Bull Creek Kayak Paddle: 9-18-2020

Wildlife: Very little. Small gators, including gator hatchlings. Heard Hawks and Woodpeckers including Piliated, Barred Owl. Oh yea! Lots of spiders, lots of big spiders.
Bull Creek WMA is part of the St. John’s River basin it consists of 24 thousand acres of Open Pine Lands,
Mesic Flatwoods, Hydril Hammock, and Flood Plain Swamps. Bull Creek merges with Crabgrass Creek and finally the Jane Green. Smaller tributaries Little Creek, Little North Prong, West Branch, Yoke Branch
and others all contribute their share. Jane Green flows into the amazing Jane Green Swamp and finally into the St. John’s between Lake Hell and Blazes and Little Saw Grass.
As an amateur Historian I’d been trying to locate Mizell Ford, where in 1870 Mose Barber Jr. shot and killed Sheriff David Mizell as he was crossing Bull Creek. This one act started the biggest feud in Florida
history. Although the feud between the Mizell’s and Barber’s was short lived at the end 41 cowboys had been killed. I’d originally thought I’d found the crossing while thru hiking but wasn’t sure. So, I contacted Billy Kempher the great great grandson of William Hopkins who came to Florida in 1888 and purchased his first tract of land. in 1902 he purchased another 96 thousand acres for a dollar an acre, including the Bull Creek WMA. The Kempher Cattle Company still own and operate 25 thousand acres of these same lands.
Billy thought I was probably at Yoke Branch and gave me direction where Mizell Ford was located. Looking at maps I thought if I put in at Billy Lake I could paddle thru this small lake, which is part of Bull Creek and thru its massive flood plain to Mizell Ford. I’d been told by an avid hunter, familiar with the area that as far as he knew no one had ever made this journey, but because of all the rains it might be passable.
We put in at Billy Lake late-morning in a slight drizzle, 25 minutes later we were in the first of two hard rains. The next 2.5 hours was one of the most challenging paddles, I’ve had the pleasure. As beautiful as this Black Water Swamp is you need be vigilant. With the Bull Creek flood plain as far as the eye can see and only intermittent GPS coverage, reading the water was imperative. Fortunately, the hard rains had created bubbles which made it easier to follow the so-called channel. Because of refuge, fallen trees, countless Cypress trees and knees we would constantly have to skirt around, yet no portages. Surprisingly Bull Creek is deep water, deeper than my paddle could touch. The water levels were only about a foot lower than the high-water marks on the trees. With my GPS off line we had to back paddle to Mizell Ford. We stayed for a half hour to soak in this iconic time forgotten place. The serenity and quite that a gun shot once broke. With thunder heads to our South we headed back. The rains had stopped, the tracking bubbles gone, I smiled and said “Hope we make it back by dark”.
With my good friend Ernie Green.
Mark Nathan