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Post by ogbohica on Mar 5, 2024 19:53:47 GMT -5
Not for the guy on a budget, but if you want a place to hunt turkeys off fish-eating creek in the middle of nowhere, hit me up. Ive killed more than most off of it, and ill Guarantee you will not find a better place for turkeys or deer off the creek. Acres are under 50 so ya its expensive. Real expensive
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Post by JS84 on Mar 5, 2024 20:24:57 GMT -5
Unimproved lands?
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Post by nuthinfancy on Mar 6, 2024 7:06:36 GMT -5
Prime turkey country down there around old Venus
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Post by ogbohica on Mar 6, 2024 9:11:24 GMT -5
Old Venus is correct nothing around nor will there ever be
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Post by meateater on Mar 6, 2024 9:21:15 GMT -5
not to be a downer but anyone who would buy land in florida to hunt must be outa there minds, 50 acres in florida for the average price you can get triple the acres, maybe 4 times the acres for good deer or turkey in other states. kentucky,mississippi,louisiana,new mexico are just a couple that if you just wanna have a place and maybe throw on a cabin or trailer to just visit and hunt and not have to be a millionaire thats where to look. now if you got money to burn and live a hour away from a florida property and enjoy shooting 110 class bucks and 2 turkeys per year go for it.
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Post by Crkr 23 on Mar 6, 2024 13:10:47 GMT -5
Yes, but they are the revered Osceola turkeys.
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Post by meateater on Mar 7, 2024 9:09:18 GMT -5
i can remember when you had to be south of palm beach to hunt true osceolas, big cypress was the place, then it was further north around the lake, then it was south of 60, now its gainesville or something before long the line will be in maine.
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Post by One Man Gang on Mar 7, 2024 13:09:15 GMT -5
The sooner an farther the line moves north, the better.
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Post by johnnybandit on Mar 7, 2024 20:06:00 GMT -5
i can remember when you had to be south of palm beach to hunt true osceolas, big cypress was the place, then it was further north around the lake, then it was south of 60, now its gainesville or something before long the line will be in maine. I live right off of State Road 60..... And did a LOT of hunting growing up in Hardee County south of state Road 64...
The turkeys in Hillsborough, Manatee, Hardee, etc county are not Osceola turkeys.... They are intergrades.... They carry genetics from both Easterns and Osceolas.....
Some DO look like Osceola birds.... But some also look like easterns. Most have traits from both Eastern and Osceola birds.....
I was always told by my Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Great Uncles and their hunting buddies.... That to find a True Osceola You had to be south of the Caloosahatchee River... Roughly State Road 80......
The birds in Ocala NF look nothing like Osceolas........ The birds in Richloam/Withlacoochee look nothing like Osceolas
Lovett Williams said at a presentation I was at... That the turkeys in Glades County and around Fisheating Creek were Osceolas....
Who am I or anyone to argue turkeys with Mr. Williams...
I will say this..... My Granddaddy and one of his hunting partners had a large parcel in Hardee county... They ended up selling it to the head of the Rutland Bank Family.... Herbert, Hubert something like that..... There were turkeys on that parcel that looked a lot like Osceolas..... Also I grew up hunting a lease and private land in Levy County.... off of 347,,, North of 24... About 7 miles north... The lease and the private property. were west of 347.... There were also turkeys there that looked like Osceolas..... I do not want to speculate.... But Granddaddy and his cronies had quite a bit of money and had a severe case of turkey disease (Quail as well)
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Post by Stumpy on Mar 8, 2024 11:46:09 GMT -5
I can only give my perspective based on 40spring seasons. I've only hunted hunted florida turkeys in Polk, Sumter and Lake county's. I've hunted and taken eastern turkeys in Ohio and West Virginia.
The Florida turkeys are unique in their primary wing barring and body feather coloration.
I've never killed a Florida turkey that I ever believed was a hybrid or a integrate of the Eastern turkey.
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Post by 6thgen on Mar 8, 2024 13:24:24 GMT -5
The NWTF line being the Santa Fe river in north Florida. I grew up fishing on the santa fe long before I started turkey hunting and can tell you they fly across going both ways all the time. In my 40 years hunting turkeys up there, we have Osceola's, Easterns, and hybrid birds that have traits of both. My property is 1/4 mile from the river to the north, so I am only killing Easterns based on the NWTF line.
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Post by JS84 on Mar 8, 2024 14:41:20 GMT -5
I'm right in that area
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Post by 6thgen on Mar 8, 2024 15:01:01 GMT -5
JS84, I believe I read you bought property up there but I thought you were closer to the Suwanee? I am in south Columbia County and North Alachua County where I hunt. I grew up and live in Orlando though. My family is all from High Springs. Going up tonight to build palmetto turkey blinds tomorrow and be ready for next weekend!
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Post by meateater on Mar 8, 2024 15:17:55 GMT -5
just my opinion but no way triple n ranch or fort drum are true osceolas and people from all over the country are paying top dollar to hunt what they think are osceolas north of 60. if i knew how to post pictures i could show you a gobbler killed last year in polk county vs 1 killed in big cypress. 2 totally different looking birds.
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Post by Crkr 23 on Mar 8, 2024 16:25:18 GMT -5
2 birds killed at the same time (2 hunters) in the north end of the so called Osceola zone. They appeared to be the same age and more than likely they were from the same hatch. The bird on the left only weighed 14 lbs, was longer (you can see the difference in the photo) and had the black wings. The bird on the right weighed 17½ lbs, was shorter and had white wing bars. I guess what I'm saying is that turkey hunting up here is the proverbial box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. I do remember a photo that OMG posted a while back (maybe the old forum) of a strutting bird with a lot of white in the wings. I assumed it was a South FL bird, maybe y'all are getting integrated down there. Attachments:
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Post by swampdog on Mar 8, 2024 16:45:02 GMT -5
It’s all in the advertising and promoting. Once the bird is counted for a “grandslammoru”, that’s all the great turkey killers of the world care about. Once they find out the real prize is a rare bearded hen Osceola, the turkey guides and grand poobas will be able to charge a lot more…
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Post by johnnybandit on Mar 8, 2024 18:03:43 GMT -5
just my opinion but no way triple n ranch or fort drum are true osceolas and people from all over the country are paying top dollar to hunt what they think are osceolas north of 60. if i knew how to post pictures i could show you a gobbler killed last year in polk county vs 1 killed in big cypress. 2 totally different looking birds. IF you want, email me the photos... I will post them for you.... |
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Post by One Man Gang on Mar 8, 2024 18:04:04 GMT -5
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Post by One Man Gang on Mar 8, 2024 18:10:10 GMT -5
These were wet Hendry County birds.  |
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Post by 4ward on Mar 8, 2024 18:19:58 GMT -5
 These came with my mortgage 😁. Osceola, Eastern or hybrid? BwaHaHa… taste like turkey!  |
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Post by 4ward on Mar 8, 2024 18:34:34 GMT -5
It’s all in the advertising and promoting. Once the bird is counted for a “grandslammoru”, that’s all the great turkey killers of the world care about. Once they find out the real prize is a rare bearded hen Osceola, the turkey guides and grand poobas will be able to charge a lot more… My kid got a bearded hen on camera this morning. I’m sure he would be willing to take some bids. Spread the word swamp, he is saving up for a new boat. LOL |
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Post by Stumpy on Mar 8, 2024 18:41:36 GMT -5
2 birds killed at the same time (2 hunters) in the north end of the so called Osceola zone. They appeared to be the same age and more than likely they were from the same hatch. The bird on the left only weighed 14 lbs, was longer (you can see the difference in the photo) and had the black wings. The bird on the right weighed 17½ lbs, was shorter and had white wing bars. I guess what I'm saying is that turkey hunting up here is the proverbial box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. I do remember a photo that OMG posted a while back (maybe the old forum) of a strutting bird with a lot of white in the wings. I assumed it was a South FL bird, maybe y'all are getting integrated down there. Sorry to break the news to you but those birds are not eastern turkeys. Look at the primary wing feathers. The primary feathers are a typical florida turkey, narrow and broken white baring. You are looking at the secondary wing feathers that are light in color. A eastern has primary wing feathers that have heavy white baring. Take into account I have not call those turkeys Osceola. |
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Post by Crkr 23 on Mar 8, 2024 19:02:53 GMT -5
The bird on the right has unbroken white bars. The other hunter was a wildlife biologist. As far as I'm concerned it really doesn't matter, I can't tell a difference in the taste or the hunt.
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Post by Crkr 23 on Mar 8, 2024 19:09:27 GMT -5
That strutting bird looks like he's on some of the places I've hunted on Camps Canal, beautiful and some very dark wings. |
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Post by 4ward on Mar 8, 2024 19:19:47 GMT -5
Close enough 😉
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Post by Stumpy on Mar 8, 2024 19:57:58 GMT -5
The bird on the right has unbroken white bars. The other hunter was a wildlife biologist. As far as I'm concerned it really doesn't matter, I can't tell a difference in the taste or the hunt. I'm sorry i am wrong. was looking at the wing on top or left bird. |
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Post by johnnybandit on Mar 8, 2024 20:07:06 GMT -5
I will add this.... Last April I spent about 5 days with my wife in Western Tennessee.... We stayed at an airBnB on top of a mountain near Sevierville..... IT was supposed to be an anniversary trip.... But our Anniversary is in early March.... I convinced her to push the trip back 6 weeks because I was concerned the bears would not be out yet.
Scared the shit out of my wife... it was rainy the entire time and most of the way up the mountain was single lane and gravel..... Zero guard rails....
We spent our days driving around the country roads and up and down the mountains.... Wears Valley, Cades Cove.... Etc...
I have seen a zillion turkeys that should be pure easterns.... But those Western Tennessee birds were massive... Not so much the hens... But the toms were HUGE...
And they liked to sit on fence posts on small farms
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Post by Crkr 23 on Mar 24, 2024 5:47:33 GMT -5
Just a little observation from this turkey season, I'm not seeing near as many black-winged birds this year up in N Central FL. Normally I would say 1 in 4 would have black wings, this year zero. I'm including dead birds that I've actually seen and pictures that I've examined.
Not that means much or matters, just an observation.
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Post by JS84 on Mar 25, 2024 10:38:50 GMT -5
I let a Jake walk opening morning in Dixie that was so black he looked like a turkey vulture. Didn't see a beard swinging as he passed through so the safety stayed on
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