4 arrested in Florida hunting scam

[bilgerat]

Florida Guides Face Charges for Osceola Turkey Hunting Scam

Four men accused of passing off pen-raised turkeys as wild Osceolas to unsuspecting clients

realtree.com

 

[turkeykirk]

Crazy what people do for money.

 

[buckpasser]

Well, if it makes the victims feel any better, the entire Osceola thing is a scam anyway, so all of us who’ve played the slam game are right there with them. At least I did shoot a WILD deep FL eastern instead of a tame deep FL bronze. Lol

 

[Gut_Pile]

I see 12-15lb gobblers killed in the SC low country every year, and have killed them as far south in GA as you can kill them, and to me they are noticeably different than the gobblers I have killed and seen killed in the Everglades of FL.

 

[WaltL1]

Until the punishments get serious for these type of crimes, poaching etc,
scumbags like these guys wont even think twice about it.

 

[ClemsonRangers]

seems like law enforcement would have bigger fish to fry

 

[transfixer]

I question the intelligence of someone who would pay 2 grand to hunt/shoot a turkey ? I mean the guides/organizers who ran it are scum, I knew turkey hunters can be fanatical sometimes, but willing to pay that much ? crazy

 

[Gator89]

I question the intelligence of someone who would pay 2 grand to hunt/shoot a turkey ? I mean the guides/organizers who ran it are scum, I knew turkey hunters can be fanatical sometimes, but willing to pay that much ? crazy

I will continue to hunt turkeys in FL as long as I have family and friends that allow me access to their land.

 

[transfixer]

I will continue to hunt turkeys in FL as long as I have family and friends that allow me access to their land.

but you don't pay 2 grand to shoot one do you ?

 

[Gator89]

but you don't pay 2 grand to shoot one do you ?

Never have never will. I get a free pass on FL birds.

I did pay $500 to access a ranch in Wyoming to kill a Merriam's, but it included lodging and was self guided and free range birds that we located on Friday before the season opened.

I would like to get a Rio some day, but if they cost $2 grand, I will put that money in the gas tank of my trout fishing boat.

 

[transfixer]

I can see $500, especially since it included lodging, but 2 grand just to say you killed one, and then pay to mount a fan or the whole bird , nah, can't see that

 

[Swamprat]

Supply and demand

When I lived in Central Florida you could knock on any land owners door and get permission to hunt them 90% of the time. That pretty much stopped in the late 80's

To me not any difference paying 2000 to shoot a Osceola or paying thousands more to shoot a bull elk, mule deer, etc.

Now the folks who ripped the hunters off need to have every licensed outdoor privalege stripped from them for life.

 

[WaltL1]

I question the intelligence of someone who would pay 2 grand to hunt/shoot a turkey ? I mean the guides/organizers who ran it are scum, I knew turkey hunters can be fanatical sometimes, but willing to pay that much ? crazy

That old saying "more money than brains" comes to mind.
I think alot of these folks want what they see on TV. Go sit down, cluck a few times and be covered up in turkeys. When they figure out it aint like that, they lay down the credit card to try and get it.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I can see $500, especially since it included lodging, but 2 grand just to say you killed one, and then pay to mount a fan or the whole bird , nah, can't see that

IMO, it’s no different than folks who pay huge sums of money for a lease or tag or whatnot in the Midwest to hunt an animal you can hunt in your own state.

 

[grouper throat]

Crazy story. I can't tell the difference anyhow except in body size but have friends who are crazy about running a few hours south to try and kill one. I'd rather hunt out of the flatwoods and swamps.

 

[Gator89]

Crazy story. I can't tell the difference anyhow except in body size but have friends who are crazy about running a few hours south to try and kill one. I'd rather hunt out of the flatwoods and swamps.

It is wild the size differences across just central FL.

I used to have property I could hunt in NW Sumter County and the typical bird was ~19 pounds.

The property I can access in South Sumter, borders Richloam WMA has birds that average 15 to 16 lbs.

Then the property I hunt that straddles the Lake-Sumter line 20 pound birds are common.

 

[grouper throat]

It is wild the size differences across just central FL.

I used to have property I could hunt in NW Sumter County and the typical bird was ~19 pounds.

The property I can access in South Sumter, borders Richloam WMA has birds that average 15 to 16 lbs.

Then the property I hunt that straddles the Lake-Sumter line 20 pound birds are common.

I saw one around the boat ramp/park at Lake Weir last week that had to be close to 20 lbs. Seems to be a lot around that area.