Joe Budd WMA at Lake Talquin State Forest

An extensive system of side roads closed to vehicles is open to exploration via foot, bicycle and equestrian traffic, and will yield wintering flocks of songbirds that contain Orange-crowned Warblers and the occasional Golden-crowned Kinglet. Wild Turkeys can be found early morning in the open fields and Northern Bobwhites can be heard and seen in the pinewoods. After turning on Office Rd., a large open pasture and dove field on both sides of the road are good for White-throated Sparrows in winter. The pasture has also served as a display ground for courting American Woodcocks at dawn and dusk; visit in March or April when the skies are clear and the moon is full. Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites feed over pastures in the spring and summer. Check edges of fields and woodlands for Blue Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings in the summer and Field and Song Sparrows in winter. At the end of Office Rd., a dike trail runs 0.7 miles one-way past sloughs that are good for Wood Ducks. Wood Storks and Great Blue Herons are sometimes present at the Joe Budd Aquatic Education Center on Budd Pond, off Cattle Gap Rd. The pond also attracts a variety of dragonflies and turtles. Joe Budd has excellent habitat for a variety of snakes, including Florida Pine, a listed species. The trail at the end of Plantation Rd. offers a vantage of Lake Talquin. Seasonal hunting takes place in this area; please click here for information on dates, regulations and more. The area is closed to other uses on hunt days.