Toby Benoit

The Second Seminole War here in Florida was very important to the development of Florida, and the settlement of the Nature Coast. This was the costliest war for the United States of any of its campaigns against the indigenous tribes in the nation's history. The Second Seminole War cost more than $30 million and the lives of nearly 1,500 soldiers.

A true trophy of a buck taken in his ranch in Istachatta, which Toby skinned and caped with the aid of a dull knife! [Photo by Toby Benoit]

Buck fever is a physiological response that occurs when a hunter experiences intense and sudden excitement at seeing a buck. It’s a form of anxiety that creates an immediate rush of adrenaline, and the symptoms are shaking hands, sweaty palms, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, and, often, missed shots.

It's been mighty cold, my friends. Obviously enough, I don't need to tell any of y'all, but it did seem about the most convenient way to introduce my train of thought.

There are so many different ways to fill your freezer with organic, free-range pork that I'll probably never get around to trying them all.

More and more bears have been seen in urban areas across our state over the past several years. In fact, over six thousand nuisance bear calls come into the FWC offices each year.

It's small game season in the Croom Wildlife Management Area and the squirrels have been providing lots of opportunities to bring some home to supper.

I haven't been able to go south for invasives for a few months now, so I'm excited to be heading down for a long weekend coming up.

I just earned the rights to hunt a beautiful piece of land along the Withlacoochee River near Nobleton and the landowner asked me to specifically target the wild hogs that have been tearing up his property.

Wild hogs were introduced to La Florida in 1521, by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce De Leon.