Question for all you sunshine staters.

[rjtfroggy]

Hopefully I will be able to relocate down there in a year or two. I thinking the Steward(sp) area and am wondering about the hunting and shooting ranges in that area, or how far you need to travel.
My wife would rather go closer to Ft.Lauderdale or Coral Spring to be closer to her family but I think an hour away is close enough.
So any of your thoughts would help.

[tufrthnails]

If you are referring to Stuart, fl. you are in the southern end of the state and I don't have much expirence hunting that end of the state but the three times I have been down that way with buddies that live down there it has not been good for me. you are 2 and 1/2 hours from Manatee Gun and Archery Club which has the only public 1000yrd range. As far as other ranges in that area I have no idea. I know there are some WMA's about an hour and a half from you near sebring that aren't horrible, but truthfully you are 5 hours from any decent deer hunting. Now hog hunting is good all over the state. A friend has a place near west palm (half hour away) that we hammer the hogs on and it borders one of the WMA's.

[rjtfroggy]

Thanks. At that kind of driving time I may as well give in to the wife and just add an hour to drive times.

[yobuck]

I transplanted myself to Florida about 15 years ago from PA.
I first moved to the keys for 10 years but now reside in Vero Beach.
Stuart would be on the southern end of the East Central part of the state.
Still not considered South Florida. Do yourself a very big favor and dont be in any
rush to select a location in which to live. Rent or live in an r v for awhile first till you familiarize yourself with the whole area.
The traffic in south Florida on both coasts is enough in itself to make you sorry you did that. Especially in snow bird season.
Home prices in the central region are very good as for bargains. As for shooting, there are ranges to be found in that area.
In one hour you can be in some very isolated areas. R E taxes are also lower in the east central area. I moved to Florida primarily
for the warm weather and good fishing. The fishing oppurtunities are actually better where i am now than they were in the keys from an all round standpoint.

[rjtfroggy]

Yobuck thanks for the reply. As for the traffic I know about that, I have been visiting Ft. Lauderdale for 40 years on average every third year and know a ten minute drive usually takes 30-40 minutes any time of the year, and please don't stop to turn left:p.
That is the biggest reason for thinking about Stuart or the surrounding area, still not overly populated but close enough to the wifes family to just drive down for the day.
The big thing is I don't want to give up my hobbies just to live somewhere warmer and snowless and thought I would start looking around now.
I also like the Orlando area but it is just too congested to live there. If I hadn't had over ten years invested in the F.D. I would have made the move years ago when my kids were younger because they too would like to move out of Ct., and I'm sure if the wife and I make the move they will follow right behind.

[yobuck]

Well unfortunatly there are only a few times in ones life when making a major move is easy.
One would be when your young and without many family ties. The other is when your old and
their glad you left. Getting a group of people including family to agree on anything is difficult
let alone a major relocation. If you and your wife are on the same page as for moving, just do it
and let the rest take care of itself. Most of us live out our lives in the place our families chose to live theirs
for all sorts of reasons. When you come right down to it thats dumb. Florida is a very gun friendly state.
Its also a friendly state as for keeping what youve earned. I consider myself a pretty ardent hunter/shooter.
That said ive never fired a shot in the 15 years ive lived there. For one thing shooting groups at any distance
is of little interest to me. For another thing i also enjoy the good fishing. The type of hunting/shooting i like is best done at a place like this.
My son and grandson flew out of Sanford into Harrisburg for under $150 for both of them for this past buck season. So in addittion to all
the good opurtunities for hunting/shooting and fishing Florida offers there are other options as well.

[huntted]

I like the Sebring area, less expensive, less traffic, lots of good hunting areas, public and private.

[budmccarroll]

I'm in Jupiter, about 10 miles from Stuart. There are a few outdoor ranges for rifle. A few close and a few are an hour drive or so. As far as hunting, there are tons of hogs. You may pick up a deer on one of the local management areas, but there are a lot of hogs.