Hunted the opener for the Florida zone just north of Okeechobee, FL this past weekend through outfitter Jeff Budz. All I can say is it was definitely a hunt of a lifetime and I was able to tag my first Osceola.
Saturday I hunted from a blind along a path that connected a roosting area with the corner of a large cattle pasture. As daylight started to break there were 3 birds gobbling off to my left. They hit the ground and all but one was silent. 3 single hens walked from the roosting area, through an open gate that connects pastures, and right by my blind at 15 yards on their way to the field on my right. A strutting gobbler was right behind them but for some reason he went wide and hung up on the fence. He strutted and gobbled there for about 40 minutes before he finally went back into the swamp. I maintained my position and later that afternoon saw a lone gobbler in the field corner strutting. I made a call to him and he cut me off. He gobble like there was no tomorrow and soon attracted a hen who led him into a strip of trees 40 yards to my right that bordered the fenceline and a ditch, running parallel to them for about 200 yards. I was able to get the hen within 15 yards, but the gobbler stayed back in the palmettos about 55 yards away. The hen takes him off into the strip of woods away from me. I am assuming she left him to nest because 20 minutes later he was gobbling and coming back alone. When he is about 70 yards away I notice another gobbler in the field corner working his way silently to the gobbling bird. Upon their meeting the gobbling bird promptly flogged him and chased him off. That pretty much ended the excitement for Saturday.
Sunday morning I set up just beyond the fence where the bird hung up the previous morning. As morning grew near a bird started gobbling about 75 yards from me, as more light began to shine the hens started in as a well. I made a few soft tree yelps and waited for flydown. 3 hens flew into the edge of a pasture in front of me and the gobbler soon followed suit. They were working their way towards me and I was certain they were going to walk the same path from the previous morning. I made a couple more soft calls and enjoyed the show. If you have never set beside a palm tree calling turkeys in a setting with live oaks and Spanish moss hanging from them with palmettos everywhere, you should do it at least once in your life. Absolutely stunning. Back to the hunt, the hens then started across the pasture, gobbler in tow. Instead of chasing after him I decided to set up in the strip of woods near the field corner where I saw all the afternoon activity the day before. As soon as I got situated I heard a gobble off to my right in the pasture field. The fog was still very dense and I couldn't see the bird, but I knew he was close. I yelp to him and get a prompt answer, I respond back and get cut off. I turn my gun barrel that direction and began to wait. Then off in the distance I see a big black ball in the fog, he was strutting about 80 yards away. I make a couple soft purrs and clucks which causes him to break strut and run towards me. He stops about 35 yards away to survey the area looking for his hen, unfortunately for him he was met with a load of longbeard #5s.
The bird had long and sharp 1 ½ inch spurs and a beard that just made it to the 10 inch mark on my tape.
(http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/p662/wvlimbhanger/osceola%202_zpsebolsvxt.jpg) (http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/wvlimbhanger/media/osceola%202_zpsebolsvxt.jpg.html)
(http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/p662/wvlimbhanger/osceola%201_zpshzm6dqvg.jpg) (http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/wvlimbhanger/media/osceola%201_zpshzm6dqvg.jpg.html)
(http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/p662/wvlimbhanger/osceola%204_zpsa1siawy1.jpg) (http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/wvlimbhanger/media/osceola%204_zpsa1siawy1.jpg.html)
(http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/p662/wvlimbhanger/osceola%203_zps6sliboly.jpg) (http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/wvlimbhanger/media/osceola%203_zps6sliboly.jpg.html)
:z-winnersmiley: Nice bird, Congrats, Al Baker
Nice going!! Those spurs are outstanding.
Bill
Congrats. Great bird
Nice hooks, limb-hanger for sure.
Awesome daggers. Congrats
Congrats on a fine limb hanger :z-winnersmiley:
Very Nice! :drool:
Congrats !
Congrats! Awesome hooks!
Very impressive ! Good Job !
Congrats on a fine Osceola!!!
Nice bird, congrats! Live oak, Spanish moss, and palmettos are a big part of what made me instantly fall in love with turkey hunting in the south the first time I did it.
Congrats!
Way to go man! Congrats!
I hope to get down there from WV also some day.
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fine birdy :icon_thumright:
Very nice gobbler,congrats
Way to go! Good hunt.
Congrats!
Congrats.....
Man oh man, Great bird, Congrats
Congrats on the bird! Those are some serious HOOKS! Awesome story.
Awesome bird! :icon_thumright:
Awesome and congrats. I remember my first Osceola as well.
Wow those are nice! Congrats!
Sent from my iPhone that I ain't smart enough to use with tapatalker
nice hooks!
beautiful bird....congrats
nice hooks, congrats
Congrats man !!! Super Bird !!! I love me some big ole Hookedspurs :drool:
Great bird! I like the story as well.
Tell us more about your trip and the outfitter. I want to book a trip soon.
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Congrats!! Impressive hooks on that bird
Congrats on a beautiful gobbler! Sounds like you had a great time and made some great memories!
Well done
Nice bird
congrats!
Congrats Mr. Al. Sounds like you had a nice hunt in a real pretty places. Thanks for sharing.
Congrats on your first!! And he was a good one too!!
Dandy set of spurs! Congrats
Awesome job!! Congrats!
God Bless