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For the 17th year my long time hunting buddy and I opened the Florida north zone at a cypress swamp in south central Florida.  This year most of our usual spots were ankle deep in water.  We set up in a higher spot and waited for first light.  Pretty quiet until the crows woke up.  Then a few distant gobbles.  Then three jakes waltzed in and stood around for at least twenty minutes eyeing my Funky Chicken decoy.  When they heard a gobble, then a closer gobble, then a real close gobble they slipped off.  This big boy came in behind three hens and started a strut, walked off a little, was called back and made the mistake of getting to within 33 steps of Larry's 12 ga loaded with some Apex 8/10 TSS. He may have flopped once.   20# 2oz, 10 1/2" beard, some of the biggest spurs we've taken since our 2008 Florida Registry bird from the same area. I usually have more opportunities to hunt than Larry so we packed up and headed back.  Hope the pictures load.  Good luck to all.

Very cool.
Agreed pics on this forum are...

That is great!!! Always look forward to seeing your pictures and post!!! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.

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Congrats on the great bird


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Congrats!! Thats Awesome! Florida is a bucket list hunt for me!

Congrats on the gobbler. Sounds like a cool hunt.

Resize pictures before posting. There are sites that resize them, pretty easy to do. I think Shannon may have added one recently.

Nice bird!  All of Florida is under water pretty much. I've been having to wear hip waders in spots that were dry sand last season...

Man alive, those are some daggers! Congratulations

Quote from: Treerooster on March 17, 2024, 10:29:49 PM
Congrats on the gobbler. Sounds like a cool hunt.

Resize pictures before posting. There are sites that resize them, pretty easy to do. I think Shannon may have added one recently.

This picture was supposedly resized.  Got a few more from this hunt I'll try using a different app.  This seemed to work.  These are the three jakes that came in first and seemed to talk things over thinking about whether or not to kick Funky Chicken's butt.

Congrats!

Last picture for this thread.  This is another use for a Florida beach cart.  That's me with the cart loaded with a 20# gobbler, our chairs, decoys and other crap.  If the road is suitable it sure beats any alternative.  The cart folds down almost flat and when covered with a piece of camo netting is invisible. 

Congrats to you both Joey, great start. Z

Joey thanks for sharing the pics bud, we appreciate it.
Congrats to Larry on a fine bird and a great hunt for the two of you.
Now go out and get your bird and be sure to share some photos!

here's your first pic resized

Thanks for the resize.  What app?  I'm not thrilled with any I've used so far.

BTW - many of the Florida exempts that only hunt private land have no idea these birds are now required to be reported.  We had no cell service in this swamp so Larry filled out the temporary paper form to be legal on the walk out and we checked via the FWC phone app when reaching higher ground.  FWC now has a daily updated harvest report on their web site.  Nice to see them getting into the computer age.  About time. 

Great stuff!

Nice !!  Congrats


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Quote from: joey46 on March 18, 2024, 08:18:45 AM
Thanks for the resize.  What app?  I'm not thrilled with any I've used so far.

This what I used, it's free and simple. https://imageresizer.com/

Congrats to your friend Mr. Joey, look forward to seeing you holding an even bigger Tom. Did he put a tape on that hook?

Congrats, good bird.

Congratulations on a fine hunt! Those are some impressive daggers on the bird!

Congrats to both of you!!

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Congrats to your friend on a fine gobbler. starting the season off right. Your turn now.

 Congratulations and good for you!

Congrats, glad y'all had fun.

Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club

Lol to the previous remark.  Took me a minute. Glad some are paying attention.

In answer to a previous question I did save the hooks.  Measure at some point.  We have taken at least 25 Osceolas with a few buddy doubles in the 17+ years we've hunted as a team.  These spurs easily rank number 2.  The thing about swamp birds is the spurs don't wear down. These are needle sharp. Don't try and grab a  Florida flopper.  Eek.
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ADD - both measure 1 1/2"  well within the Florida Registry criteria.  Beard a 10 1/2.  Needed another 1/2 inch.  Oh well.

Thanks again for the resizing info.  Think I got it straightened out.  No more really big pictures I hope.  I corrected the one in my original post.

Congratulations on a great opening day gobbler!

That gobbler definitely has massive daggers! How long were they? He would have destroyed the funky chicken! Congrats on a mighty fine hunt.

Almost afraid to try another picture but if it post correctly it is the best of the "spurs".  Funky Chicken has been spurred before.  He's tough.  These are true 1 1/2".
Funky picture from a prior year.  He always leaves them laughing.

Those are Bayonets! Looks like you figured out the picture thing Mr. Joey, thanks for sharing.

nice hooks and love those Funky Chickens!!

Congratulations!!

congrats

Congrats on great bird. Those hooks are unreal.