my 2015 osceola hunt

[fountain2]

this past weekend my wife and I went to florida to visit my best friends' family.  unfortunately he paased away in 2012, but we stay in contact and usually get together several times a year and a march turkey hunt is usually one trip

last spring I killed my first turkey down there since '12 on one of the farms.  it was an awesome hunt that meant a lot and I said id mount the next one I killed down there...and that's in the process

fast forward to 3/27/15..the morning found me underneath an nice oak with a very nice umbrella shaped canopy that extended to the ground..the tree is deemed "seths tree" now as this was his favorite turkey spot.  it sits on the corner of one of the big fields up against the wood lot behind it..anyway..i had 6 jakes and 4 hens come in and that was the extent of the day.

the next morning 3/28 we were back on the farm where I killed my bird last year after seeing fresh strut marks on the edge of a field.  nothing doing that morning but a jake rambling by mr larry.  he had to check on the other farm and we rode over and checked on the workers as well.  after checking that and the ranch house he drove me down a lane that would snake around to the oak I sat under the day before.
I walked and called about every 100 yards or so.  nothing happening.  I was just easing along about 3/4 of the way through when I was rounding a corner and saw a group of birds coming down the road about 75 yards in front of me.  I scrambled back a few yards and frantically set up.  I was using my buddy's 10 ga that I had sold him where we were in college that the family gave me again.  I pulled the hammer and got ready, sat for a few seconds and..nothing.  had they seen me??  I thought for a second, "they should be here by now".  then I saw the lead bird and pulled the hammer and got ready. 
in my mind, im thinking that here comes the 6 jakes.  I was told to shoot a jake or two for some of the workers.  I got ready..but the lead bird had a beard.  It was on then!  I waited for him to come on in a little.  when he got to 20 I shot and folded him up.  this was a fast hunt, but everything lined up and couldn't have been better.  it was actually a straight shot about 75 yards through to the fields where I killed my first Osceola 3/29/2011. 

it was a great gobbler and great memories that I will have forever.  it all happened in a special place, with a special person, and that 10 ga.  after snapping several pics with the phone and my good camera we were off to show him off

[njdevilsb]

Congrats.  Those are some big hooks.

[TauntoHawk]

Holy hooks! You got a nice one there congrats

[zelmo1]

  Hook  Daddy. Congrats, nice bird

[fountain2]

yea, I brought him home too and plan on taking him to the taxidermist.  im either gonna swap him out with the one I killed last year or may have to combine the two and make one super bird!  im gonna let my taxi guy make the call on which birds looks best.  this one has very nice, dark wings.  only thing is that I shot him a tad low and messed up some feathers.

[hotrod3h]

Congrats! Those are some awesome spurs. What did they measure ? Just envious! I've killed a few 1.5 those look 1.75.

[Roost 1]

WOW, love those daggers....Call not bad either. Congrats!!!

[fountain2]

they are 1.5".  the pic makes them look a lot bigger.  this bird was weird...one long, skinny spur and one short, thick spur that measured 1 1/4

[jblackburn]

Wow!  Hooks for sure! Congrats!

[Muzzy61]

Congratulations. Great bird.

[tomstopper]

Beautiful bird (awesome hooks.... ). Congrats.....

[buck_hunter21]

Those are some serious hooks man. Congrats!

[strutnva]

nice hooks

[alloutdoors]

Congrats!

[870FaceLift]

 

Hooks, hooks, hooks!!  Did I mention nice HOOKS?!?!