Opening Day Osceloa

[Swampstalk]

My son, a fireman camp partner, and their families and I headed out to their camp in Big Cypress National Preserve for opening Turkey season weekend. on Saturday morning before daylight, the fireman and his 6 and half year old daughter went out a quarter mile from camp to a area near a dry Cypress dome where birds had been frequenting. My son, his 5 year old daughter, and I headed out on a buggy a mile or two on a buggy trail to the east where we had seen activity of decent gobblers, a panther, and a coyote on camera.

Around 7:00 we have four jakes walk within 15 yards on the trail. About an hour and half later we observe a hunter walking up the buggy trail to within 10 yards of us. We wave him off and he sees us and turns back. We had seen him on a side by side a couple weeks before on camera. Only inholding property owners can drive on secondary trails in Big Cypress. He had been warned not to do so, that is why he walked the mile or so in to the area.

Back to the fireman. He and his daughter has a come toms fired up in their area by the cypress. His daughter took the box call and started making all kinds of racket, but amazingly the lead tom got fired up more and came busting in where he was taken at 20 yards with an old 20 ga. double barrel he father had had. First hour of the first day of opening weekend in South Florida! 10 5/8" beard, stubby spurs. No weight without a scale, but most true deep South swamp Osceloas weight between 15 to maybe 18 pounds. An awesome morning around camp!

This morning, no gobbling, a couple hens calling. Left emptied handed. We'll be back! Sorry no pictures just yet.

[OLE RASPY]

Congrats.

[Swampstalk]

Here's the "Osceola" I mentioned taken on opening morning in Big Cypress!

[935]

Wow! The gun is as big as the girl and the tom is bigger than the girl. Tell her congratulations, she did good.

[Swampstalk]

Actually her dad pulled the trigger! Camera picture of the tom with the wrong date, which was actually a couple days prior. Now that is a true Swamp bird!

[huntinsomd]

Nice work!

[rhs341]

Congrats


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OLE RASPY]

congrats to her.

[Hoobilly]

Very cool!
Nothing better than spending time with family and friends and using a old double

[Hobbes_mobile]

[soiltester]

Sweet and congrats

[vaturkey]

Congrats !

[Swampstalk]

Thanks fellas! My son and I are heading out to another WMA for the start of a quota hunt in SFL tomorrow morning day hunt. I scouted last week and had heard a few gobbles. We return over the weekend with him and his wife as we have an opportunity to hunt to WMAs in the area. It's a great time to get in the woods! Been anticipating this for a long time! Hopefully won't have the cigar munching hunter or through hikers busting up these hunts.

[OLE RASPY]

Good luck. If you do see the cigar smokin guy you might wanna follow him cause if he’s smokin a cigar he’s got one hanging. Lol. Hope your hunt is not ruined by hikers. They can hike anytime. Hiking not for turkey season. Lol

[Swampstalk]

LOL! Yup, there's this fella Cove (Dave) that tends to light one up after a hanger! Matter of fact a couple years back when he got his "Across the Water" bird with Squirrel we where in the same WMA and my son got a tom the next day there. Dave's bird was harvested within a quarter mile of where I'd taken my first bird ever back in 2013. Really enjoy his South Florida shows!

Please check out our Hunting Tales being posted from this morning's hunt. Damn it's FUN!

[ncturkey]

Congratulations to the Fireman on a fine Osceola. Good luck to you.