So what's your best piece of Osceola advice ???

[Yoder409]

Headed down in a couple weeks to try and give a couple black wings a hard time.  Will be hunting private land.

So, I cut my teeth on Easterns.  Have managed to kill Merriam's, Rios and Gould's.  To you guys who've killed 'em all..........does anything stick out as being different about the Osceolas ??

[Wvdanimal]

If you hear a gobble that sounds a couple hundred yards away,  he's probably within 40.

[bbcoach]

Be patient, think silent (they tend to come in this way) and know they are stubborn.  Toughest bird IMO to kill out of our 4 species.  Good luck and HAVE FUN!  I Love early March hunting in FLA!

[Yoder409]

I'm gonna be a bit late to the game.  Not starting til the 26th.  Planning to hunt 4 days.

[PalmettoRon]

I agree that if you hear a gobble, he's much closer than you think, so get ready. They also in my experience tend to gobble less once on the ground.It's rare to hear a gobble in the afternoon or at fly up. How skittish they are depends on their pressure like every subspecies. I don't think think they're any harder to kill than the Easterns here in SC and I've hunted central FL every Spring since 1996.

[simpzenith]

Don't be afraid to be a little more aggressive with your calling. If you can call in an Eastern, you'll have no problem with an Osceola. They seem to be much more receptacle to calling.

[PalmettoRon]

With further thought, it probably goes without saying, but waterproof boots are a must and definitely don't forget a Thermacell.

[ChiefBubba]

Pretty much what the others said. Once on the ground the gobbling is pretty erratic. More likely they'll be silent. Keep your eyes open because all of a sudden they're right there 10 yards in front of you. THERMOCELL! Bring an extra THERMOCELL. They are bad this year. Bubba

[Yoder409]

Appreciate all the insight, so far. 

I have a Thermacell on the way.  The refills came today. 

[ChiefBubba]

One year when the bugs were really bad I bought a can of spray fogger. Once I got to my spot I was setting up I'd fog all around. Then go and set decoys or whatever while I waited for it to clear but Thermocell is still a must have. Turn it on as soon as you get out of the truck unless you're walking 2 miles in. Even then I have buddies that turn it on no matter how far they're walking. Lol Bubba

[guesswho]

Don't worry to much about gators, the pythons have eaten most of them. 

As with most places, setup is key.   Depending where you are hunting in the state you may be faced with wide open pasture land, or stuff so thick and wet you wouldn't think a turkey could walk/wade through it.         

[Yoder409]

Don't worry to much about gators, the pythons have eaten most of them. 

As with most places, setup is key.   Depending where you are hunting in the state you may be faced with wide open pasture land, or stuff so thick and wet you wouldn't think a turkey could walk/wade through it.       

Gators don't bother me.  Hoping to see some pythons.  Would freaking LOVE to have a couple hides !!!!  No doubt a well-executed load of Hevi 7's would be as effective on legless reptiles as it is on turkeybirds.

I think the first place I'm hunting is foodplots and roads.  Looks like (from Google maps satellite) the second place I'm going is big pasture land.  Not much of a decoy guy.  But the second place may be cut out for that.

[joey46]

Repeat - the last few years the gobbling after fly down has been minimal.  Be patient.  We run several cameras and see lots of mid morning movement.

[Old Gobbler]

Avoid people ..or anywhere you suspect they will be ....and I mean be MILES away ..the turkeys are no problem....its the people that will mess you up %100 of the time

[ManfromGreenSwamp]

If he answers, he knows where you are.
DONT OVER CALL.
LOL


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