Need Some Help

I'm going to be in an area this coming spring that has Merriams and Rio Grande turkeys and I already hunt Alabama so Easterns are on the list but I need some help from our Florida brethren to set me up on a Osceola hunt so I can complete a Grand Slam.

I've never attempted anything like this and the opportunity is staring me in the face so if any of you guys can help me make this happen it would be greatly appreciated

So no one knows who to talk to for a Florida Osceola hunt ????

Oh I’m sure they do, but getting them to talk about it is a different story.

Yeah I’ve been thinking the same thing. I’m just trying to do a once in a lifetime thing and have a good opportunity at 3 of the 4 birds for a grand slam. I really don’t want to go with an outfitter but I will to make this happen

Maybe Cove and squirrel will share some of their spots

Why don't you ask someone to fix you up with a date with a supermodel too? Probably got a better chance at that anyway.

I’ve dated plenty of super models but what I haven’t done is complete a grand slam

Now see there, lying ain't so hard.
You can't trust anything a turkey hunter tells you, anyway.

But I haven’t completed a grand slam

Deadeye it isn't that we don't want to help it's the fact that even the ones of us with Florida contacts are only hunting on invites. My guy in Florida lost our best farm this past year and we got 2 young hunters their first birds but couldn't find anything else to hunt.

I'm in the same boat as you this season trying to get MsN40R her grand slam.

My advice is to do as much research as possible on public land and hope you run into a private landowner that will allow you to hunt. It takes time in the area to make contacts like this but it happens more than most people think.

I've got thousands of acres to hunt out west for deer, turkey and pheasant that we aquired simply by talking to people and being respectful! I'm hoping the same works out for us in Florida this year. I've made a few contacts down there through friends and hopefully we can start to open up new ground there this year.

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

This says that you're just ignorant and not necessarily stupid.
It's okay, we can fix ignorance. Hang in there.

Yep one of those new fangled type turkey hunters

Call me an ornery old man if you want, but I've always seen the "slam" promotions as just hype for folks to make a lot of money. A wild turkey is a wild turkey. A longbeard is a longbeard. And keeping "World Records" is just nonsense. Beards are nothing but feathers; so what if a turkey has unusually long feathers on his chest? And long spurs are interesting, but a really old and sharp turkey may have short ones. I think hunters had a lot better perspective on turkey hunting back in the old days before national organizations came along with all the hype. And never doubt, it was the state agencies who were responsible for 95% of wild turkey restorations, and they did it without a lot of hype.

I judge a turkey by the quality of the hunt he provided. Everything else is secondary and not really important. Don't mean to pick on you, deadeye; it seems everyone wants their slam. I would enjoy a south FL hunt someday simply because it's the earliest season, but I doubt I ever do it. Good luck finding a place to get one.

I would never take your thoughts as picking on me. I can tell you for a fact that I've never considered this until last season
and I gave it a pass but have given a more thought to it and would like to add a grand slam to my string of accomplishments.
I completely agree with you about the bird providing the quality of the hunt and I view my accomplishments as a reflection on my ability to pursue what I want out of life

Good post. I agree.

Your last sentence is very eloquently put.