1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Stories of your favorite gobbler hunts.
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Swampstalk
Posts: 388
Joined: November 16th, 2018, 3:48 pm
Location: Palmetto Bay, Florida

1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Post by Swampstalk »

Being new to this forum thought I'd post my first Turkey taken back in March, 2013 along with my son getting his Gobbler the next day on public land here in Florida.

I had begun turkey hunting late in life, now in my sixties, at the encouragement of my hunting partner, my son of 29. We have hunted deer over the past dozen or so year here in South Florida and out of state with some success. We had spent some exceptional, sometimes extreme, experiences while doing so. This spring, we both applied for and received turkey quotas for opening weekend spring Turkey season at a public management area that seems to hold a good population of turkeys up near Lake Okeechobee.
We had explored and hunted deer the previous year at this wildlife management area, but had not seen turkey in the fall, though some tracks were present. A couple of weeks before season we decided the make a trip up to the WMA and it paid off. It had rained for the first time since the first of the year a good amount and tracks were easily spotted in the soft sandy soil, especially on freshly disked fire breaks. During drive-arounds we would stop and walk areas that looked promising and found a good concentration of tracks on trails and fire breaks. While doing so, we bumped into a couple of toms and a number of hens so this area looked promising and marked it for a possible hunt area.
During the course of the day, we kept looking for additional “fallback” areas in case hunter pressure was near our first site. We marked a promising site in a clearing near an oak tree overhang with sign in the area. We continued scouting flag-pond edges, with plenty of hog sign, deer tracks, etc., but not a lot of turkey sign. Circling back on a firebreak to the main trail we followed several sets of turkey tracks in the fresh sand after the recent rain. They lead right back to the first area we found. So our minds were made up to hunt that area the next morning.
Saturday morning was a clear and cool sunrise with a wind out of the south and it had showered a little during the night. We had brought bicycles to use as the soil on the trails were solid enough and we could cover more ground, leaving the truck a ways away from our hunting area to reduce any noise before daylight. We got set up with some myrtle bush limbs as ground blind cover next to our vantage point in a thin stand of pines overlooking the edge of a cypress pond along a firebreak. Our decoy hen and jake were out in front about 25 yards. We were about 10 yards apart, with my son doing the calling. With regular hen chirps and clucking on the next three hours we had no response from a tom. Around 9 or so we looked at each other and shrugged and I went over and we conferred on what we might do. We decided to sit tight for a little while longer.
Ten minutes after returning to my seat and a new round of chirping from my son I heard a faint gobble off to the east maybe 100 yards or so. I hand signed my son the direction and got my shotgun ready, and within five minutes the bird’s head popped up out about 80 yards nearly in front of me in tall grass. He made a beeline in strutting and dancing, with a couple of gobbles thrown in. Both of us had our guns on him but I had the clear shot and when he stuck his head up at around 30 yards I fired and hit him. My first Osceola, in fact my first turkey ever! An 18 and a half pounds gobbler and a nine and a half inch beard. My son was as excited as I was. That evening after field dressing and putting the bird on ice, we celebrated with a quick dinner and a little something and Coke and talked it over numerous times over the camp fire. I think I was reliving it when I fell asleep in our tent.
Sunday morning we were up well before sunup to grab a quick breakfast of boiled eggs, muffins, and of course I had to have my cup of coffee and my son his hot cocoa. It was cool with less wind than the day before. We decided the bikes were not necessary as there were not any other hunters in the general area where we were. Walking in this time to the same spot as the day before, we were setup in plenty of time prior to sunup. Within an hour, and without any gobbling, I notice two heads pop up in the same area as my bird the previous day coming into the decoys. The larger tom gobbled, began strutting, weaving his way in exactly the same path as mine the day before. The other bird was a jake that kept his head up more but didn’t strut. As I had filled my quota, I had only a video camera so I got it ready and began taping this amazing event, though a little jerky as an amateur videographer.
My son was on the birds waiting for a clear shot and finally took the larger tom at about 22 yards. Amazingly, the other bird stayed and kept looking at the downed bird and finally left when my son got up to make sure the first bird didn’t get up. His tom went down within 20 feet of where mind died! Needless to say, there was some real celebrating after we checked in his bird and got back to camp.
Later that morning after we took the tail, beards, and legs from the two birds to be mounted later, we plucked and cleaned up the birds and put them in coolers for the ride home. We were so excited while breaking camp chatting away about how these two hunts went. It was something one might see on a hunting show on television. It was a classic hunt that will be recalled and relived around camp fires and over a cold beverage for time to come. I have been blessed to have a great hunting partner and to have experienced these amazing birds in a place of such subtle beauty. I can’t wait to do it again next year.

Since 2013, we have hunted the same spot in the WMA and harvested 6 gobblers in subsequent years. This year (2018) we both had quotas in different WMA next door to each other. My daughter-in-law and I each got a tom the first weekend. My son got his the next weekend. Best season so far.
2013 OK Slough Turkey.jpg
Nick's '13 Tom.JPG
Don
hookspur
Posts: 505
Joined: August 15th, 2011, 6:12 pm

Re: 1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Post by hookspur »

Congratulations! Ain't this sport a hoot?!
Swampstalk
Posts: 388
Joined: November 16th, 2018, 3:48 pm
Location: Palmetto Bay, Florida

Re: 1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Post by Swampstalk »

Doc, I have been reading your posts, and the Clark Bush interview. I really connected with your philosophy on the commercialism in the hunting arena. And yes, of anything I have hunted, turkeys have gotten under my skin. I've enjoyed Tom Kelly's books and Tenth Legion newsletter. I am in the process of ordering your two. Can't wait to read them. BTW, I have my family farm in Oklahoma where I grew up. We hunt Rios out there as well. My son got a really nice 22 pounder could years ago. I missed mine this year, but we did call in a Jackass and some does! Always next season. Already applied for our FL public land quotas for next spring.
Don
deerhunt1988
Posts: 136
Joined: January 18th, 2015, 9:20 am

Re: 1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Post by deerhunt1988 »

Welcome to your new addiction! Enjoyed the read.
Swampstalk
Posts: 388
Joined: November 16th, 2018, 3:48 pm
Location: Palmetto Bay, Florida

Re: 1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Post by Swampstalk »

Thanks. Bummer can't hunt them 'til next March. Guess we'll head to the deer woods in Big Cypress National Preserve this weekend .
Don
HennedUp
Posts: 46
Joined: December 31st, 2018, 7:50 pm
Location: Central NY

Re: 1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Post by HennedUp »

Great story and pics. Thanks and congrats on your birds. :thumbup:
Bob
Swampstalk
Posts: 388
Joined: November 16th, 2018, 3:48 pm
Location: Palmetto Bay, Florida

Re: 1st Osceola and 1st Turkey

Post by Swampstalk »

Bob,

Thanks. I'm a relative newbie to forum as well. Have had some great times down here in South Florida and at my family farm in Oklahoma. Really looking forward to upcoming turkey time! Scouting begins in a month or so! Good luck in NY and hope to seem some of your posts as well.

Don
Don
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