There's some good hunting for Eastern on Eglin AFB not far from Destin.

10-4!

The only problem with hunting Osceolas is, if you go with an outfitter, you are going to pay at least a grand just to take one turkey. If you have the money and don't mind spending it for one turkey, then that's your choice, but that's kind of steep to kill one bird. Are there good populations of Easterns in the panhandle? Are there any public areas that there is not a hunter behind every tree?

Agreed, but... Let's say that you travel 1000 miles or more to hunt Osceolas on public land. Unless you have excellent inside info, you have to scout and hunt at the same time, find a place to stay, get meals, and then hope that you can kill one. By the time you figure all your costs in and your time, you'll find that it would have been far easier, albeit a few dollars more expensive,to hunt with an outfitter who knows the local birds, and probably have a much better chance at a harvest. Do others go down and hunt public lands and harvest there bird, sure. But many make the trip, only to come home empty handed. I would rather pay a little extra and come home with my Osceola. If hunting with an outfitter for Osceola's really strains the budget, I would hunt closer to home, and delay my trip to Florida until I can afford to have a good shot at one.

What you're saying makes perfect sense. Having said that, me and a friend are going down the first week and try our luck at an Osceola on public land. I wouldn't have it any other way. I know we're likely not going to get a bird the first day, and we may not even get a bird,but we're going to have fun trying. I definitely wouldn't want to throw down $1,500 for a 3 day trip and get a bird on the first day. That's where the fun in turkey hunting comes from: Getting to know the birds and trying to outsmart them. I'd rather do the leg-work myself than pay someone else to tie one up for me. JMO, Simp

Yea my bro was in the air force and he told me that the base doesent get much hunting pressure... Said the birds are very reseptive to bad calling...

You will not find Osceolas anywhere near Destin, FL...osceolas are not indigenous to this area and are found only in the peninsula of Florida..a loooong drive from Destin.

"Florida is home to the Florida wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola) and the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). The Florida wild turkey is found only in peninsular Florida (figure one). North of the peninsula it intergrades with the eastern subspecies. The Florida wild turkey is best distinguished from the eastern subspecies, which it closely resembles, by its darker wing feathers. The white bars on the primary wing feathers are narrower than the black bars and are irregular or broken."


You can find a map on myfwc.com of where Osceolas reside...type "osceola turkey" in the search area and link will come up with map

Mr. Longbeard that means I may have a shot. LOL

Well, it really isn't that far from Destin to find what the NWTF considersthe Osceola's range. I'll be driving down from Oklahoma to hang out in a beach house for 8 days. After that drive, the jump over into Osceola turf will seem like a walk in the park.
"The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) only recognizes birds as Osceolas if they are taken south of a line drawn between Taylor and Dixie counties on the Gulf to a line running between Nassau and Duval counties on the Atlantic coast."
We may give it a shot. You can bet we'll be hunting some kind of turkey that week.