Swamp wisdom
By Bert Holopaw
@BHolopaw (176)
Orlando, Florida
January 6, 2021 9:25am CST
I spent the weekend at Lake Monroe Wildlife Management Area. This property is northwest of Sanford just across the Volusia County line. The spot I am in is about .8 mile from the parking lot. To get here I need to walk .6 mile down a marked trail and then the rest through the swamp. It takes much longer to walk the short distance through the swamp than it does to walk the trail portion. Crossing that in the dark really puts the nerves on high alert, especially the parts where the muck is ankle high. The photo is taken in the direction from which I came. So anyways, while sitting in tree looking back at where I came from it dawned on me, if you stare too hard at the muck you stepped in you will miss the beauty of the world around you.
3 people like this
3 responses
@RebeccasFarm (89736)
• Arvada, Colorado
6 Jan 21
What a great place Bert but yes I would be cautious too.
There must be so much to observe and appreciate.
This kind of environment is completely foreign to me. I would be very interested in it.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89736)
• Arvada, Colorado
6 Jan 21
@BHolopaw Do people hunt them Bert?
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@BHolopaw (176)
• Orlando, Florida
6 Jan 21
@RebeccasFarm Hunting wild boar is very popular here. I don't care for the taste of their meat so I do not. I do feed my family with deer meat. I have not bought beef in over two years.
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@BHolopaw (176)
• Orlando, Florida
6 Jan 21
It is amazing out there. I love watching wildlife in their environment. Animals act totally different in the wilderness than they do in a neighborhood. On this trip I saw well over 30 pigs, five deer, an otter, plus the usual small game and birds.
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@BHolopaw (176)
• Orlando, Florida
6 Jan 21
Most definitely when it is warmer up. I don't worry too much about alligators though. They usually scurry away. I am always on the lookout for snakes.
@BHolopaw (176)
• Orlando, Florida
6 Jan 21
@MALUSE I back out and give it plenty of room. This doesn't happen very often. Alligators in the wild just want to be left alone and will run at a remarkably fast speed from a human. In my opinion, the real danger in the swamp is a cottonmouth snake. They do not back away and will strike without warning. They are a big part of the reason I walk so slowly.
