Florida '07

Covehnter

By Covehnter
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Covehnter 10-Pointer

Covehnter

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I know it's kinda long but it's like a kids book with lots of fun pictures!! grin.gif For yall ADD readers that just cant make it through the whole thing . . . the kills are on days 6 and 7. cool.gif

Florida ‘07

Every year it seems like I return to say that it was better than last year and this year will be no exception. I’m just not sure I’ll be able to say the same next year. The trip started off with me having my priorities in order and skipping a couple classes Thursday afternoon to get on the road a little early since we were trying to get to Florida at daylight to listen. I had to make a 7 hour drive to Orange Beach AL to pick up my sidekick for the trip. From there it was on to South Florida, another 10 ½ hour drive.

Day 1: March 9th

We arrived at the South Florida WMA about 30 minutes after daybreak. Since you can only hunt there on Wed, Sat, and Sundays we were there only to scout for the following day. We parked the truck at our destination and got out to stretch our legs and answer the call of nature. Goobbbbllllleeeee!! A bird gobbles a couple hundred yards away and we throw on some camo to slip in and get a good fix on his location. We slipped in and actually got between 2 gobbling birds. The birds gobbled until about 9 o’clock and then went on their ways. On the way out we bumped one bird off a mowed strip; he was redheaded so our expectations were rising. When we got to the road, which was close to where one of the birds was gobbling we found tons of strut marks where a bird had really been tiring it up in the sand.

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Day 2:

It was time to hunt. We slipped in 2 hours before daylight in attempt to get in close to where one of the birds was gobbling the day before. Due to the full moon and a load of deer, just as our butts hit the grasses beside the cabbage palm a turkey busted out of a cypress head 40 yards away. We sat it out till sunrise when 2 birds started gobbling down from us about 300 yards. We moved in to about 150 yards but got pegged down by a hen and couldn’t move any closer. The birds gobbled good but hit the ground and went the other way. Later in the day we moved around in the direction the birds faded in attempt to find one lonely. We made a set up on the edge of a small opening where several buggy paths came together. After I made a call a hen started cutting back. Within seconds she was in our laps. As she was approaching I noticed that she had about a 4-5” beard but didn’t want to shoot a bearded hen although I knew it was legal in FL. My buddy had never killed an Osceola and didn’t know they were legal (they’re not in Ga). By the time I was able to relay him the message with her burning holes through us at 10 yards she figured out something was wrong and made a quick escape just in time.

Day 3:

My buddy and I decided to split up this morning, he was back at the cypress head where we bumped the bird the morning before and I was where the birds where gobbling. At first light a bird gobbled about 400 yards away from me which was immediately followed by a blast from a small caliber rifle, gotta love FL public land. Another bird gobbled 10-12 times on the other side of my buddy but due to the amount of people in area we chose not to move in on the bird. After the days hunt ended at 1pm we pointed the truck south and made our way to the Big Cypress Preserve in the Florida Everglades.

Day 4:

We started our walk into the glades 3 hours before sunrise. Through the muck we went 3 miles into the swamps but due to changes in the trails and a little memory loss we ended up about ¾ mile away from where I wanted to be. At daylight, you can guess where the bird gobbled. We quickly put our knee high muck boots to work in the water filled marl prairie to reach the other side. We slipped through a thick cypress head into a nice oak hammock with the bird. The hammock is fairly open compared to the other terrain you’re faced with in the glades but the trees are closely spaced closing down on visibility. There’s a pic.

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We got to within 100 yards of the bird and took a seat. The bird answered my hen talk readily and began to cut the distance quickly. When the bird was about 60 yards we could hear another bird further back. Within minutes the birds were together at 50yards but still out of sight. At this point the birds seemed to stick, so the silent treatment was applied. I had worked on the birds for about 30 minutes and was expecting a bobbing head to emerge from the hammock at any second when I heard something just to my right. At 10 yards a huge Florida panther made his way by us. This was one of, if not the biggest highlight of the trip. It was a huge male, 150-160 pounds and was not collared or tagged. To witness this cat which is one of only 30 or so left was incredible. He made his way toward the turkeys never knowing we were around. He busted our hunt and our birds but I wouldn’t change a thing if I had to hit rewind. The only thing I may tweak is having the camera in my hands because by the time I had gotten it out he had disappeared into the oak hammock. After that we tried to reposition on the birds without success so we made our way back to the truck with a successful yet unsuccessful hunt. Panther track and I can make a claim to it’s freshness.

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Day 5:

We moved back into the area we were in the day before but the birds where not quite as responsive. We had one bird gobble 8-10 times but again we had an old guy we had talked to that morning hunting that area so we didn’t move in on the bird. We hunted until noon and began the trek out so we could make the drive back to the WMA for the Wednesday hunt. That evening my buddy and I split up to try and put some birds to bed. I didn’t see any birds but was able to shake a gobble out of one on flyup. My buddy. . . . well, lets just say he did a good job with the camera. We would be under these birds the following morning.

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Day 6:

After getting almost no sleep, we entered the swamps 4 ½ hours before sunrise to get in tight to the birds and account for the deer that would try and wreck our unnoticed entrance. After dealing with the snorting deer we got settled in at 4:30, now only 3 hours till flydown. The system was worked out, I was shooting the longbeard and since my buddy had never taken an Osceola. . . he was on one of the jakes. The birds followed the textbook on how things are suppose to work when you’ve done your homework. They flew down beautifully in the back of a mowed field and the longbeard and 3 of the jakes were just strutting like they had just learned how parading behind their 3 girlfriends who where making their way straight to us. We were able to watch the show for about 45 minutes as the hens bugged their way toward our location. When the longbeard was about 40 yards out and the jakes about 30, one of the hens picked out my buddy moving his gun. . . . . putted and bolted. All the other birds now started to scramble and in a haste I had to call the shot. . . . 1, 2, 3 BOOM BOOM. As you know everything can’t go as perfectly as it had so far for the morning. The longbeard escaped my pattern but 2 of the jakes were not so lucky as to dodge my buddies. It was all bitter sweet without the longbeard to hold but my buddy had collected 2 fine Osceola gobblers in 1 shot. (I know the rules, but we spoke with who we needed to speak to clear things up) The pressure was off, we were now definitely coming back to Ga with some turkey breast.

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Day 7:

We found ourselves entering Big Cypress again 2 1/2 hours before daybreak on the 15th. We made the long trip along the twisted trail weaving through the cypress heads and across the meadows until we reached the oak hammocks and cypress heads that had held the birds we had worked earlier in the week. We had arrived at our destination a half hour early so we were resting our legs and taking in some water. As daylight neared a bird gobbled a little earlier than expected but he was right where we wanted him to be. We eased in closing the distance as he heated up on the limb being aggravated by a pestering hawk. We were able to crawl through the tall grasses of a what would be referred to as an opening in south florida although we'd refer to it as thick brush here in Ga. The birds had been using this "opening" because on either side it was surrounded by cypress heads that were holding water and therefore crawfish, one of their preferred food sources. We cut the distance between us and the longbeard to about 80 yards and were stuck in the middle of the opening while he was tucked 40 or so yards into the cypress head. As daylight continued to brighten up the landscape, he made a habit of bickering with the hawk that had perched in the neighboring tree. I floated some sleepy tree yelps into the cypress and he did his part in returning the love song. He stayed in the tree another 20 minutes and we exchanged words several times. He really seemed to like what i was telling him. At 20 minutes till 8 he decided that its was time to get to work and glided out of the tree and into the opening up from us about 80 yards. Even though i am refering to this area as an "opening" its not very open. Recognizing that he was going to approach us from our back right side in cover that wouldnt present a shot we had to make a quick belly scram to a small pine tree 15 yards ahead of us while he was still out of sight. After we were repositioned, i gave him some dirty talk and he fired right up and began to make his way down the edge of the opposite cypress head. When he was even with us at about 45yards he staged up behind a thick clump of palmettos and really tried our nerve, gobbling at all the soft talk that was offered and trying to convince the "hen" to meet him in the middle because thus far he had done all the work. After getting back on the call a little, his hormones overcame his instinct and he made his way around the clump. I let him enter the opening and tried to let him clear one last small sapling when he figured something was shakey and putted twice. . . . but it was too late for that. The 870 erupted and slapped him down in the dew covered grasses.What a hunt it had been!! We slapped hands and celebrated like any would expect. . . another well earned Osceola from the depths of the Everglades.

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Notice, this is where the bird met the #6s. . . that is the "opening" you can see behind me and what the bird came through to get to us. . . . this is was separates Osceolas from the others.

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Day 8 and Day 9:

The weather turned for the worst on our last 2 days and we had to deal with driving winds that really dampened the birds. We put in a full day on Friday and a couple fruitless hours Saturday before pointing the truck back toward Ga and setting the cruise. We relived memories between naps all the way back to the peach state and even with birds in the bag couldnt help but start to scheme against the peach state longbeards we'd be able to chase this weekend.

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huntn4bucks Monster Buck

huntn4bucks

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Re: Florida \'07

Man that's awesome!!! You guys really put in the time and effort required to get a public land Osceola. People that have never been down there really don't have any idea of the challenges faced when hunting in that environment. Congrats again Cove and Poncho...those are well deserved trophies.

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Covehnter 10-Pointer

Covehnter

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Re: Florida \'07

3seasons, i go to school at the University of Georgia. . . should be getting outta here in August. How bout them dawgs?!?

Sportsman, we were in the south region . . . way down there in the everglades, Big Cypress Preserve between Alligator Alley and the Tamiami trail. It's a long way from the North Georgia mountains thats for sure.

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redbeard 10-Pointer

redbeard

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Re: Florida \'07

You know what I got to say 'bout this man?

This man, our friend covehuntr. is one tough turkey hunter that does things the right way. I'm proud to know him and wish him continued success. He earns his birds, that's no doubt. Congrats my friend.

I'll give ya twenty more calls if ya take me with ya next year, that is if you think this ol' timer can keep up wid ya grin.gif I think I still got it in me. Just got back from a 2 mile hike in the N. Georgia NF mountains, only to find a corn pile and a blind already set up between the bearing trees tongue.gif Good grief.........don't know 'bout ya'll but to me, I think a gobbler deserves to be shot with his neck stretched out gobblin' not peckin' at cracked corn mad.gif

Nontheless, that was one great hunt you had and the panther is the tops. Not many folks can say what you said, that had to be a heart thumpin' experience. Big arse cat too, from the tracks. Nothin' but cool.gifcool.gif

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Covehnter 10-Pointer

Covehnter

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Re: Florida \'07

Thanks for the compliments Dean and i'll definately keep you in mind if my ridin' partner has to bail on me next year! I'm looking forward to reading some of redbeard's tails from 2007. . . . only 2 more days. We need to get together for a Ga longbeard sometime this sesason, we've only tried for about 3 years now . . .haha.

On the other note: IT TAKES A TRUE MAGGOT TO HUNT TURKEY OVER CORN!!! I hope that he get what he deserves and you did your part in helping see to it that he does . . . . . thats true scum. We got a call from our local warden last week telling us that one of our private land feather rufflin' spots is off limits to us b/c he watched the neighboring hunter scatter 100lbs of corn on the line and he plans to do a stake out. I'm all for it if he can catch the dirtbag but it's tough to swallow when you cant hunt one of your own private honey holes.

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