Osceola's- N FL

Other than what the NWTF says, I am wondering how far into north Florida you can go and still kill a true Osceola, not a hybrid. I've got a co-worker saying he has me a place in N Florida (like near GA) and it's true Osceolas. My eyebrow furled in a questioning manner when he told me where it was, then swore it was true Osceolas. Since I've never hunted FL or killed an Osceola, was looking for some real world experiences of anyone who has killed a north FL bird.

Gracias.

I killed a bird in South Alabama in 2018 that looked more like an Osceola than any of the Osceola's I've killed around Okeechobee. I think you'll find some birds look like Osceolas there, and some will look more like Easterns. Probably some hybridization in that range.

Here's that AL Osceola

I wish I would’ve got better pics of this one. His wings were very black, the blackest I’ve ever killed here. I killed it in Jackson county, does that count?

marketing hype.

According to the State of Florida, your buddy is full of it. no counties that border Georgia are exclusively osceolas. I've been there, and the old school Floridians that have been there for generations will tell you it's Ocala and south. You may only do it once in a lifetime, why not do it right and be sure?

They are all just turkeys. Just shoot one and move along.

If that’s your reply then you really don’t understand.

I guess, I just like shooting turkeys dont care which flavor they are

That is what Ive always been told as well. Ocala and south

Ask him if you can kill rios near Tallahassee

Don’t be silly. Everyone knows Rios are found west of the line from Apalachicola to Dothan.

I’ve been told Duval County has Osceolas. It boarders GA

If I’m going to Florida to kill a Osceola I’m gonna kill a osceola.
But that’s just my opinion, any turkey kill is a good one.

Here is an example of a north FL Osceola vs a south FL Osceola. I killed the bird on the top left on the morning of March 20th 2017 near Micanopy, FL (just west of Gainesville) then drove north and killed the bird in the top right that afternoon in Bamberg, SC. I saved the wings from a bird I killed March 8th down in Lakeport, FL (20 miles west of Okeechobee). I took this picture to show the differences in Osceolas and the relation of a north FL Osceola to an Eastern.

Hart, that’s a great illustration of the differences you would generally expect. There are exceptions and individual differences no matter where you go. Wing coloration is just one example. I’m going to send my next one to Ancestry.com

Nice comparison. Also the overall weight of the bird will be a couple pounds lighter generally. Not every time but iv killed a few 3+ Year old Osceolas and none of them were over 17lbs.

Although lighter than Easterns, I’ve noticed average Osceola weights fluctuate based on the live oak acorn crop. Winter 2009/Spring 2010 was a great year in south/central FL for acorns and the average weights of the birds were way up. It was tough to walk through the woods that spring without crushing acorns. I killed a 21lb Osceola that spring near Yee Haw Junction and weighed many over 20lbs. The birds were about 3-4 lbs heavier than average that spring. But yes, an average Osceola is going to be a few pounds lighter than an Eastern. A 16lb Osceola with long spurs is a trophy all day long!

great hunting around yeehaw junction!

Yes there is

About 5 years ago I killed a very dark winged bird in Aucilla WMA near Tallahassee.