1st Osceola

I thought I would post up the story to my 1st Osceola this weekend. Sorry but it's a little long winded.

I picked up this permit on a fcfs after getting skunked on the 1st draw. I hadn't seen much in the way of turkeys out there before but a buddy told me there were plenty and said I should check out a couple areas.

I had been trying to sneak out of work for a morning scout for a few weeks but just couldn't seem to get away in the morning. Decided I would scout the place out the weekend before but my buddy reminded me that Friday night that there was a youth hunt going on so that idea went out the window. Oh well. Decided I would just hit it the day before the hunt and do what I could.

I get there Friday at 4:45am and start walking back to listen for gobbling as the sun comes up. Just as the light is peaking out I hear 2 different birds across a prairie. I couldn't get any closer without being spotted so I waited it out with binoculars in hand. Heard them fly down but couldn't see them. As soon as they hit the ground they shut up. I gave it about 30 min but didn't want to bust them up so I headed out to another spot I wanted to check out. I needed to head back out by 11 to take care of a sit down dinner party for 60 of our closest friends for my girls birthday that i was throwing Saturday night at a friends house so I had to speed scout it. I get to the next area and take a walk. Found a couple roosting trees and a little sign in the next hour. Marked a few spots on my Scoutlook and headed back to my 1st spot.

As I'm in my truck leaving I look across a creek to my right and see a huge bird in full strut with 3 hens and a jake. I couldn't access it from the road so I marked that spot ( that was only 100 yds from where i had already marked ) to come back to it. I head to the 1st spot and as I come around a head I walk up on 2 toms with 4 hens. Now I'm getting pumped. All this before 9:30am. I look around and find a good palm to build a blind under and get to work. Put something together and hightail it back to the other spot to make a blind for spot#2. Set that spot up and head back home to get this party set up.

Of course I couldn't sleep that night. I set the alarm for 2 but wake up on my own at 1:45. Head out and get to the gate at 4:45. Decided to hunt spot #2 for the big bird. Walk the 1/2 mile back and am in my gobbler lounger with an hour to spare. As it starts getting light I hear a bird 100 yds behind me. Then another about 200 yds behind me. Then 1 goes off on my left at about 75 yds or so. I must have walked right under this one. I am completely pumped. I throw a few clucks out and wait. Throw a few more. Gave it a few and threw out a fly down cackle. I never heard a fly down at all and they shut up by 6:45. I waited and called a couple times but nothing by 9:15 so I take a walk to try and figure out where they went. Within 30 min I walked right up on the big boy all by himself but he saw me at the same time as I saw him and was in the brush before I could get a shot off. Damn it!

By now its getting time for me to head back home to prep this party and try to squeeze in a nap. After setting up tables and chairs and some last minute shopping I got home at 5:30. Just in time to take a shower and head back out. Leave the house and had a great party but didn't leave there till 1:30am. Get home by 2 and change into my hunting gear and head out for the woods sans any sleep. I get to spot #2 at 5 and set my phone alarm for 5:20 to get a little shut eye.

Never really sleeping I hit a new spot to catch them at fly down. Wouldn't you know it but it starts getting light and I don't hear a peep. Finally I hear a bird a long ways off and decide I'm going after him. After walking through some nasty stuff I come across the same canal and can't cross it. Hes still a couple hundred yards on the other side. Check my gps and its a 1/2 mile either way to cross it so I keep going as fast as I could. Get to a crossing and hightail it back down the road but no more gobbling when I get there. Throw out a few yelps and nothing. Wait 20 min and yelp again. Nothing. Damn it!

It's warming up so I decide to hit the truck and strip off some of the stuff I'm wearing and take a walk. I ended up walking a mile or so back to spot #1. As I sneak up I see 3 toms about 150 yds out on the other side of a flag pond but they've already got me and take off. I get set up and throw a few calls and hear one gobble about 200 yds behind me. About 20 min later I see a head pop up above the brush about 75 yds in front of me. Checking it out with the binoculars I see a couple hens popping up every once in a while. I cluck a couple times to get their attention and wait.

After about 20 min of them feeding off I catch some more movement. Watch that area and next thing you know I've got 4 toms coming in strutting. Pull up my gun on the stick and wait. Looking like they were gonna follow the hens I cluck and purr on my slate with my right hand while holding the gun up with my shoulder. They all start to come in but hang up 60 yds out. I purr a couple times and get ready. They hang up again at 40 out. A couple of them started folding their wings back in like they were
gonna take off so I went ahead and popped the one closest to me. I never knew I could get up and run that fast. He was flopping pretty good so I racked another round as I was running but didn't need it. As soon as I got on his neck I gave out a hell yeah! I finally got an Osceola that had been eluding me for so long.

I got the truck loaded up and headed out to meet a buddy who's son had just gotten his 1st bird. After some high 5's and pics we headed back to the check station. Spent a little time shooting the breeze and headed home. Barely keeping my eyes open for the drive home I pulled in, cleaned my bird, showered and went to bed at 5pm. After 39 hrs with only a 20 min catnap I finally had an Osceola and mamma was happy that she had a great bday party. Life is good.

Forgot to add. 9 7/8" beard with 1" hooks. Weighed in at 18.2 lbs.