What a cool morning!

[Engine]

I did a 16 miler on the FT this morning and had a couple of very cool wildlife sightings. About 4 miles in, while paralleling the old barge canal diggings SW of Ocala, I saw a large group of some of the biggest pigs I've seen in a long time. There must have been 10 or 12 total and at least 3 of them would have gone over 300 pounds. They were quite agitated by my presence and it was a neat couple minutes while I heard one big boar popping his jaws about 30 feet away.

About 2 hours later I thought I saw some quail up the trail, but as I got to them I realized it was a group of newly hatched turkey polts. A second later mom came crashing out of the brush and ATTACKED me. I've never been mauled by a turkey before, so it was an interesting experience. She had very short spurs thankfully, I would have been sporting some holes in my legs had it been an old tom. She backed off after a few seconds and then followed me for a hundred feet or so while vocalizing very loudly.

Overall a really cool experience!

[mindi]

That's awesome! Where exactly on the trail were you? I'd like to get out and do a couple of shakedowns near there and I'd love to see some wildlife..

[bigcranky]

What's next, a python attack? Wow, good story.

[Engine]

West of HWY 200 toward the Pruitt trailhead maybe 1 1 /2 miles when I saw the pigs. The turkey was east of 200 about 1/2 way to the crossing at 484. The trail is nice right now and the biting flies haven't started out there yet so it's a nice time to be out. The only downside is being the first hiker through in the morning you will catch every spider web, and there are lots to catch.

Have a great hike!

[Engine]

What's next, a python attack? Wow, good story.

I can out run the snakes. Turkeys, I have found, are like a track sprinter though.

[east_stingray]

I can out run the snakes. Turkeys, I have found, are like a track sprinter though.

LMAO! I can't say I've ever had the opportunity to test that theory, but a nice parallel nonetheless.

[vitamaltz]

What's next, a python attack? Wow, good story.

Maybe... there was a great article in the New Yorker a few weeks ago about how prolific Burmese pythons have become in the Everglades. They've turned up as far north as Jacksonville and some scientists think they could colonize the rest of the southeast eventually. They can grow up to 20 feet long and one was found with a 6-foot alligator in its belly.

Florida can keep the pythons. I've been attacked by a turkey as well, while I was in a pup tent. The turkey charged the tent and collapsed it in the rain. He was all tangled up in the nylon and I was trying to bat him away while he was basically on my chest. Those guys are fierce!

[Reid]

You said that like you did 16miles before breakfast or something.

[Engine]

You said that like you did 16miles before breakfast or something.

Started at 7:45 and finished up at noon. I'm in Florida so the terrain isn't all that challenging.

[Reid]

Well that's still quite a hike! Was it a loop? I'm hearing lots of good things about this florida trail I may have to squeeze a section if I can.

[Engine]

Well that's still quite a hike! Was it a loop? I'm hearing lots of good things about this florida trail I may have to squeeze a section if I can.

It was an O&B, but there are lots of great trailheads for access and many nice loops are possible as well. My wife and I did 10 miles a bit further east this morning and saw 3 barred owls that were within a few hundred feet of each other. It's the time for love among owls here right now so I assume two males were wooing the lone female.

From your location in SC I would think about the panhandle section somewhere. There is some really nice stuff up that way as well and it's much closer for you.

[Reid]

My sister lives in Clearwater, what's close to there?

[Reid]

Tampa I guess we could say

[Engine]

There are some loops in the Croom which is about 35 miles from Tampa. They are nice and have surprising elevation changes for Florida. I run there every so often, but for a nicer hike I would make the drive toward Ocala and catch the FT at the 49th st. trailhead and take it east to Santos or west to the Pruitt trailhead. Lots of wildlife and much more variation in flora and fauna than further south.