Big Cypress Public Use Study

A typical Big Cypress recreationist is a 35-year-old, white male from Miami, who attended college for at least 2 years. He is married and is a white-collar worker in a managerial or proprietary position making between $25,000 and $50,000 annually. He has been going to the Big Cypress for 141 years, using the area for all recreation 29 days out of the year of which 19 are spent hunting. He, therefore, uses 5 percent of the Big Cypress hunting opportunity. When he does hunt outside the Big Cypress, he prefers the Everglades Conservation Areas. He hunts mainly on weekends except during the peak use periods of the 9-day quota hunt, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. He brings a group of 5, family and friends, with him and stays for 3 days. He likes to hunt during the general gun season in the Monument unit. He uses the Bear Island unit more during archery and muzzleloading seasons. He stays at an established camp owned by someone else. He hunts with an ATC that he owns, but would prefer to use a swamp buggy to reach his still hunt area. He is using a vehicle for hunting more now than he has done in the past. He supports the use of all vehicles during muzzleloading, general gun, and small game seasons, but is undecided about their use during archery or spring gobbler seasons. He supports the use of swamp buggies the most and tracks the least. He supports the use of dogs and hunts with dogs more often than not. He carries 2 on his airboat or 3 in his swamp buggy. He averages 0.4 dogs during the quota week. Dogs make him more successful in harvesting a deer or hog. He prefers to hunt deer, but reports that deer harvest is down. His deer harvest success rate is 0.6, but if he owns a camp it is slightly higher than that. He inflates his deer harvest by 2.3 times. He harvests most of the deer during the first 9 days of each season. He thinks that the deer are increasing in the Loop unit, but decreasing in the Jetport. His second choice of game is the hog and reports that his hog harvest is up. His hog harvest success rate is 0. 7 whether or not he owns or uses a camp. As with the deer hunter, the hog hunter inflates his hog harvest by 2.3 times. He harvests most of the hogs during the first 9 days of each season. He thinks that hogs are increasing in the Monument, Stairsteps, and loop units but are decreasing in the Jetport. He isn't a turkey hunter. Those 46 percent who do hunt turkeys have a 0.4 success rate wit~ that of camp owners slightly higher. He inflates his turkey harves by 1.1 times. He harvests most of the turkeys during the first 9 days of spring gobbler season. Turkey hunters think the population is decreasing in all units except Bear Island. He supports the present quota during the first 9 days of the general gun season, but opposes shorter seasons, an earlier general gun season, a split primitive weapon season, and an either-sex deer hunt. He has seen alligators more than deer, hogs, or turkeys.· His preferred nonhunting activities are camping and fishing. Monument lake campground is his preferred site for primitive camping. He would enjoy using the Big Cypress more if the amount of litter were decreased. The typical Big Cypress angler has fished in the area for 14 years and spends about 15 days per year fishing there. He fishes a 11 days of the week and all times of the day. His most preferred fishing area is in the canal along Highway 41, so does not need an off-road vehicle. He uses a rod and reel and mainly fishes for bass. He thinks that the fish population is stable, but feels that fishing would be improved by weed removal.

Big Cypress Public Use Study

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