Any advice from Florida hunters

[Eric Gregg]

Last year I moved to the Delta of MS. I have hunted all of my life in the hills, but I have found a place close to home that may offer an opportunity to be a good turkey hunting spot. What throws me about hunting the delta is
1.the flat terrain
2. the flat land of the delta is notorious for holding water for some time

It reminds me a lot of what I have seen that folks that hunt in Florida deal with hunting Osceola's. Can anyone tell me what to expect having to deal with the flat terrain, and, cases where there may be pockets of standing water ( an inch or two deep) and how that will effect a gobblers approach to calling.
Maybe some of you guys that hunt in Florida may be able to give me some ideas of what to expect.

[BigGobbler]

They like to roost in the hardwoods during the fall and then move to the edges of them flag ponds in the spring so they can fly down in the open areas around them and get with the hens. Them areas hold the high grass and bugs that hens love to nest in. Most of the time they will walk around the water but I have seen them jump from log to log to get across deep water. These turkeys here in Florida love their water and they will walk and feed in it up to their leg feather line and think nothing of it. They get used to the water Remember flat land will make it sound like they are further away than the actually are.

[Eric Gregg]

Thanks for the advice. I am getting a Log book and going this weekend to scout out. It sounds like a definitley different experience than hunting in the hills.
Usually water is not a factor in the hills because nothing stands. Usually a creek will throw em off sometimes.

Thanks for the expetise and I will make notes of what you mention.

[campcreekfarm]

Maybe I can help a little.  I probably hunted as much(if not more) Delta than I did hills. 

#1.  Always carry mosuito dope(or Thermacell).
#2.  Delta turkeys love to roost over water(usually a slough or permanant water).  Not what I call slash.
#3.  Watch out for cottonmouths even though I have probably killed twice as many in the hills the ones in the Delta are usually bigger and meaner
#4.  They will walk straight through 2-4" of water like it isnt there and feed on the edged getting invertabrates.
#5.  Never swim with the deep woods off in your pocket it will float out
#6.  Remember mosquito dope(thermacell).

[Basin_hunter]

Good advice here ! I hunt in the swamp here in Louisiana. Got to be really careful with cotton mouths ! I found that they like to roost in big cypress trees on sloughs or bayous with lots of big parallel limbs. And like stated before they will walk through water. I had 7 long beards come on me while deer hunting and I thought it was deer coming through the water.

[El Pavo Grande]

Great advice thus far and I agree with all the above.  I grew up predominately hunting hills, but over the last 10+ years I have done more bottomland hunting, and I have hunted the Delta in MS.  Trust me, turkeys will be turkeys, but it is different hunting than the hills.  Like the others stated, prepare for mosquitoes and watch for cottonmouths.  A good pair of hip waders can be invaluable.  It is very easy to get turned around because of the flat terrain, most especially in the dark no matter how well you know the area. 

Like others, I have found they often roost over backwater or a slough.  They will wade through water, and though ornery sometimes, I think they are more apt to fly backwater or sloughs.....they live with it day in and day out.   You will find that you get creative when dealing with water, such as packing in chestwaders, balancing logs, inflatable rafts, etc.  When you learn an area, pay attention to logs and shallow places when dealing with sloughs.  I had a place that I would cross 3 logs on 3 different sloughs just to get back to the turkeys.  BUT, all that extra attention to detail and effort can place you in an area void of other hunters.

The terrain is usually open early season, so you have to be cautious when moving.  I think that's the main difference between bottoms and hills.  In the hills you can often use the terrain to your advantage and get in tight or simply change positions.  That's not often the case in the bottoms. 

As others mentioned, it is harder to judge distance of one when he gobbles in the flat land.  I am always more cautious and if you think they are 200 yards, he may be only 75 or 100 yards.  This is even more of an issue when a lot of foliage appears later in the season.  If you hear him very clear, your backside needs to find a resting spot.  Keep in mind too, it is difficult to judge distance in the bottoms when shooting.  What looks like 35 steps may be 50 steps.

In areas where you can, use a boat if possible for areas you can't cross by other reasonable means.  I am not to keen on swimming with gators.  With bigger bodies of water and even a small river, it can be frustrating to hear him on one side of the river and the other side the next day.  If you don't have a boat it's a gamble and in my experience they often aren't as willng to fly across those as much as a little backwater or slough.

I don't know about the Delta in MS because I have not hunted it late season, but where I've hunted when the grass gets shin and knee high in those open areas, the gobblers will move to the more open fringe areas around it.  I think it's a safety issue in fear of predators.   

I can't reiterate enough.....don't forget mosquitoe spray or a thermacell.  It can be a life saver.  I have forgotten it and had to endure sitting motionless with turkeys near as mosquitoes and gnats eat
you alive.  That's torture!!

Turkeys are turkeys anywhere you go, but you will enjoy the new scenery.  It is a different ballgame, but fun to hunt and you can be successful if you adapt to that terrain.    Good luck.       

[Eric Gregg]

Thanks guys for the abundance of advice.
I will take it and run with it.

[SonicBanshee]

 

[Swamprunner]

Use the water to your advantage. I hunt flat swamplands in SC, and kill a ton of birds by getting on the right side of a slough. You have to know the place like the back of your hand, but when you get on the same side he is on, look out. The water at my place makes them so predictable, that it really isn't fair.