Anyone hunt Osceola without using an outfitter?

[rblake]

I have hunted Osceola turkey but I don't like the cost and "get it done in 3 days" of outfitter hunts. Does anyone have experience/advice/tips on hunting public land in Florida for Osceola?

[Blackwing]

Put in for the quota hunts and show up early and do your homework. You may not draw the first year but that is your best option. The reason the outfitter hunts are so expensive is because of the cost the outfitters have to pay to hunt on those places. Landowners know they can get money for the birds and they do. I have lived here my whole life and it's hard to find a private place to hunt that I can afford so I usually end up hunting public land.

[Tailwalk]

Blackwing said it best. Find an orange grove manager and send him lots of presents is all I can say haha. Price per acre is ridiculously high in south fl compared to other states which makes it tough on the Hunter


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[birdyhunter]

Go on a summer vacation and hit every small town bar you can find. Buy lots of drinks and make lots of friends. Bound to find a new friend with some private property down there and the odds are better than getting drawn for a quota hunt lol


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[rblake]

Thanks for the responses. Doesn't look like there is a simple way, supple vs demand has it choked down.   

[nitro]

Only one place to kill an Osceola. Simple as that.  Make it a sure enough South FL bird and that slims down the places available to kill one even more.

I have killed all mine on private land. ( near Punta Gorda and Arcadia). Now that the landowner realizes he can sell hunts, I don't get to hunt there - unless I pony up. It's reality. The quest for the Grand Slam has become really popular hasn't it??

[wvboy]

Quota Hunt is your best option if you don't want to pay an outfitter.. I finished my Slam on a Quota Hunt.. the place was good and had lots of birds that were not as pressured as the open public areas..

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

It can be done with a lot of hard-work, some serious talent, and a little luck.  You don't have to do a quota hunt to kill a public Osceola. You have to do a lot of research, get there earlier and hunt smarter than 99% of the people around you.

My brother scouted one day and killed one with 1.25" spurs the next morning at flydown on a non-quota WMA this year.

[RutnNStrutn]

Only one place to kill an Osceola. Simple as that. Now that the landowner realizes he can sell hunts, I don't get to hunt there - unless I pony up. It's reality. The quest for the Grand Slam has become really popular hasn't it??

Yep, the NWTF has made hunting private land in FLA nearly impossible unless you are rich, or know a landowner.

It can be done with a lot of hard-work, some serious talent, and a little luck.  You don't have to do a quota hunt to kill a public Osceola. You have to do a lot of research, get there earlier and hunt smarter than 99% of the people around you.

Very true. I've killed birds on non-quota areas, and so have many of my friends. But getting a good quota improves your odds, and makes for a much more enjoyable hunt as you won't have to fight as large a crowd.

[turkeyfoot]

Supply Vs demand and lot people living in eastern US combined with people wanting to get started hunting early and the Grand Slam idea  all equals what has been said tough sledding

[Marc]

I lived in Florida from 1995-2000...

I was always looking for turkeys and I put in for a number of the special (or quota) hunts my last two seasons  there, but never got drawn.

Some of the public area is vast, and it is difficult to hunt.  Large areas of swamps and canals, and very easy to get lost...  Gators, snakes, and all kinds of other critters.  And you think people are tight-lipped  in other parts of the country, nobody will give any advice as to a location to hunt some of the wildlife areas...

I thought getting permission was tough in California, but even back when I was there it was impossible for me in Florida.

If I owned land in Florida that supported turkeys, I would cultivate them and charge a fortune for access...