NEWSFLASH! SNIPE EXIST! And you, too, can go snipe hunting, which is no joke, unless you think it's a joke. Most land west of U.S. Highway 27 is public, managed in part by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. You'll find about 672,000 acres of excellent habitat for migrating waterfowl such as the snipe, a fast-flying, small bird that's hard to shoot and makes excellent eating. In the southern end of the huge area, you'll need a boat to hunt. But in the northern end, and in the Holey Land/Rotenberger tract in Palm Beach County, you can wade in the water to hunt. We prefer that, since boats have to be thoroughly camouflaged and waders get to move quietly. Other waterfowl include the blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, and the rare Florida mallard (also called the mottled mallard). The long waterfowl season extends from the week before Thanksgiving through the third week in February. Deer and hog populations remain low after Hurricane Irene, so don't plan to get a permit this season to hunt them.