclist

Everyone has differing definitions it seems.

Flag pond - Fireflag (Thalia geniculata


Not all wetlands are flagponds.

Cypress head = cypress dome - main tree = Pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens
That's a cypress dome/head in the background, rest is pine flatwoods. Some domes have little hummock islands, especially during low water.


List of Florida native plants deer love.

http://www.bowhunting.net/NAspecies/openwhitetail4.htm
Table 62. Common browse species and their parts preferred by whitetailed deer in the Coastal Plain. Browse species Frequency of use Plant parts utilized Season of greatest utilization
Red maple Intermediate Leaves, twigs Spring, Summer
Rattan (supplejack) Common Leaves, twigs Spring, Summer
American beautyberry Common Leaves, fruit Spring, Summer, Autumn
Common trumpetcreeper Common Leaves, twigs Spring, Summer, Autumn
Fringetree Common Leaves, twigs Spring, Summer
Swamp cyrilla Intermediate Leaves, twigs Spring
Common persimmon Common Fruit Autumn
Strawberry bush Common Leaves, twigs Year round
Carolina jessamine Intermediate Leaves, twigs Year round
Smooth hydrangea Intermediate Leaves, twigs Year round
Deciduous holly Common Leaves, twigs Spring, Summer
Yaupon Intermediate Leaves, twigs, fruit Autumn, Winter
Virginia sweetspire Common Leaves, twigs Year round
Japanese honeysuckle Common Leaves, twigs Year round
Sweetbay Intermediate Leaves Year round
Red mulberry Common Leaves Spring, Summer
Blackgum Common Leaves, fruit Spring, Summer
Redbay Intermediate Leaves Year round
Buffalonut Common Leaves, twigs, fruit Spring, Summer
Oak
White Common Fruit Autumn, Winter
Laurel Common Leaves, fruit Autumn, Winter
Water Common Leaves, fruit Autumn, Winter
Willow Common Leaves, fruit Autumn, Winter
Poison ivy Common Leaves Spring, Summer
Blackberry Common Leaves, fruit Year round
Dewberry Common Leaves, fruit Year round
Black willow Common Leaves, stems Year round
Sandbar willow Common Leaves, stems Year round
American eider Common Leaves Year round
Common sassafras Common Leaves Spring, Summer
Saw greenbrier Common Leaves, shoots Year round
Cat greenbrier Common Leaves, shoots Year round
Common greenbrier Common Leaves, twigs, fruit Year round
Laurel greenbrier Common Leaves, shoots Year round
Lanceleaf greenbrier Common Leaves, shoots Year round
Mapleleaf viburnum Intermediate Leaves, shoots Spring, Summer, Autumn
Arrowwood viburnum Common Leaves, twigs, fruit Spring, Summer, Autumn
Summer grape Common Leaves, twigs, fruit Spring