Category: Cypress Dome Trail

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General Gun Hunting Season Opens Nov. 23 in CREW

Wild Hog in Flint Pen Strand
Wild Hog in Flint Pen Strand

General Gun Hunting Season at CREW opens November 23 and runs through December 1, 2013 at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Specific General Gun season regulations for CREW are listed below. Complete regs can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.

The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers – during hunting seasons. However, camping and horseback permits will not be issued during this hunt season. Hikers and bikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.

General Gun Season: November 23 through December 1 Regulations

Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Quota permit, hunting license, management area permit, deer permit (if hunting deer) migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds), and state waterfowl permit and federal duck stamp (if hunting waterfowl).

Legal to Hunt – Deer with at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length, wild hog, gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season.

Regulations Unique to General Gun Season –

  1. Hunting deer is prohibited in the Corkscrew Marsh Unit.
  2. Hunting with bird dogs or retrievers is allowed.
  3. Hunting with centerfire or rimfire rifles is prohibited.

The CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.

 

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Muzzleloading Season: Sept 7 – 9, 2013

Muzzleloading Gun Season at CREW runs from September 7-9, 2014 at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Muzzleloading season regulations for CREW are excerpted below. Complete regs can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.

The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers – during hunting seasons. However, camping and horseback permits will not be issued during hunt seasons. Hikers and bikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.

Muzzleloading Season: September 7 – 9, 2014

Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Quota permit, hunting license, management area permit, muzzleloading gun permit, deer permit (if hunting deer) and migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds).

Legal to Hunt – Deer with at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length, wild hog, gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season. 

Regulations Unique to Muzzleloading Gun Season-
Hunting deer is prohibited in the Corkscrew Marsh Unit.

Hunting with archery equipment or guns, other than muzzleloading guns, is prohibited, except that centerfire shotguns are allowed for hunting migratory birds when 1 or more species are legal to hunt (see Migratory Bird section and the current Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations pamphlet).

CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.

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David P. Browne Esq., Sponsors CREW 10K

The CREW Land & Water Trust thanks David P. Browne, Esq., Board Certified Wills, Trusts & Estates Lawyer, who has stepped up to be our major sponsor for the 2013 CREW 10K Trail Run and 1-Mile Fun Run on October 26, 2013.

Runner in 2012 CREW 10K
Runner in 2012 CREW 10K

This is the 2nd annual CREW 10K Trail Run organized by CREW runner and volunteer, Phil Nissen. Phil is known by many across southwest Florida as the founder of the “Caloosa Trailheads“, an informal group of trail runners. The run takes place at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails and Caracara Prairie Preserve Trails – through marsh and mud, ditches and sloughs, along cattle paths and beautiful back country where bears and deer reside.

Come on out for a fun day with other runners who enjoy the outdoors and excitement of off-road running. There will be a 1-mile fun run as well for families with smaller children. Snacks and water will be provided.

For more info or to register, click here. It’s free, but donations to the CREW Trust are greatly appreciated.

 

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Archery Hunting Season Begins Saturday

compound bowSaturday, August 10th, 2013 marks the beginning of a 9-day Archery hunting season at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, Caracara Prairie Preserve, and in portions of the Flint Pen Strand unit of CREW. Archery season regulations for CREW are excerpted below. Complete regs can be accessed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website.

The Cypress Dome Trails will remain open to other users – hikers, bikers, geocachers – during hunting seasons. However, camping and horseback permits will not be issued during hunt seasons. Hikers and bikers are encouraged to wear bright colors (hunter orange) when hiking during hunting seasons. No hunting is allowed at the CREW Marsh Trails or at the Bird Rookery Swamp Trails.

Archery Season: August 10-18

Permit, Stamp and License Requirements – Quota permit, hunting license, management area permit, archery permit, deer permit (if hunting deer) and migratory bird permit (if hunting migratory birds).

Legal to Hunt – Deer with at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length, wild hog, gray squirrel, quail, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, beaver, coyote, skunk, nutria and migratory birds in season.

Regulations Unique to Archery Season-

  1. Hunting deer is prohibited in the Corkscrew Marsh Unit.
  2. Hunting with guns or crossbows (except by disabled crossbow permit) is prohibited, except that centerfire shotguns are allowed for hunting migratory birds when 1 or more species are legal to hunt (see Migratory Bird section and the current Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations pamphlet).

CREW lands are open to a variety of public recreational use activities. One of the most historical and storied recreational uses of CREW is hunting. Hunting is an important wildlife management tool and provides many sportsmen and sportswomen a way to enjoy the outdoors and put food on their tables. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has designated CREW as a Wildlife & Environmental Area (WEA) and regulates the hunting rules and seasons on CREW lands. FWC law enforcement officers patrol CREW lands all year long.

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CREW Deer Monitoring Reveals Unexpected Wildlife Encounter

Monitoring wildlife populations helps us understand the health and status of various species and provides essential information when making land and wildlife management decisions at CREW.

Kathleen Smith, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission biologist assigned to CREW, conducts  deer surveys in portions of CREW using remote sensing cameras. In addition to providing information on the deer populations, these surveys help test specific methods for estimating deer populations. Using baited stations with remote sensing cameras set up nearby, the bait stations and cameras are deployed for about two weeks. Then the photos are analyzed and deer numbers, gender, ages, and activity recorded.

Anytime remote cameras are set up in the woods, it is expected that a variety of wildlife will appear and be captured as they enter the viewfinder of the camera. But you don’t always expect “action shots” of animals doing crazy things in the wild. This year, however, was an exception. As the photos got downloaded to the computers, and Kathleen and her team were quickly flipping through them, one particular action shot caught their attention. Take a look at the following sequence of photos to see what caught their eye… (click on each photo for a larger image)

Raccoon visits bait station (Photo by FFWCC)
Raccoon visits bait station (Photo by FFWCC)
Alligator attacks raccoon (Photo by FFWCC)
Alligator attacks raccoon (Photo by FFWCC)
Alligator after attack on raccoon (Photo by FFWCC)
Alligator after attack on raccoon (Photo by FFWCC)

How’s that for a surprise? Pretty amazing timing for a remote camera shot! And so much for the bait station! What do you think…did the raccoon get away?

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Deb Hanson in News-Press video on Rainfall

Deb Hanson in water (Photo by Andrew West/News-Press)
Deb Hanson in water (Photo by Andrew West/News-Press)

The CREW Land & Water Trust’s environmental education specialist, Deb Hanson, went for a rainy season walk through the White loop at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails last week with news-Press reporter Chad Gillis and photographer Andrew West. Today, the News-Press published the article about rainfall in southwest Florida, and Deb is featured on the front page of the print paper and on a video here on the News-Press website. Nice to see CREW in the newspaper. Thanks to Chad and Andrew for both the fun walk and the great spread in the paper!

 

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CREW Cypress Dome Trails & Caracara Prairie Preserve

Physical Address: 3980 CR 850 (Corkscrew Road), Immokalee, FL 34142

Hours: One hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset

Trails/Facilities: Free – donations accepted, Open to public

The CREW Cypress Dome Trails (also known as Gate 5) offer six miles of well-marked loop trails through pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, wet prairie, popash slough, and two beautiful cypress domes. Trails are flat grass/sand ground level and seasonally wet in low spots.

This trail also connects to Caracara Prairie Preserve which is owned and maintained by Conservation Collier. For their main website click here.

Trail maps are located at the trailhead. One port-a-potty is available near the trailhead. No buildings or running water. No trash cans. Benches are located along trails, picnic tables are in and near the campsite.

CREW Cypress Dome & Caracara Prairie Preserve Trail MapDownload
Cypress Dome wildlife checklistDownload

Click here to download a self-guided trail tour guide (2015)

Activities:

Directions:

From Naples/Bonita Springs/S. Fort Myers – Travel I-75 N to exit 123 (Corkscrew Rd.). Travel 14 miles east on Corkscrew Rd. The Cypress Dome Trails will be on your right just past a big curve to the left (north). Look for the brown trail signs.

From N Ft. Myers/Charlotte Co./Lehigh Acres: Travel I-75 to exit 138 (the ML King/S.R. 82 exit). Turn left (east) off the ramp. Travel 20 miles toward Immokalee (east) on S.R. 82. Turn right on C.R. 850 (Corkscrew Rd.). You will pass the CREW Marsh Trails at the 2-mile mark. Continue for 4 more miles. The Cypress Dome Trails will be on your left. Look for the brown road signs.

Google Map to CREW Cypress Dome Trails: http://goo.gl/maps/VMeEg

Go back to Visit CREW page.

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10 Ways to Enjoy the CREW Trails This Summer

10 Ways to Enjoy the CREW Trails This Summer

by Deb Hanson marsh bdwalk2

Summer is approaching and our schedule of events is empty. The CREW Trust has had a fabulous fall/winter season at CREW this year with the help of our project partners, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) staff who owns and manages the CREW lands, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission biologist who monitors wildlife and habitat at CREW, and our fabulous volunteers and FGCU interns who assist with guided walks, trail maintenance, exotics removal, and many other tasks.

Since October 1st, 2012 over 6000 people participated in our guided hikes, strolling science seminars, school field trips, and special programs for CREW Trust members and the public. Thousands more explored the CREW trails on their own and have connected with the watershed in many ways.

But don’t stay away from CREW just because we don’t have many organized summer programs planned. Come on out and enjoy CREW in a whole new way on your own. Summer is a time for the CREW trails to rest. With fewer footprints along the paths, grass grows taller, wildlife ventures out, and of course – with the arrival of summer storms – the water levels rise. By October, the marsh and swamps of CREW will be wet and green and teeming with animal activity. Summer is truly the most amazing time of year to experience CREW.

So, put on your old sneakers and long pants, sunscreen and bug spray, and try one or more of these suggestions to enjoy CREW on your own this summer:
1. Go for a Treasure Hunt  – CREW is home to over 100 geocaches – hidden treasures placed out in the woods along the trails that can be located by GPS coordinates – thanks to local geocachers JunglePete and The Unusual Suspects. If you’ve never been geocaching, grab your GPS unit or smartphone, go to http://geocaching.com for info and CREW coordinates and give it a whirl this summer.

caloosa trailheads2. Take a Run – running the CREW trails is a lot more interesting than pounding the pavement or hitting the treadmill at the gym. Research shows that running outdoors gives you more exercise due to varied elevation and wind resistance, too. Plus, fresh air and proximity to trees heals and refreshes. Check out the Caloosa Trailheads Facebook page to connect with like-minded folks or find a running buddy, then come run a mile or two or ten at CREW.

3. Track an Animal – hit the trail with one purpose: to track a critter. Summer means rain and softer ground, so tracks are more easily found along the trails. Challenge yourself to locate and identify five new animal tracks this summer. Grab a track field guide or app, a tape measure and a friend, then see what you can learn about animals that come out to play at CREW during the summer.

4. Just Sit There – 99% of the time people come to CREW walk, run or bike the trails. Rarely do people go to one spot and sit still. Yet 100% of the time, if you sit still in one place for more than 10 minutes you will see, hear, and experience more critters than in three hours of hiking. So, pick a trail, find a spot, and just sit there. Watch the magic happen.

camping fire5. Spend the Night – CREW has two primitive campsites that are free and available by Special Use License through the SFWMD at http://goo.gl/5wUfJ. If you’ve never been out at CREW at night, camping can give you a whole new perspective about the place. Practice “Leave No Trace” and enjoy the quiet serenity of CREW after dark.

6. Engage Your Senses – most folks walk and look when hiking the CREW Trails. Next time you go, take advantage of the summer humidity and focus attention on your sense of smell. Every animal and plant has a unique scent. Expand your sensory experience by listening and touching, too. Just be sure you can ID poison ivy first!

7. Take the Road Less Traveled – Do you take the same trail every time you come to CREW or have a favorite that you always share with friends and visitors. This summer, take a different trail or loop. Try the Pine Flatwoods Trail at the CREW Marsh or the White Loop/Wild Coffee Trail at the Cypress Dome Trails, or if you’re really ambitious (and well-prepared with water, food, and sun protection) try to get to the north or west tram at Bird Rookery Swamp. Head a new direction and see what surprises await you.

8. Awaken Your Sense of Wonder with a Child – Rachel Carson proclaimed “If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” So, take a child by the hand and explore CREW, experience bugs and birds, get dirty and wet, spend unstructured time playing in nature. You may be surprised at how much it helps you connect, too.

CowNov.19979. Get Your Cowboy/girl On – Adjacent to the CREW Cypress Dome Trails (and connected via the White Loop) are the Caracara Prairie Preserve Trails, owned by Conservation Collier and the CREW Land & Water Trust. These three miles of trails traverse an active cattle ranch. So, put on your cowboy hat and take a hike through oak hammocks, towering pines, and some beautiful wet prairie. Be prepared to get your feet wet crossing the ditch from the Dome Trails to the Caracara Trails (Oh, and no dogs allowed – to keep the cattle safe).

10. Catch a Sunrise/Sunset – all the CREW Trails are open to the public from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, so start your day right and head out to the Marsh Overlook early one morning this summer to watch the sun rise over the 5000-acre Corkscrew Marsh. Or, if you’re just not a morning person, try getting there just before dark to watch the sunset filtering through those billowing summer storm clouds. Either way, you’ll enrich your life and your spirit!

However you choose to experience CREW this summer, we’d love to hear from you! Share your adventures with us by posting pictures and comments on the CREW Land & Water Trust Facebook page or send us an email to let us know what you did that was new and exciting.

We’ll be publishing our fall/winter program schedule later this summer, so stay tuned…and have a wonderful time at CREW or wherever you spend your summer!
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CREW 10K Adventure Trail Run Was “A Blast!”

Runners at the starting line (photo by Linda Jacobson)

On Saturday, November 3, 2012, fifty-nine committed runners and walkers showed up at the crack of dawn, braving the cool morning temperatures to participate in CREW’s inaugural no-frills 10K Adventure Trail Run and 1-Mile Fun Run at the CREW Cypress Dome Trails. Phil Nissen, a regular CREW trail runner and director of the 10K Trail Run, showed runners the map of the course, explained how the course was marked and then sent them on their way.

Runner splashes through the water at the CREW 10K Adventure Run (photo by Jenny Williamson)

They ran, walked, splashed through water and mud, saw cows and hogs at Caracara Prairie Preserve, and came across the finish line with mud in their shoes and smiles on their faces. Post run conversation was punctuated by laughter as participants told stories of their own personal adventures out on the trail. Gina Fidler said, “I haven’t had that much fun doing a race in a long time!”.

There were no bibs, no timing tags, no places or prizes – just great trails, lots of nature to appreciate, fresh air, and an enthusiastic crowd willing to have some fun. That said, we did have folks record their times for the 10K just for fun, and here is the list. If your time is missing and you have it, send it to us so we can update the list. Thanks all!

Andrews Lisa ?
Ayer Tammy 1:15:12
Bazinet Nicole 1:15:02
Bocharova Nika 1:15:10
Branstetter Cassie 1:08:22
Brooks Brenda 1:15:07
Browne David 0:48:16 (Second)
Callen Sara 1:31:00
Calvert Daniel 0:54:53
Catron Susan ?
Collins Geiger Sissy 1:02:18
Cominski Michael 0:54:16
Crosse Amy 1:09:30
Davis James 1:01:57
davis jason 1:07:52
DeLisi Daniel 0:59:21
Fidler Fran 1:01:45
Fidler Gina 1:14:12
Frantz Jeremy 1:25:07
Frantz Ali 1:25:16
Gaffney Erin ?
Gallagher Adria 0:54:18
Gallagher Brad 0:54:38
Geiger Keith 0:51:38
Gommermann Luke 0:54:00
Gray Paul 1:04:18
Hanson Keith 1:17:50
Harden Neil 0:54:08
Harvey Klaus 1:13:58
Higgins Rick 1:24:18
Jones Braidy 1:17:56
Kinsella Amy 1:08:22
Layman Laura 1:15:00
Martin James 1:24:26
May Christy 1:18:01
McKnight Jordan 0:46:54 (First)
Morford Beth 1:19:00
Ogle Stephanie 0:55:26
Payne Mary ?
Pfeiffer Nicole 1:02:18
Polgar Marisa 1:12:17
Shamus Chantil 1:14:41
Shelton Gretchen ?
Simard Susie 1:14:55
Smith Kathleen Smith 1:19:00
Solveson Rick 1:15:08
Sowder Amy 1:15:11
Spackman Matt 1:06:00
Stein Sally 1:12:17
Styra Bjoern 0:58:00
Waller Lee 1:24:00
Washuta Amy 0:55:16
Williams Sasha 1:29:10

Many of the runners had never been to or heard of CREW before, so this was a great introduction to the magic that is CREW. Naples Outfitters  and Run Florida on McGregor co-sponsored the trail run with the CREW Trust, helping us purchase water and food and providing 25 T-shirts that were given away in a drawing.

Thanks to everyone who participated, to our sponsors, and to our exceptional volunteers who helped prepare the course and keep everyone on track and safe on run day. Let’s do it again!