Hunting in Florida at Ross Hammock Ranch

Our Mission, since opening in the late 1990’s has remained – For our guests to experience the finest hunting in Florida at one of the best Florida Hunting Outfitters the state has to offer. This includes the best deer hunting in Florida (axis deer hunting in Florida too), whitetail hunting in Florida, wild boar hunting in Florida, exotic game hunting in Florida, gator hunting in Florida, and other game at a world class hunting lodge in Florida, with family friendly hospitality and services, second to none.

Another area of specialty is family hunts, especially parent/child hunts. RHR’s Florida hunting guides love to get kids, or those new to hunting, started off on the right foot, teaching safety and the way of the woods.

Prior to opening Ross Hammock Ranch (RHR), the owners spent many years visiting and hunting at other hunting operations across the planet, including those in Africa, Alaska, New Foundland, and throughout the mainland of North America. Being a buyer of hunts served as a very valuable lesson, gaining first-hand knowledge from seeing several well-run operations. However, perhaps even more important, seeing “shortfalls” in other hunting operations that were not so well run, lacking in one or more key areas, that could ruin a hunt and do so quickly!

That knowledge became the basis to form the key elements of what some folks call the Ross Hammock Ranch formula for success! There are many key attributes to that formula, that over the past 20+ years have made Ross Hammock Ranch the standard that other hunting operations in Florida have only tried to emulate. To learn more about the Ross Hammock Ranch “legacy”, visit our page “The Legacy”.

First, upon arrival to RHR, our Florida hunting guides (who are hand picked to be the best hunting guides in Florida) will work with you on either the rifle range or the 3D archery range to be sure you are sighted in and ready to hunt. Second, our Florida hunting ranch property is pretty unique. It is approximately 5 times the size of the average Florida hunting preserve. This helps to ensure your hunt is safe, challenging, and with abundant flora and fauna!

The uniqueness of Ross Hammock Ranch goes beyond these points. The Ross Hammock Ranch hunting lodges are clearly the best in the state of Florida. The ranch offers the “Cypress Log Lodge” where guests have their own private bedrooms, or clients may choose the additional privacy of a stand-alone cabin or bunkhouse. Note that our main lodge, called the Cypress Log Lodge is very special with a theatre room, billiards room, sports bar, indoor and outdoor fire places, and loaded with mounts, wildlife art and wildlife statues. The RHR staff keeps the lodge very clean and serves the clients wonderful meals and drinks.

The beauty and diversity of the habitat at Ross Hammock Ranch is also spectacular. The ranch has over 10 miles of border and over 20 miles of internal old logging roads. The ranch lands are approximately 50% hardwood bottoms that have been called “hammocks” by the locals for hundreds of years. This is how the name Ross “Hammock” Ranch came to fruition. Hunters know that wild game loves “edges”, and the mixture of hardwood hammocks, planted pine forest, cutovers, and food plots establish almost endless “edges” of diversified habitat.

Florida Hunting Outfitters

If and when you have the time to learn more about hunting in Florida, you will learn that Florida actually has multiple climate zones. Upon further study, you will learn that Ross Hammock Ranch is the Florida hunting outfitter in the ideal location, with the ideal hunt strategy to provide you with a hunt of a lifetime.

Hunting in Florida with a reputable Florida hunting outfitter is generally recognized to offer sportsmen three different climate choices – South, Central, and North. Ross Hammock Ranch is located in the northern zone, specifically on the southern edge of the northern zone. RHR is located in the portion of the northern zone called the Nature Coast – and for a good reason. Florida’s Nature Coast is widely recognized to have the best hunting in the state of Florida as well as some of the best fishing in the state of Florida. The southern zone (lower third of the state) can have brutal humid days great for going to the beach, but not so much for hunting. The central zone is well known for major tourist attractions like Disney, the Space Center, Busch Gardens, etc. but again, not for the best hunting in Florida. On the other hand, the Ross Hammock Ranch location has milder, less humid climates than most of the state which equates to less snakes, less bugs! No pythons at RHR! The habitat at RHR is more of a forest habitat, vs. the open pasture lands more predominant in central and south Florida.

Exotic and Native Hunts

Ross Hammock Ranch is open for hunting in Florida, on a year-round basis. RHR is able to do this via the license granted to RHR (originally 20 years ago!) by the Florida Fish and Wildlife (www.myfwc.com) Commission to hunt native game in Florida and to also hunt exotic game in Florida.

For example, we hunt Florida whitetail deer from September 1st to February 28th, and we can easily use any legal weapon the entire season. Note that we also have a large population of northern and western genetic whitetail deer, right here in Florida! Get your trophy buck of a lifetime in Florida – no snow on your hunt, guaranteed! RHR clients take deer scoring over 200 B&C every season! To learn more of the RHR Trophy Whitetail Buck hunts, click HERE.

Thre are other species to consider as well when you wan to hunt Florida native game. The wild hog is very popular at Ross Hammock Ranch. While technically not native, wild hogs (originally brought over on Spanish sailing ships) have been cruising the Florida Hammocks for about 500+ years and RHR has a large population for you to hunt wild hogs in Florida, or as some say, hunt wild boar in Florida. To learn more of Wild Hog Hunting at Ross Hammock Ranch, click HERE.

Other popular hunts for Florida native game include Florida gator hunts with Ross Hammock Ranch. We have a special arrangement with the state of Florida that allows us to hunt gators, year-round. All of these Florida gator hunts are conducted on private Florida wetlands that RHR has trespass rights to. We put you on the best private wetland for the time of year and the size gator wanted on your Florida gator hunt! We believe we have the best Florida alligator hunt available! To learn more of Alligator Hunting with Ross Hammock Ranch, click HERE.

Last, but not least, we hunt the Florida Osceola Turkey. We offer both Spring and Fall hunts in accordance with state regulations. Visit this link on our website to learn more about these hunts for Osceola Turkey at Ross Hammock Ranch, click HERE.

RHR also offers world-class hunting for a wide variety of exotic game including Axis deer, Sika Deer, Red Stag, Fallow Deer, Pere David deer, Water Buffalo, Bison, Watusi, Zebu, Scimitar Oryx, various Rams, various Mountain Goat, Russian Boars, and more. You can hunt exotic game in Florida, year-round, at Ross Hammock Ranch and we are well known for the best herd quality in the state of Florida. RHR started with the best genetics 20 years ago and has a very robust nutrition program. To learn more about Hunting Exotic game at RHR, click HERE.

Florida Hunting Guides

If you are looking to hunt with one of the most experienced Florida Hunting Guides, you should consider a visit to Ross Hammock Ranch (RHR), known by many to be one of the best hunting lodges in Florida and/or best hunting ranches in Florida. While with RHR,Florida hunting guides (hand-picked by RHR) will guide your hunt for native or exotic wildlife on our large privately-owned hunting ranch with 10+ miles of border, fish the awesome saltwater flats of the Gulf of Mexico, fish the many pristine local freshwater lakes and rivers, or capture that perfect picture or video on a RHR photo safari/eco-tour. It is also good to know that while hunting Florida with RHR, all the facilities you need are conveniently located on the RHR propperty! This includes screened in cleaning room with electronic lift stations, two walk in coolers kept at 35 degrees to age your game meat, on site butcher shop and butcher staff, and on site taxidermy services. Butcher and taxidermy staff have almost 100 years of experience!

RHR is conveniently located on Florida’s Nature Coast, about a 1.5 hour car ride from Tampa, St. Pete, Orlando, and Disney. If you will be vacationing or visiting relatives in Florida and want to find “hunting trips near me?” RHR can provide you the Florida hunting experience you are seeking. Consistently rated as one of the best Florida deer hunting outfitters, RHR is a must visit destination!