Is it true there are vast areas of uninhabited land where one may take their firearms and shoot them unmolested err undisturbed?

We talking unmolested by people, or unmolested by gators?

Minimal gators

Zero people

Panhandle has a population of gators greater than minimal.

Pythons now occupy a greater than minimal portion of the area you mention.

From my experience, yes there are vast areas without people, but it’s covered in 6”+ of water and the aforementioned wildlife, any area of central to southern Florida that can be drained and turned into condos has been.

Beware of Florida man, gunshots are a mating call

And mosquitos, everywhere, nothing I ever put on kept the buggers away.

As a teenager and then a young man after returning from the Army, my buds and I would go out in the western or central part of the glades to hunt or just shoot. Don't think, as an older fella now, I'd do that.

Hickey Creek is just a few miles east of Fort Myers, but I don't think you are allowed to shoot there anymore. And there's a lot more people in that area than 50-60 years ago.

I believe I'd write the southern part of Florida off the list for what you have in mind. Hope you find a place to do that, though.

Bob

Not legal per F.S. 790.15

quote:

790.15 Discharging firearm in public or on residential property.—
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) or subsection (3), any person who knowingly discharges a firearm in any public place or on the right-of-way of any paved public road, highway, or street, who knowingly discharges any firearm over the right-of-way of any paved public road, highway, or street or over any occupied premises, or who recklessly or negligently discharges a firearm outdoors on any property used primarily as the site of a dwelling as defined in s. 776.013 or zoned exclusively for residential use commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. This section does not apply to a person lawfully defending life or property or performing official duties requiring the discharge of a firearm or to a person discharging a firearm on public roads or properties expressly approved for hunting by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or Florida Forest Service.

There are a fair number of public ranges on public lands, but general public land shooting is prohibited. I believe this is the case because (i) there isn't much public land in Florida where you can see far enough to know there's no one "out there" (unlike the western desert) and (ii) there have been people killed in the state doing things like fishing, from careless public land shooters.

It's fairly easy to have a range on your own property if your area has a density of less than 1 house per acre. For example, my area is zoned 1 house to 5 acres and almost everyone out here has a range on their own property. So c'mon down, buy more than an acre out in the county, and have your own range!

I got plenty of folks who own acreage, who are happy to let you blast away.

We did a road trip in 2010 where we drove completely around the coast of Florida, or as near as reasonably possible on public roads... Part of a bucket list item of mine is to drive the entire border of the lower 48. (not all at once) After Camping on Sanibel Island we went on further south and then east over to the east coast.

There were huge areas of jack shit except for mosquitoes in Southern Fl except for along the coast. Salt water mosquitoes the locals called them. I think even the gators stayed hid from them! You could not get out of the car just to grab a photo even if soaked in Off and with a can in each hand! It would look like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's the birds.

We drove through the Everglades Park I think it was and you could go for miles and miles and not see another car. We had planned on camping at a campground at the Southern most tip (mainland, not the Keys) but had to abandon that plan after talking to the managers there. They said, pitch your tent as fast as possible, get in and don't come out until morning! Or just sleep in your car. They did also say that the wind speed and direction had a lot to do with how bad they were. We drove on to Homestead and got a room for the night...

Used to be able to do it around Lake Okeechobee, (into the berm), in certain parts.

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
There were huge areas of jack shit except for mosquitoes in Southern Fl except for along the coast. Salt water mosquitoes the locals called them. I think even the gators stayed hid from them! You could not get out of the car just to grab a photo even if soaked in Off and with a can in each hand! It would look like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's the birds.

So, you're saying there are some challenges which need to be worked through.

Are you looking to buy some land to put a private range on your self?
A friend who own 5 acres in unincorporated Polk County built himself a 25 yard range in his back yard.

No, I don't even live in Florida.

So were going to need to let this thread marinade. The Old Bird wants to suck some more creativity out of us before showing his hand.

Carry on folks, this guy plays a loooooong game

Please carry on. I'm planning on living somewhere in the lower 2/3rds of Fl in about 23 months.

I’m on ~3 acres in unincorporated county in the panhandle. Neighbors are all 1+ acre each. And zoned AG which I also believe is part of the rule. I haven’t had the nuts to try shooting into my woods yet. Maybe when the suppressor stamp gets approved for the .22. I occasionally hear neighbors doing mag dumps though

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Is it true there are vast areas of uninhabited land where one may take their firearms and shoot them unmolested err undisturbed?

Not true unless you own/lease land. Big Sugar owns a lot of land. Then there’s the phosphate mines, cattle ranches, citrus groves, and other agriculture. South of Big Sugar’s land are a couple of swampy areas like Big Cypress and the Everglades. The Seminole and Miccosukee Indians have some land as well.

I don’t know much about it, but there’s a place called River Ranch. Not the resort, but the other River Ranch.

When you looking to move Mr. Mike?

The only place that I know of for shooting on public land is the range in the Ocala National Forest. I shot there once, with a handful of SIGforum folks.

https://myfwc.com/hunting/safe...ooting-ranges/ocala/

Not very legal, honestly. Not a lot of public land. There are huge swaths of forest and swamp land and I have heard that people shoot in the state and or national forest way out in the boonies.

I have a fenced in 1000 acre nature preserve directly behind my house and I go out there and shoot sometimes... not legal, but no one around.