Best Outfitters for Oceola hunt

Looking for the best Outfitter for a first time Oceola turkey hunt. One for the best price but more importantly, the experience.

Highly recommend swamp gobbler outfitters.

The best outfitter is you.
Look for public land and do a self hunt.

Osceola outdoors
Cypress roost outfitters
Both of those guys hunt as far south as you can.

That's the way I'd go, personally. I've not found anything as satisfying as finding, calling and killing a bird all on my own. Not that I haven't gotten TONS of help in the way of advice/tips/etc, because I have...but when it came time to actually find him and kill him, it's all been solo, and there's nothing in this world like it.

Public land in Florida is HELL! Limited qouta hunts may be different but the open permit public land is over run with hunters who have ZERO respect for other hunters. Driving through walk in areas, park beside you and walk in on you, doesn't matter to them one bit.

Go with an outfitter, find you a hook up with private land or draw a limited qouta tag! If you're going for the experience do not go to open permit public land in Florida! You'll be extremely dissapointed!

Every turkey I have ever killed, I did by myself. No help from anyone. If I ever have the opportunity to hunt in Florida, I will use a guide. It will involve a long drive, vacation time and a reasonable amount of expense. Will also be a once in a lifetime trip. A guide on a private ranch increases the chances of bumping the safety.

The most a guide has ever done for me was walk me in before daylight

Florida Backwoods https://www.facebook.com/osceolaturkeyhunting

Ratso is a great Osceola Outfitter. Close to Daytona and Orlando in Osceola County.I guided with him for years. He has some great hunting land. We filmed 10 hunts a year on his place for TV shows I worked with.

https://www.localgymsandfitness.com/US/Saint-Cloud/739945162697316/Florida-Backwoods

here are some reviews as well as the ones on his facebook page:

This one is from right here on aldeer from a guy who went with him a year or 2 ago , and I include video of several Osceola hunts on that thread as well, so you can SEE what it is really like.

http://www.aldeer.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1696028&page=1

http://huntinfo.com/outfitter-review-details/1238946101


Public land Osceola hunting would be the biggest disappointment in your hunting career unless you were picked for one of the Special opportunity Hunts. They are Over run with rude people with zero ethics and not many birds, and ones that are there dont gobble.

Like North40 said , anyone suggesting hunting Public land in Florida has obviously never been there hunting turkeys before, that is for sure. That advise is coming from people who have NO IDEA about what it is like.

Now dont get me wrong..the Special Opportunity hunts are excellent and I have killed gobblers there on public land but you have to apply in the November prior to the year you hunt. If you were inclined to hunt public land a Special Opportunity or Quota hunt is the ONLY way to go.

Heres the florida Spec Opp hunt page:

https://myfwc.com/license/limited-entry/special-opp-spring-turkey/

Foldemup (Casey) went to a couple spec opp hunts I recommended and shot a gobbler on both on them. If you choose to go that route let me know and Ill recommend a couple but now only 10% of permits go to out of state hunters.

It is the hardest leg of the Grand Slam for sure and the most expensive as well. There are also a bunch of shyster outfitters there. Do not buy a "Cheap Hunt" off Ebay. Youll get ripped off and have very little chance of success.

My buddy Toby Benoit has a Service. Type in his name on Facebook.

Let me find his number.

Here's advice from another guy who has never turkey hunted in FL - don't fall for the hype. A turkey is a turkey. You can kill 10 in the Midwest for the price of one in FL. I can't see spending all that extra money to kill a turkey that has slightly different colored feathers from the ones we have in AL. They are so similar to our birds that they can't even agree on where the Easterns end and the Osceolas begin. All this "grand slam" hype was created as a way for various groups to get your money.

A legit reason for me to go would be because their season opens ahead of ours, but I am still waiting for someone to invite me on a free hunt before the AL season.

I am not quite as grouchy as Outback, but I'm getting there.

Good luck on finding a hunt.

As someone who’s hunted about everything corner of the country—and still doesn't know or care if he’s completed a slam—I’m with you. Turkeys are turkeys (although some are a little more gullible than most any I’ve ever found around here). That said, the experience of working a turkey in a tropical hammock—not a cow pasture or orange grove—is as good as it gets for me.

Is he the same guy that writes the great articles in Woods n Water magazines? Excellent writer and outdoorsman if it's the same Toby Benoit. Doesn't he make calls too?

I chased Osceolas on public land in Big Cypress National Preserve for many years with one of the best guides who was a close friend. With all the pressure on public land I never killed one. Probably never will. No way I can afford to pay $2-3k to kill an Osceola on private land. An Eastern is bigger and tastes just as good. They're plentiful in the Panhandle and Alabama. Good luck. Hope you get a good one.

Yeah, same guy. He's an old friend and great guy!'

And yeah, he's a damn good writer.

Public land, even the ones that have no quota or open after the first 9 can be good if you know where to go. You can also get away from the people, especially if you hunt during the week. I have killed a couple truckloads within a few miles of the house. You just have to hunt pressured birds different than cow pasture birds.

Go with this guy Outdoorobsession referred:

Florida Backwoods https://www.facebook.com/osceolaturkeyhunting


I have never hunted with him personally because I have a place to hunt down there, but the locals all speak highly of him. I've been by his house, met him, etc. Good dude. If I was throwing a hail mary cast that would be a good place to start.

Can you PM me your house address?

I lived in Central FL. for 16 years. I wouldn't go back for a hunt if somebody
paid me. In short, it sucks.

No Sir, but I'd would point you in the right direction if you're seriously coming down.

Casey, stop by and pick me up on your way down.

You’ll have to meet me at the airport

PM sent