Panhandle Outdoors |

Wild Turkey Biology and Habitat Management

by Shep Eubanks | Nov 14, 2019 | Florida Master Naturalist, Florida Panhandle, Hunting, Natural Resources, Wildlife

The above picture of a strutting Eastern Wild Turkey is a sight that many hunters look forward to seeing every spring here in the panhandle of Florida. In order to manage wild turkeys and their habitat it is good to understand some basic facts about their biology....

Deer Harvest Reporting System in Effect this Season

by Mark Mauldin | Nov 8, 2019 | Hunting

Deer hunting season here in Northwest Florida officially started this past Saturday (10/26) with the opening of archery and crossbow season; muzzleloading and general gun season will both open later this month. If you are fortunate enough to find success hunting in...

3 Steps to Successful Food Plots

by Jennifer Bearden | Nov 8, 2019 | Hunting, Land Management, Wildlife

When people put in food plots and are not successful, I normally see the following three problems as possible cause. First, they didn’t consider soil pH or fertility. Second, they didn’t choose the right plant varieties for our area. Third, they didn’t manage weeds...

Snakes on Our Barrier Islands

by Rick O'Connor | Nov 8, 2019 | Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Nuisance Species, Snakes

Over the last two years I have been surveying snakes in a local community on Perdido Key. The residents were concerned about the number of cottonmouths they were seeing and wanted some advice on how to handle the situation. Many are surprised by the number of...

Torpedograss a Challenge to Manage on Land or Water

by Ray Bodrey | Oct 24, 2019 | Invasive Species

Tordpedograss (Panicum reopens) is one of the most concerning weeds in Florida and now easily found in the Panhandle. This weed’s favorite habitat is in or near ponds and ditches, but will spread across lawns and pastures. A native grass of both Africa and Asia,...

Help the Monarch Butterfly

by Sheila Dunning | Oct 10, 2019 | Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Education, Events, Florida Panhandle, Gardening, Habitat Conservation, Native plants, Panhandle Habitats, Plants, Wildlife, Wildlife monitoring

Over 1.8 million Monarch butterflies have been tagged and tracked over the past 27 years. This October these iconic beauties will flutter through the Florida Panhandle on their way to the Oyamel fir forests on 12 mountaintops in central Mexico. Monarch Watch...

Bats: Friends of Farmers and Gardeners

by hollyober | Oct 10, 2019 | Agriculture best practices, Florida Panhandle, Gardening, Habitat Conservation, Trees, Wildlife

Insect pests can destroy substantial quantities of crops, prompting growers to invest heavily in pesticide use. Previ ous research in Texas suggested that bats could reduce pesticide costs by over a million dollars within their state, due to the bats’ fondness for...

Principles of Managing Habitat for Wildlife

by Mark Mauldin | Oct 10, 2019 | Habitat Conservation, Hunting, Land Management, Native plants, Panhandle Habitats, Wildlife

Landowners frequently prioritize wildlife abundance and diversity in their management goals. This is often related to a desired recreational activity (hunting, bird watching, etc.). In order to successfully meet wildlife related management goals, landowners need to...

Ospreys: A Tale of Resilience

by Carrie Stevenson | Sep 27, 2019 | Birds, Coastal Wildlife, Florida Panhandle, Habitat Conservation, Hurricanes, Trees

Big hurricanes like Dorian (Bahamas) and 2018’s Michael (central Florida Panhandle) were devastating to the communities they landed in. Flooding, wind, rain, loss of power and communications eventually made way for ad hoc clearing and cleanup, temporary shelters, and...

Pokeweed: Adding Purple to the Fall Palet

by Les Harrison | Sep 27, 2019 | Birds, Florida Panhandle, Native plants

Half a century ago the AM airwaves included a tune by a rock singer who crooned about Polk Salad Annie. While not exactly epic lyrics, it did have a catchy beat which made it to number eight on Billboard’s Hot 100. The basis of this dish was common pokeweed...