Brooker Creek Headwater Preserve Puts 'Wild" Back in Wildlife

I have noticed during many of my hikes that much of the wildlife, particularly in busy or well-developed parks, seems very used to the presence of humans. I would not go so far as to call these animals tame, but they appear to have lost some of their instinctive fear of man. While the photographer in me relishes the chance to get up close and personal with these creatures, there is a part of me that feels it is not quite natural.

On a recent trip to Brooker Creek Headwater Preserve in Lutz in Hillsborough County, I was delighted to find a place where the wildlife was exactly that: Wild.

Despite the name, this preserve is separate to the Brooker Creek Preserve I visited several weeks back. The only connection is the creek which runs through both. There are two entrances to this preserve, and I parked up at the one on Ramblewood Road.

At the trail head, I spoke to a hiker coming the other way who informed me that he was a regular visitor the preserve. He told me that over the years he had seen a variety of wildlife within, including bobcats and coyotes.

With high hopes of a wildlife encounter, my wife and I eagerly set off down the tree-lined path and soon left the noise of the road behind us. The preserve map indicates several core trails run through this 1,111 acre preserve but in reality there are countless smaller pathways branching off from the main trails.

It would be quite possible to return to the preserve again and again and never follow the same route. The main path runs through open meadows, dense forest, palmetto fields, pine flats and pine forests. In fact, this was without question the most diverse hike I have been on to date in terms of changing habitats.

Throughout the walk, we could hear the shrubs at the side of the trail bristling with life but rarely saw anything more than a rustling bush or a retreating tail. Everything seemed to be extremely wary of humans and this gave me a sense that I was passing through a truly natural area.

After over an hour of walking, we finally came across a wild turkey that noisily scurried off the path only to vanish silently in the undergrowth before I could even remove my lens cap.

At the westernmost border of the preserve, we saw two large deer leap across the path in quick succession and disappear into the forest without a sound. These majestic creatures were returning from a watering spot and noiselessly cleared the wide path in a single leap.

Towards the end of our hike, we did find a rather interesting little beastie that I have been unable to accurately identify. In the middle of one of the smaller trails, hidden in the grass, we found a spider’s web that tunneled into the ground. Sitting in the entrance to that tunnel was a stocky-looking shiny black spider with a yellow stripe down his back. I can only assume it was some species of funnel web spider, but I am still unable to find an exact match for those markings.

Many of the hiking trails I have covered are worth a second visit but Brooker Creek Headwater Preserve warrants several return trips. There is so much to explore and so much wildlife in evidence that I am sure each hike would be a new experience.   

The preserve entrance I used is located at 18102 Ramblewood Road Lutz, FL 33558.

For more information, including maps and directions visit: www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/brookercreekheadwaters.html