| Author | Message | ||
| turkeypicker |
Hunted 2 days now and no luck. Passed on a big strutting jake (with a hen) on day 1, but heard no gobbles. Man these jakes look big. Guess it's the early hatch time? Osceola's don't get big as a rule, but the jakes sure seem big. I saw a 17-1/2 lb jake that a guy bagged today, and the jake I called in looked to have a 6-inch beard and looked about as heavy as a mature bird. Heard a mature bird today in a place called devil's swamp. Appropriately named too....cottonmouth moccasins everywhere...chest deep water in places, and so thick a rabbit couldn't crawl through...enough to test a mountain boys determination (at least at home I call tell where the crick is). I heard 6 easterns in one spot at home on the day before I left (tearin' it up)...and there ain't no danged devil's swamp to wade in...LOL. The birds down here seem to be henned up bad. They are sounding off on the roost, but are quickly surrounded by hens and shut-up when they hit the ground. I haven't been fortunate enough to catch a lonesome mid-morning bird as of yet. Going to check out a new piece of private ground this afternoon...supposed to have some gobbling birds on it. Public ground is way too crowded down here. My advice -- don't try FLA hunt unless you're drawn on quota or have private ground. Hunters down here DON'T respect the fact that you are working a bird. They pile in 3-4 hunters at a time all calling to the same bird -- frustrating! These Osceola's are elusive in the terrain I've been able to find them in (emphasis on terrain). I must take my nap now before I go back out....life is tough! | ||
| Freddy McGuire (Vaturkey)
|
Stay after them TP... Good luck and be careful in Devil's Swamp! ;o) | ||
| TScottW99
|
keep after them, bring back lot's of pics  and watch out for those cottonmouths!!! There MEAN!! | ||
| VA Hen
|
TP, Keep after them...I've just have to skip devil's swamp...can't stand anything wading thru stuff that is almost the same height as me! Yikes! You know this is not fair, doing all this talking about turkey hunting and us not getting to go yet! :o) | ||
| Ryan Tucker
|
Stick with it and good luck! | ||
| HODY |
Good luck, we want some more stories till we can make our own in a few weeks. | ||
| Piedmont Gobbler |
Pictures TP, pictures! | ||
| turkeypicker |
Update: Made a big round this AM -- heard no gobbles on the private property. Settled in and did some blind calling on a small field where hens had been dusting and gobblers strutting. Had a half-strutting gobbler walk a fenceline to us to within 70 yards, but would not come on in to the Sceery decoy set. Guess he thought the Sceery's were skeery...LOL. Called up a hen. Went back at 3:30 PM and setup on the same field. Called up a cutting hen, then 2 jakes (all small jakes). My wifes younger brother took a jake -- his first turkey. All together we called in 9 jakes!!!! I passed on all - holding out for the big boy. Landowner told me I could hunt anytime!!! He asked me if I would shoot a jake for he and his wife for tablefare. We opted to dress this jake for him -- will give to landowner in the AM. Piedmont: Pictures of what? The habitat? Birds? I didn't even bring a camera. We hunted on until dusk after he bagged the jake. My brother-in-law was late for a birthday party and we didn't even take pictures of the jake. I saw about 15 birds from the road in a private posted field yesterday. One bird was all blown up. Would have loved to had a camera with a zoom lense. If we get a mature bird I'll take some pics and try to post. I'll pick up a disposable camera tomorrow. |