Nice to be back in the Cypress Swamps again

[Swamprat]

I walked a area yesterday that was burned a month or so ago

Good size pines, cypress heads, small drains with good roost trees and close to a river

Not a single track in the roads or fire breaks….sad. 4-5 years ago it was a pretty good area with the same conditions as above.

 

[Gadget]

So this idiot sneaks up behind another hunter this morning and shoots a guys hen decoy from 25yds away in broad daylight. Game warden is looking for him.

 

[Buck70]

That is exactly why I don't hunt public land.

 

[Gadget]

I have long standing offers to hunt multiple small tracts in Florida for Osceola, 10-30 acre type stuff where it’s virtually a 100% guaranteed hunt, half tame yard birds I call them. I decline every year, just no satisfaction in that for me. So I choose to hunt public land instead, I enjoy the challenge and really enjoy hunting big woods where you can move around. Kill a lot less birds for sure but I still prefer it.

 

[Swamprat]

Yep, public in Florida is a challenge especially with the OOS folks cause we open so early but nice to have room to roam. 10 am to 2 pm you basically have the place to yourself, prime time for gobblers in hen search mode.

As far as the idiot shooting a decoy, he is borderline “bless his heart” not knowing it was a hen or he just did not care, wanted turkey nuggets.

I will never ever use a decoy on public and I am hunting Florida Easterns

30 permits for my quota and only saw 2 other hunters. Talked to one and he said same as I thought, there would be more competition out there but wasn’t.

 

[Gadget]

So the guy that shot the hen decoy was contacted by FWC Ranger, he lied and said it wasn’t him and tried to put it off on another guy, they contacted that guy and the one who’s decoy was shot and figured out it was him so now they going to his house today and charging him with providing false information to law enforcement, reckless endangerment and something else.

I’m in a new spot I’ve never hunted before, the gobbler from yesterday might still be over there but just didn’t gobble yesterday, there was very little gobbling yesterday. Just wanted to try a different spot, don’t know if any in here or not.

 

[Gadget]

Public Land Osceola Cypress swamp gobbler down at 8am.

Fantastic hunt, played my cards perfectly and he flew right into my lap off the roost.

The new Mr Fox vest is officially broken in

 

[Gut_Pile]

Atta Boy Rick!

 

[Swamprat]

Congrats!

Still playing cat and mouse with the bird from yesterday, he knows how to duck in and out of private to his advantage.

 

[ADDICTED2HUNTIN]

Heck yeah!! Congrats!

 

[Nicodemus]

Nice bird, Rick. Osceolas are my favorite subspecies.

 

[antharper]

Congrats !

 

[jdgator]

Glad you connected!

 

[Hawken2222]

Good stuff congrats! Cool picture also.

 

[turkeyhuntinfool]

Congrats Rick !!!

 

[tad1]

Wow, WTG! That’s some pretty country and nice photography!
JT

 

[Gaswamp]

brilliant

 

[DynamicDennis]

Nicely done!!

 

[Gadget]

Thanks everyone.
back in the woods this morning, scattered rain forecasted so might not get much hunting in but I’m here to try for my last tag. Hoping to just locate another one to hunt, that’s the goal for this morning; Then probably come back tomorrow or this afternoon when the weather clears

 

[cracker4112]

Good luck Gadget. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet but called one in for my son south opener and one in for a friend on Saturday.