DHF:KYLEN

Want to bend your ear a little today and talk to you all about a true turkey hunter. Now, he doesn't have all your experience in the turkey feild, and tropheys, mounts, spurs, and beards on the wall but, he does have that burning desire to hunt, and hunt turkeys.

If you have been watching and reading my post over the past you'll remember that hunting for turkeys in Extreme Southern Florida has it's challenges unlike other places. Which by the way deters most sain people from even trying, but once you get turkeys in you blood, it's in for life. But the force is strong with this one. Here's why, He spent not only the scounting time before last season but, the entire spring turkey season without ever even seening or hearing "A" bird of either sex at all. But that didn't stop him. This season he came back with a vengence; he wanted that "jewl of the slam, Florida's Osceola". And today he got it.

Remember the snakes and spiders?


Remember the gators?


None of this would stop him. How about the bears?


Bob pushed past all of this. How about the hunting enviornment?






These are just some of the hardships that are required to get that Osceola this far south.

Here's the story of FP&L Bob's true bread Extreme Southern Florida's Osceola:
Set up at what we call, "turkey island". Sweet honey of place. Just what the doctor ordered in regards to turkey hunting. Morning came and went with a big fat goose egg as far as sounds and calls went. Closed in on Bob's position, (one by the way I was jelious of once I saw it), around 10 a.m. expecting to move out and back to the truck.

Breakdown the hunting set up he has and get ready to hike and bike back to the trucks. Last minute statement was, " Is your gun loaded just in case", answer, No. Bull sh$% I say, one never knows just what is around the next palmeto bush. Shoot, there might be turkeys in the road.

Low and behold, there they are. Three of them, prime for the picking. I squat down and try, (with as much base in my voice as possible due to excitment), tell him to get his gun and lets do this). This is the chance he's been waiting for.

He moves forward and I move back. He takes to arms and I to my first slate call, that I just had a feeling about the day before. Man, I just love the sound of that call but, it's al. and and shinny. Anyway, I let out a yelp and then soft, loving little purs to bring them in and it worked out like a charm. They started, all three of them his way.

Here's where I get the hand signal, that I'm guessing at that point is to stop calling, (becuase I can't see anythng due to the palmetos and the fact I don't want to be the one busted), to stop call, they're coming in and coming fast.

Within a whisper of a moment I see the boys walking out past and into the opening. If they were any closer we could have parted their feathers for them. That's when Bob's mighty smoke pole rang out into the still mid morning air. He hit that bird with his 3 1/2" pain pusher and almost drove that bird into the ground. The other two flew off into the air to live another day, (for now).

High fives all around were past and that moment relived over and over. Goood stuff and a great safe hunt. Below are pic's of Bob and what he had to do to get back out of his hunting spot with his bird. Water, water, everywhere.

The load up and the treck begins back to the "real".


Not even half the way back, but loving the time out there.



Happyness is: Making it back to the parking lot alive and well with that one and only true bread Osceola baby.
Bob my man, your the Big dog now. It was a treat and a pleasure hunting with you today. See you back out there tomorrow.

Rebel Hog

DHF,
I give that man every Credit in the world for being pursistant.
The pictures are great.Have you ever hunted the North East
section of Green Swamp? It looks like the pictures.

DHF, I know a hunter has to do with what he has.At least you are
making the effort to make a good Turkey hunter and that's what
counts. All you have to have is the Will and the Way. I think you
have it!

Have an enjoyable hunt and bag a good Tom!

Chuck7

THAT WAS REALLY AWESOME!!
CHUCK

huntnma

that isnt hardship, that is florida baby[8D]......i wouldnt live/hunt in any other place if i had a choice...looks like they did some burning too, that bear pic shows it....looks like an awesome hunt, so happy he scored......congrats on the bird....[8D]

Charlie P

Great pics and story thanks.

the animal

Great hunt Kylen. Really like the pictures and the story. It's great to help a friend score.
I can tell you one thing our swamps up north are nothing like your's (Thank Goodness). Hope you can connect on one of those swamp birds soon.

Dale

DHF:KYLEN

As of yet I haven't hunted the SE section of Green Swamp, just the NE and North. This was due to not having enough time to scout the area as I would have liked. But if Green Swamp's SE section is anything like what we have available to us this far south it will be holding turkeys. I hope. Plan on getting there on the 18th for some pre hunt scouting, it's all my job will allow.[:@][:@][:@][:@]

But having a blast.

DHF:KYLEN

Thanks everyone for the comments. I was really happy too for our hunting buddy fp&l Bob. He really had a dry spell going, but dang if he didn't keep at it.

Hey Huntin Ma, I saw your pic's you posted when signing up for your team, is that first one from Green Swamp? Looks like the "check station" .

Nice birds, do you remember the weight? This far south they, (Osceolas), max out around 17 to 18lbs. in the everglades / Big Cypress.

huntnma

no, that is Tosohatchee's check station...since the pic we have added a cleaning stationthe first pic with the 2 of us, the birds were 18 and 14.5.......the other one was 17.5 lbs......3 of my birds all weighed 14.5lbs, all two year old birds, i think the one was even a 3 yr. old, and then the other have been 17 or 17.5, one of these days i'll get that 18-20 lber...i wish, high hopes,[8D]i know the biologist that used to work 3 lakes got a 20 lb.er last season.....BIG OL BIRD

Tree climber

looks like my hunting woods,only a little dryer than mine.[&:]