Originally Posted by sj22
Originally Posted by ozarktroutbum
Been turkey hunting since age 19...now i'm 28. I love the sound of an eastern turkey gobbling. Those goober merriams and rio's sounds like they've been sucking the helium balloons. I'm not an "expert" on turkey hunting nor do I claim to have some type of god given gift in terms of tricking the old bearded ones...honestly I am probably an "average" turkey hunter by most folks standards that frequent this forum.

But it seems to me the ol' osceola has been lifted up on some type of large pedestal...I don't know why. Call it ignorance, but what's the attraction? I like the fact that South FL opens in early March, the gobs have slightly darker coverts, but besides parading around in the palmetto swamps and dodging the crocodillas and cotton mouth rattle mocassins, why do people want to kill them so much? They sound like an eastern and basically look like them. They seem to have some big ol spurs, but other than that why are they so sought after by hunters like you and I that grew up hunting in AL and other southeastern states?


It’s the fact that it’s the only place to hunt that species of turkey and folks wanting to complete the grand slam, I’m on that list as well and maybe one day I can get down there and try my luck.


If there were another place to go to hunt the Osceola I'd look in to it but since FL is it then there you have it. This opportunity wont roll around every season and I gave it a pass last season so if I can make it happen this time I will

When I need expert advice I tend to talk to myself
The older I get the better I used to be