OUTDOORS
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pick off a variety of game from exotic species like axis deer
and water buffalo to native animals like alligators, quail,
white tailed deer and boar.
Not far inland from the Treasure Coast are many options
for hunting, from private guide services that may take
hunters on public lands during specific hunting seasons to
two large preserves, Fox Brown Outfitters and Quail Creek
Plantation. Both Okeechobee-area preserves offer a range
of hunting options and services that include exotic species
in fenced areas. Preserves have been around since 1929.
“Quail hunting is very big out here, birds are always a lot
of fun,” says Chelsea Wallace, manager of Fox Brown Outfitters,
which offers about 3,000 acres of fenced and 1,000
acres of native species hunting. “We see a lot of bowhunters
who might go for something challenging like axis deer,
if they want something funky to put on the wall. We often
suggest they schedule a couple days for that because it’s
not realistic to expect to get one the first time.”
About half of the big game hunters at Fox Brown are
from out of state, she says, spending as little as $150 for a
half-day dove hunt to as much as $6,500 to take down a
Pere David deer, which often have enormous horns and are
formerly native to China. Those who can’t or don’t want to
take their prey home to eat enable local charities to fill their
freezers as all meat, hides, and other useful byproducts are
processed and donated to eliminate unnecessary waste,
Wallace says.
OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE
Nearby, the Quail Creek Plantation is known as different
things to different people: Some visit for its restaurant,
>>
KELLY GILL
Drawing inspiration from ancient tools and techniques, Ryan Gill has
brought down 27 large game animals with weapons he crafts himself.
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