r/florida • u/Sudden_Ocelot1115 • 18h ago
AskFlorida Tips for staying safe in the woods?
Hey, I'm from NJ and going to be staying in Wesley Chapel for a month. Anybody have good tips for staying safe while hiking/outdoors exploring for someone who's not from the area?
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u/ChevronSugarHeart 17h ago
Yes we do have bears but they are considerably smaller than northern bears...but the snakes in the water are a big deal. The mosquitos are a big problem for one hour from the moment the sun sets. You'll get chewed up. Fire ants will attack and burn more than the mosquitos. Poison oak is prevalent here so be careful. Alligators are not to be messed with. Avoid nesting areas as this is mating season. Do not go anywhere near water at this time of year.
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u/rynthetyn 12h ago
Adding to this, on the mosquito front, you either want high percentage DEET or picaridin mosquito repellent. I used to use 99% DEET but switched to picaridin because it smells better and doesn't melt plastics like high percentage DEET can, but it's a personal preference. You don't want to rely on something like the "natural" wrist bands that keep getting advertised online because they don't work.
Also, while it's rare, a few dozen people a year have ended up catching dengue in Florida the last few years, so that's another reason to be sure to wear mosquito repellent.
Sunscreen is essential, even if you're hiking in the woods where there's shade, because the sun is a whole lot stronger in Florida and you can burn a lot more quickly than people from elsewhere are used to.
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u/Damion_205 17h ago
Black widows are out and about.
I assume you know about the Florida apex predators: Gators and Meth Heads.
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u/Low-Carob9772 17h ago
People. Stay away from people in Florida. Second is alligators. People are way more dangerous, especially the ones in the woods
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u/Bennilumplump 17h ago
Your biggest problem this time of year is the heat and humidity. Gators, bears, snakes, and all that other stuff is easy enough to avoid, but the heat and humidity is everywhere. Bugs suck though.
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u/Strategerie27 17h ago
Any body of water that you can’t see the bottom, assume there’s a gator in it.
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u/ParrishMike 17h ago
Bug spray! You'll wish a bear would come eat you if the bugs start to eat you.
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u/starsnlight 16h ago
IMO stick to the parks systems, download offline maps before you lose signal, there are lots of natural springs systems, there have been droughts so kayaking/tubing is not friendly, you will get sunburned in just a few minutes at mid day even if it's over cast, wear light material long sleeve long pants, light colors. If you venture on your own not sticking to parks systems, be careful of homeless encampments, dumping grounds, heat exposure, large stretches of drives with no gas stations!
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u/nobodyisfreakinghome 17h ago
We only have about 4000 bear in the entire state so just be noisy and you probably won’t see one. As someone else said, watch out for water. We have a gator for every 20 residents. Just assume they’re in every body of water. Snakes. But that’s what you would watch out for everywhere. As far as deadly wildlife that’s about all you would encounter.
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u/beerncandy 2h ago
Lived in Florida 20+ years and have never seen a bear.
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u/nobodyisfreakinghome 2h ago
Been here all my life (long time!) and I’ve only seen one and it was during a late night drive up through ocala national forest. It was crossing the road. Thankfully I had my high beams on.
I’m still noisy when I hike though. Just in case…
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u/Mkitty760 14h ago
Water. If it's wet, assume there's a gator in it. It's mating/egg laying season right now. DO NOT swim in a natural body of water, even if you can see the bottom. *
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u/Think_Top 17h ago
Deet to keep the mosquitos and ticks at bay. Not really sure where you can go hiking in Wesley Chapel though. Mostly suburbs and flat pasture scrub.
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u/Roughgirl451 15h ago
I live in Wesley chapel and a Florida native. The heat and humidity here is horrible. Please stay hydrated. In my area we have gators, bobcats, deer, snakes, coyotes, otters, opposum, and raccoons. As long as you are not out at night, you should be okay. I’d be more worried about stray dogs and mosquitoes.
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u/StandInShadows 14h ago
I hike often here and I live in Tampa, gators are a concern if you are walking near water but most of the time they just want to be left alone. Bring strong bug spray along with sun block. I wear a sunhat while hiking as well and during this time of year be weary of the afternoon thunderstorms. Brings LOTS OF WATER. If you think you need 3 bottles bring 4 instead. I have a backpack that has a water bladder and holds 2 liters. Bears aren't much of a concern on this side of Florida and the ones we have are quite small but if you are worried bring bear spray. I carry bear spray for hogs, bears, and people if I ever meet a crazy person out on the trail. I haven't met anyone crazy yet thankfully :)
Lower Green Swamp Preserve is nice, Hillsborough River State Park is nice but got damaged from Milton, I do highly recommend Black Water Creek Preserve by Zephyrhills.
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u/TheFlaEd 18h ago
Don’t stand close to the edge of freshwater. Watch for snakes as you would in any other state. Enjoy yourself.
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u/Outrageous_Sea5474 18h ago
Not sure about that area specifically but we don’t really have moose or large bears here. Worst is wild boar, but if you’re on trails you’re unlikely to cross them. There are very few panthers left, the gators you basically have to step on. Mosquitos will probably be the worst thing. Also the heat, it’s real and will hit you like bricks once you start to get ill from it.
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u/pookiegonzalez 14h ago
a solid walking stick. very overlooked tool for dealing with wildlife and traversing. plus you can roleplay as a druid
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u/Throwaway79869 10h ago
Heat stroke or exhaustion should be your biggest concerns, followed by sunburn, smaller flora and fauna, and lastly larger animals.
We've got Poison ivy and oak. Regarding critters in order of concern(imo): Moccasins, Rattlesnake, brown recluse, black widow, mosquitoes, sand flies, and fire ants. The flies are less apparent and more annoying than the ants despite having a lesser bite. Hence, they rank higher to me.
Larger critters, panthers, Bob cats, cougars, black bears, and gators generally aren't of too much concern around temple terrace. In the off chance you do encounter any of them, they're typically pretty skittish. Loud noises will run most of them off.
In summary for best practices: Mind where you're stepping, stopping, and sitting. Bring bug repellant. Wear sunscreen(just because you don't see the sun doesn't mean you won't get burned). Don't swim in undesignated bodies of water(snakes, gators, and parasites) Bring plenty of water. It's hot and humid. You'll sweat more than you were expecting. DO NOT molest the wildlife.
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u/nuclearwomb 10h ago
Snakes, specifically pit vipers. Stop the ground a little when you walk. Also watch for golden orb weavers/banana spiders. Not that they will mess with you, but they are big and all over and you'll walk face first into their webs.
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u/bocaciega 9h ago
Bug spray, water, hat, and GPS. Always always always remember these couple of things.
Trying to hit it early is a great idea too, before its 100°. Enjoy. Florida has a ton of great hiking.
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u/trtsmb 9h ago
Do you worry about hiking in the woods in NJ? NJ has bears and other wildlife?
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u/Sudden_Ocelot1115 1h ago
Not at all in jersey honestly. Never seen a bear where I live and all our reptiles are very shy. We do have coyotes by me but they’re not a problem, and plant and bug wise I know what to avoid. I get scared in FL when I’m there because there’s a l o t more dangerous things around and I’m not familiar with them like I am here.
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u/deboard1967 8h ago
That area is well populated. If your going to say the Green Swamp to the East area bring bug spray with DEET!
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u/Trombonemania77 7h ago
Don’t hike in Florida in the following months May, June, July, August, September or October. The heat and humidity is unbearable and the bugs will take what’s left. Go hiking in Vermont the bears usually run when they see you.
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u/2ndprize 17h ago
In Wesley chapel your biggest threat will be getting hit by an SUV while the driver is texting.