Had a great time down in Florida, hunted with a great outfitter which was the first outfitted hunt for me. Hunted some new land and learned some stuff for future hunts on my own. We ate good and the only negative thing was the hunt ended too soon. The outfitter had a lot of birds and knew the habits of these flocks. Thanks to Yekrut, n2deer and Topcat for providing me information for the outfitter.

First morning we sat up on a soon to be peanut field that had two strutters and hens the day before in it according to the farmer. Had a nice setup close to where they were supposed to be roosted. Daylight comes and goes and nothing.....heard a few hens to the east of us and with the 20-30 mph wind, never heard any gobbles. We checked out 5 or 6 different parcels that morning, setting up and blind calling several times. Nothing to be heard and we go get lunch.

We leave out for the afternoon hunt and the front has passed through and the wind has laid to 10-15. The outfitter had a food plot in mind with a blind set up on it. Again...I've never hunted out of blind. Not against it, just never have done it.

As we pull up, nearing the food plot there are two strutters and a hen in front of the blind. They had their back to us and somehow we backed out without spooking them. We worked our way to the blind trying to put a sneak on and they have worked there way out of the field into some short pines. We decided to go ahead and get in the blind and see what will happen. Outfitter puts a DS hen decoy out and as soon as he gets in with me I spot the two gobblers and the hen coming back to our left, just inside the wood line. They never did spook that we could tell, but they never came in. We settled in for might be a long sit.

Twenty minutes pass and I see super huge red head pop out at 60 yards. This was a big bird and I wanted him. He peers for several seconds at high attention at the decoy and does not like something. Turns around and steps back into the underbrush in one step. At this point I'm a little bummed out. Three nice gobbers in an hour at this field and no shot.....

Another 20 minutes goes by and I see another gobbler coming through the brush from the opposite direction. I couldn't believe the amount of birds on this place. They had video of 40 longbeards in this field during the winter. The outfitter had already seen 17 jakes together earlier in the week here.

The bird comes into the field at about 80 yards from us. He stops and checks out the decoy and appears ok with it and proceeds to make his way in. He nevers shows much attention to the decoy and at 32.5 yards, I roast him. The hunt was over a little before 4pm.

Since I was done with the outfitter, I wanted to try some public land to try and fill my other tag.

The next morning I hunted a National Refuge among the swamps. I got a little information from a local and made my way through swamp at the mouth of the Suwanee river in plenty of time to get settled to listen. I was able to get on a gobbling bird, but never could get the setup right. I did find a dead fawn that couldn't have been more than a day old....in March.

All in all...I had a great time and hunted nice unique land.

1" Spurs
10" Beard
17.5lbs

Congrats again Solo and nice pics. I knew Brady would take good care of you and put you in some birds. I wished I could have gone with you. I LOVE hunting FL because it is so much different than anything in any other state I have ever hunted. The scenary is great and the turkey hunting is usually great.

On the dead fawm, we saw one being down last year on March 5th or 6th in South FL. They get it on early down there.

Congrats solo on a good hunt. Sounds like you were covered up in birds.

congrats!




Shane

congrats solo

Congrats!

Dammit! Give me more notice next time! Congrats on the bird and good times!

He ain't got time to wait on you, there is killing to be done.

congrats!!!!

Congrats.

Brady told me he was 100% on the year so far. Congrats Solo! If you want to see alot of gobs go out west to his leases.

That is what I have been told too. I'm goign to have to hunt with him again one day.

Congrats! Nice Bird!

Great story and pics!