Another Osceola

[Dukhuntr1991]

We've been after them several days a week still. The birds in the south zone seem to have slowed down quite a bit, which is alright  being that it closes down there tomorrow. The north zone birds seem to be going pretty good still. We watched a strutter breed a hen yesterday while scouting and I also had a gobbler breeding a hen on camera last week.

I was fortunate to kill my 2nd bird last week. The morning started out with me trying to slip into an area I had heard a bird gobbling on the roost a few days prior. I eased in there about an hour before daylight and began setting up about 100 yards from where I expected him to be. As I was getting things ready, a bird started putting directly above me...crap. Being that my cover was blown I eased back out and around the other side of the roost area, figuring maybe they would pitch down that direction since they saw me come in from the other side.
As it got closer to daylight, a bird started firing right where I'd hoped he'd be. I could now make out the bird that had picked me off before daylight, a hen. The gobbler and hen were roosted about 100 yards from each other. For the next hour, I listened to this bird gobble more than I have ever heard an Osceola gobble. I wish I would have counted, but there were several times I counted 10+ gobbles in a minute. These birds stayed on the roost extremely late, almost till 8:00 am, I guess because I boogered them before daylight?
They finally pitched down away from me, of course. After hitting the ground, he never said another word all morning. For the next 2 hours, I followed the gobbler and 2 hens as they made their way almost a half mile through pines, palmettos, and oak hammocks. Not really knowing where they were headed, and getting 0 interest from calling, I basically just crept behind them, trying not to get picked off and waiting for a chance to get in range.
Eventually I ended up at a fence line with very little cover and I had actually thought they lost me for good being that I hadn't seen them in about 20 minutes. As I eased down the fence line I caught sight of one of the hens easing across a gap. I got down and crawled to within 50 yards of her. As i laid there, the second hen popped out from behind some pepper trees. I assumed the gobbler was nearby but wasn't sure where or how close. A couple minutes later he appeared through some tall grass at 40 yards and that was that.
Looking forward to the next couple weeks. Still a few around to get after!

[tomstopper]

Congrats

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[Clydetaylor1]

Nice !!!

[Ctrize]

Nice job great pic

[Clovis67]

Congrats on a fine gobbler... very nice! Love them black wing feathers..YEE YEE

[Muzzy61]

Congrats

[bear hunter]

nice job

[ddturkeyhunter]

congrats, like the Palmettos background

[RutnNStrutn]

Congrats!!

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[RailRoader]

Nice bird! He's a pretty bird.

[boomer]

Congrats

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[Gooserbat]

Congratulations.

[steveo]

Awesome Gobbler !!congrats

[renegade19]

 

[Drycreek]

Congrats on a fine bird!