Joined
·
577 Posts
I am aware that at least a few of you guys have managed to make some out of state hunts from time to time, some even getting a shot at subspecies other than Easterns.
For those that fall in this category, which subspecies was the most difficult and why?
For those who have stuck closer to home in the Eastern range, what was the state, region or area that had the hardest birds to hunt and why?
I'll start.
Osceolas are a quiet bunch, difficult to pin down, but adding public land hunting pressure and you have a truly elusive bird. It is not uncommon even on successful hunts to never hear the bird. I remember whole seasons where I heard no more than 30 gobbles, and seeing any turkey, even a hen, was a truly momentous occassion. Compared to the relative frequency which I come across Easterns here in Ohio, even on the fringes of their territory, and the melodic ear candy that fills the morning air makes me all the more thankful for where I hunt now.
The terrain of cypress swamps and sandy pine flats makes for rigorous hiking and makes a perfect habitat for snakes, alligators and misquitos when hunting Osceolas. The trade off here in Ohio is the rolling nature of the hollers to the south and the open ag fields everywhere that you have to triple check before skirting. Of course we still have the bugs, and quite a few more ticks than Florida, as well as snakes the further south you go.
On the whole, I would say based soley on difficulty in locating and tracking birds by sound, the Osceola is the more difficult of the two. Of course, difficulty varies for each individual bird, and I have had some very good mornings and some very dull mornings chasing both birds.
Now, whats your toughest birds and where did they come from?
For those that fall in this category, which subspecies was the most difficult and why?
For those who have stuck closer to home in the Eastern range, what was the state, region or area that had the hardest birds to hunt and why?
I'll start.
Osceolas are a quiet bunch, difficult to pin down, but adding public land hunting pressure and you have a truly elusive bird. It is not uncommon even on successful hunts to never hear the bird. I remember whole seasons where I heard no more than 30 gobbles, and seeing any turkey, even a hen, was a truly momentous occassion. Compared to the relative frequency which I come across Easterns here in Ohio, even on the fringes of their territory, and the melodic ear candy that fills the morning air makes me all the more thankful for where I hunt now.
The terrain of cypress swamps and sandy pine flats makes for rigorous hiking and makes a perfect habitat for snakes, alligators and misquitos when hunting Osceolas. The trade off here in Ohio is the rolling nature of the hollers to the south and the open ag fields everywhere that you have to triple check before skirting. Of course we still have the bugs, and quite a few more ticks than Florida, as well as snakes the further south you go.
On the whole, I would say based soley on difficulty in locating and tracking birds by sound, the Osceola is the more difficult of the two. Of course, difficulty varies for each individual bird, and I have had some very good mornings and some very dull mornings chasing both birds.
Now, whats your toughest birds and where did they come from?
