Osceola in 2023
 

I've dreamed about hunting Osceola for years, finally it's going to happen in 2023. My biggest hurdle is finding a place affordable! After looking at a few outfitters and how much their charging, I really don't want to spend 2-3 thousand dollars to hunt a turkey. I'm not sure if looking into paying a fee to hunt private land is an option, but I would like to go that route. Next option would be if I could get someone willing to help me out with where to hunt and the general information that would make this hunt a safe and enjoyable one. I'm sure a lot of you are reading this and thinking another guy not wanting to do the leg work on his own and wants someone else to do it for him. That's not entirely true, I'm an avid turkey hunter and when this web site held the turkey hunting contest each year, I was always involved with it and I usually did pretty good. Anyways, I'm just a retired guy that loves to hunt looking for some advice on where to hunt in a state that I've never hunted before.

car

You'll be lucky to get a hunt at most notable outfitters on less than a year notice. Most are already booked by now. If I were you, treat yourself to a retirement gobbler with a reputable outfit and let them place you on a prime piece of private with no pressure. Just beware that anyone in S. Fl who has "turkeys" coming to a bird feeder in the backyard of their sub division think they can be an outfitter and get 3k for every bird they see. One of the many horror stories of a local guy did just that, "outfitter" sat him on the back porch of a house in a plastic chair to watch the yard for the local turkeys. The "meals provided" were hot dogs and pb/jelly sandwiches. He spent a lot of money on 3 trips for him and his kid with different people trying to take shortcuts and find that 'deal' and I think they only killed one bird total. Last I heard, he still needed one to complete his slam.

I have the same dream. I just need more money!!

Message me, I have a suggestion

Gobbles no different than an Eastern.
JW

Boy did I screw up! I've waited too long to apply for a permit to one of the WMA areas to turkey hunt. Not only that but it looks like more than likely with no points I wouldn't have drawn one anyway. I should have looked closer that the turkey hunting rules before now, no one to blame but myself!!

I can attest that car was active in all the turkey contests I ran here.

And im in the same boat. No way can I afford that Osceola hunt. I do wish all the best.

JW

Thanks JW, like I said, I figured I would just go on my own for a few days while down there on vacation. I saw that there was a huge WMA close to where will be staying. If I'm looking at it correctly, to hunt in the WMA you need a permit and all of the permits are gone and more than likely I wouldn't have drawn one anyway. I didn't realize that's how it works in Florida to turkey hunt on WMA land. Totally my fault for not reading the laws ahead of time. Of course, I can hunt private land or with an outfitter, just not WMA land.

Well , it looks like I'll get to hunt Osceola this year after all. On our way home from vacationing in southern Florida we're going to stop, and I'll get to hunt 3 days in the opening of the north season on public ground. I'm not crazy about hunting public ground, especially on opening weekend but at least I'm going to get a shot at hunting Osceola! This will probably be me only chance at doing it, so I'll give it my all! I'm sure if and I do mean if I get one I'll post it here!

IF you are successful -doing it that way will have more value to you than having paid big bucks to an outfitter anyway!

Good luck.

Contact Florida's game agency and asked which parcels of public land has Osceolas and where the land is located and giver it a shot on public land. I would not pay even aa thousand dollars to kill a turkey.

You are 100% correct!

I wish you much success car!

JW

Thank you!

Be sure that area has Osceola before hunting. The Osceola numbers drop pretty quick when you start heading north and the only thing there are Easterns.

I hear ya, I'll be south of Orlando so I think I'll be good.

Dark to black with no white wings bars.
Pleas post alot car and take us with you. At my age now an Osceola is out of the question.

Here in NE Wisconsin the big flocks are breaking up. And I saw 3 dandy toms cruising.

Jw

Will do, I'm only going to hunt 3 days, I'll be on my way back home from vacationing in Naples. I know that's not much time to turkey hunt, but this trip to Florida wasn't a planned hunting trip. I feel lucky to be able to just give it a try!

Good luck ! I was fortunate two take two Florida Turkeys in separate public land hunts several years ago. Lots of fun wading through them snake and gator infested swamps ;)

Yeah I've thought about that, especially going in before daylight! Not as concerned about it after the sun is up lol.

Just got back and this was the first time in years that I haven't gotten a bird. I heard 3 gobbles in the distance and called in 2 hens in 5 days hunting. Not sure what caused all the change but the most notable was extreme drought. Everything is dried up and where there's always been water, there's nothing. 2 of the 3 ponds had dried up. In over 20 years going there I couldn't remember it being so hot this time of year, even at night. Made the most of it and killed some hogs and caught a lot of fish. Better than being at work!

I'm back from Florida. I didn't kill any birds, reminding everyone this wasn't a hunting trip, but a chance to hunt a few days for a bird. The public ground WMA I had choose to hunt was all dried up to my surprise! I was expecting to be wading in water most of the time and worrying about getting to deep of water. This was not the case. Anyway, I did have one tom respond back then I called, and I had a hen come within 8 feet of me. There were birds in the area, but they didn't seem to want to talk much. All hunters had to sign in and out to hunt this property. There were 215 hunters on the first day with 12 toms being taken. Not sure how many hunters checked in on the second day, but 4 more toms were killed. On the third day, my last day to hunt, I had to leave by 9:30 and one bird had been turned in. Overall, I had a good time and would love to go back some day and try it again when I have more time to devote to hunting!

Hopefully learned some stuff you can use next time.

Sounds like allot of hunters out

Car
a must watch turkey hunting series on Mossy Oak outdoor channel via my firestick
Can't Stop the Flop
Waddell has many Osceola hunts
And rhe Pohinti Project.

Both are how to shows about rhe Osceola.

JW