Everglades Species Profile: The Wood Duck

duckThere are numerous species of birds that can be found in the Everglades. At times in the winter, the sight of these birds can look like a scene out of the famous film, “The Birds.” Why? Well, birds migrate down to the Everglades for the winter so hundreds of birds are flying and gathering in the area. For this article, we wanted to focus on one bird so calls the Everglades its home: the wood duck.

The wood duck is a North American bird with very colorful features; it has blues, greens, purples mixed with white and black stripes and patches. Because of its coloring, it is known to be a popular birdwatching bird and its sought after by hunters.

In Florida, the wood duck is also known as the “summer duck” or “acorn duck.”  It was nearly extinct in the early 1900s, but its numbers were able to increase due the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act  in 9 1918 that restricted hunting of these birds. Because of this act, the wood ducks is now one of the most abundant waterfowl species on the continent.

Wood ducks have a large head, short neck, long square tail, and a long, slicked-back head crest. The males are more colorful than the females with a red bill and eyes whereas the females are mostly gray and brown with a white ring around their eyes.

Wood ducks’ habitat ranges from Quebec, Canada to south Florida. They migrate up north around March. This type of duck prefers to be around swamps and upland forests near freshwater, which is why the Everglades is an ideal location. They like to be surrounded by shrubs and plants so they have areas where they can find insects, seeds, and fruit.

Wood ducks nest in tree cavities, which keeps them out of harm’s way from foxes, opossums, raccoons, snakes, skunks, and other predators, including other ducks. After nesting, wood ducks molt all their feathers at once and cannot fly again until their new flight feathers emerge in 3 to 4 weeks.

Although the wood duck gets most of its food in shallow waters, it does obtain a lot of food by foraging on the ground in woody swamps and forests, unlike other ducks. Wood ducks eat seeds, fruits, parts of plants, small acorns, some insects, some snails and crawfish.

The wood ducks are one of the only duck species that nest in Florida. Pairing takes place in winter and egg-laying occurs between February and March.  They lay around 10 to 15 eggs.  After hatching, ducklings will leave the nest the next day. The mother wood duck will stay with her babies until they can fly (around 9 weeks). Due to predators, only 3-4 ducks will survive long enough to fly.

Maximum lifespan of a wood duck is 15 years, but the majority don’t live longer than 3 to 4 years old. To hunt a wood duck or any duck species in Florida, you must have a Florida hunting license and a free Florida Waterfowl permit. These can be obtained from county tax collectors and their subagents, such as hunting supply stores. There are hunting regulations on these ducks including season length and the number of killed ducks allowed per person per day.

If you’re a fan of ducks, you’ll want to visit the Everglades where you’ll see a ton of them! Come explore the Everglades by airboat on a ride with Captain Mitch. Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours give you a glimpse of the Everglades and a possible glimpse of some wood ducks like no other. To book an airboat ride, click here or call 800-368-0065.

 

Fishing Basics to Follow in the Everglades

fishingDid you know that one third of the Everglades is covered by water? It’s true! This makes it an ideal place for visitors and anglers to go fishing. There are many species of fish found in the waterways of the Everglades, but snapper, sea trout, redfish, bass, and bluegill are known to be abundant in this area.

There are thousands of acres of shallow water flats, channels, and mangrove keys for people to fish. However, fishing from the shore is very limited.

When fishing, removing/collecting plants and marine life from the water is prohibited. For example, please do not take orchids, seahorses, starfish, coral, sea shells, driftwood, sponges, tropical fish, etc., out of the water.

When fishing in the Everglades, both freshwater and saltwater fishing requires separate Florida fishing licenses. It’s important for you to be aware and follow these rules/regulations so you do not get in trouble for fishing illegally. Visitors fishing in the park need to be aware of bag limits for individual species. The bag limit for many species is less than 10 fish. Licensed anglers are limited to possession of 20 fish/person at any time, but may possess no more than 10 fish of any one species. There is no possession limit for non-native species.

People are not allowed to fish with nets, seines, spears, firearms, and lobster snares. Dip nets, cast nets, and landing nets that are 10’ or smaller are allowed.

People are allowed four (4) fillets per person for immediate consumption at designated campsites or on-board vessels equipped with cooking facilities. All other fish must remain whole while in park waters.

Freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses are required for park visitors 16 years old and older. Digging for bait inside the park is prohibited.

For more rules and specifics regarding saltwater and freshwater fishing in the Everglades, visit: https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/upload/Ever-Fishing-Regulations-June-FY12.pdf. For more  information on licensing and fishing regulations visit www. marinefisheries.org or www.myfwc.com.

If fishing isn’t your thing but you like being on the water, come enjoy the Everglades on an airboat tour. You may catch a glimpse of many fish species without being on a fishing trip! Click here or call 800-368-0065 to book an airboat tour with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours in the Everglades today.

Fishing for Spotted Sea Trout in the Everglades

sea troutLove to fish? The Everglades is a great spot to do it, since one-third of this place is covered by water! Throughout the park, there are many acres of shallow water flats, mangrove keys, and channels that make great spots to fish! However, fishing from the shore is limited. In the state of Florida, there are specific freshwater and saltwater licenses and regulations to follow. For important fishing information, click here.

One type of fish that is plentiful in the waters of the Everglades is the spotted sea trout. For this article, we wanted to share with you some basic information on this fish that makes the Everglades, amongst other places, its home. Also, it is a pretty tasty fish for you to bring home and cook up!

Sea trout, also known as Cynoscion nebulosus, can be found inshore and in deep waters up to 33 feet deep. They are dark gray or green on the top part of their bodies with blue/white/silver colorings underneath. They have black spots on their back, dorsal fin, and tail, but have no scales on their soft dorsal fin. Sea trout have one to two prominent canine teeth at the front of their upper jaw.

They feed on shrimp, crabs, mullet, pinfish, and baitfish. Their spawning season is between March and November. They swim in small schools and don’t stray too far from the estuaries that they were born in.

If you’re looking to catch a sea trout and you do, it’s important to return them to the water immediately if you don’t plan on keeping them to bring home. They are a delicate fish and can be easily harmed. The biggest sea trout ever caught in Florida was 17 pounds, 7 ounces and it was caught in Ft. Pierce. On average, most sea trout an angler will come across will weigh around 4 pounds but they can easily get up to 15 pounds in weight.

Like stated above, there are specific regulations when it comes to catching different species of fish in Florida’s state waters. With sea trout, you can catch them and keep them if they are between 15 and 20 inches in length; the daily bag limit of sea trout in Florida waters is 4 fish per angler. In Florida, spotted sea trout fishing is permitted throughout the entire year. Fishing for sea trout is legal, if they are caught with a hook and line or a cast net.

If fishing isn’t your thing, but you like being on a water, then an airboat ride may be the right kind of trip for you in the Everglades. Captain Mitch’s Airboat tours brings guests all over the Everglades for spectacular views as you make fun memories. To book an airboat tour, click here or call 800-368-0065.

Go Fishing in the Everglades!

fishingDid you know you can go fishing in the Everglades? You can! Since one-third of the Everglades is water covered, it makes sense that there are plenty of places where fishing would be ideal! In the Park, anglers have the opportunity to catch a variety of fish, including: snapper, redfish, bass, sea trout, and bluegill. Being a national park and in the state of Florida, people must be aware and abide by local fishing information.

People are asked to exercise caution while fishing in the Everglades, and to always check on weather and tide conditions and predictions, as well as prepare for lots of mosquitos. In short, visitors must be aware of all Florida state laws, rules, and regulations regarding fishing such as bag limits for individual species. When It comes to licensing information and regulations, people should visit marinefisheries.org to know what’s OK and what’s not OK before you head out.

In the Everglades, people have the opportunity to participate in saltwater fishing in Florida Bay, Ten Thousand Islands and in other areas along the park’s coast.  Both saltwater and freshwater fishing require separate Florida fishing licenses.

Shoreline fishing is available in the park, but it is limited. Places to do this include: Pine Glades Lake, Sisal Pond, Ficus Pond, Sweet Bay Pond, Nine Mile Pond, West Lake, and the Flamingo Camping Area.

When it comes to freshwater fishing, a license is required for those over 16. People are not allowed to use live or dead fish, amphibians, roe for bait. Digging for bait is also prohibited. With saltwater fishing, the same license requirements apply. Saltwater bait includes: shrimp, minnows, pilchards, pinfish, mullet, and a few others.

General Everglades Fishing Info:

  • Seines, nets, and lobster snares are prohibited.
  • Spears and firearms are prohibited.
  • Collecting plants and animals is prohibited.
  • Anglers are allowed to have 4 fillets per person for immediate consumption at designated campsites or on board vessels with cooking facilities; otherwise, all other fish must remain intact while in park waters.
  • Commercial fishing is prohibited.
  • Anglers are limited to 20 fish per person at a time, but cannot possess no more than 10 of any one species. If the species is non-native, there is no limit.

For a full list of Everglades fishing information that is up-to-date and more thorough, visit marinefisheries.org or myfwc.com. If you’re looking for a tour or if fishing isn’t your thing, think about riding in an airboat to experience the Everglades in a whole new way. To book a trip, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-3698-0065 or click here.