Turkey hunting in Florida, part I: Scouting for turkeys
Backstory:
In 2008, I was convinced to try turkey hunting. I had always previously said that I had no interest in deer or turkey or any other "boring, sit-and-wait hunting". I tagged along with Mikie and the 8th Street Gang on a hunt in south zone. Didn't see much besides one turkey running across a private field. Then I scouted at Three Lakes. Solo camping and hunting trip fueled by mentoring from David Blood, Jim Neviaser, and the 8SG. I found a bunch of tracks and strut sign way deep in the woods. It was really cool to be out in the Florida woods. Those were really my first trips into the Florida woods; I had always been in marshes and the ocean. I enjoyed the new scenery and wildlife. I had a plan to hunt a strut zone near a cypress head roost about two miles from the nearest access. I planned to hunt with my uncle and cousin, but had to wait for spring break. By the time we returned, the strut marks had been stamped out by boot prints. We saw a few birds while driving around, and spooked a couple while biking, but had no clue what we were doing. That was my last turkey hunt in Florida.
I finally got some turkeys on a private field in Ontario after continued mentoring. Then I moved to Illinois and fumbled my way to a few turkeys on public woods. I don't think I can say I'm opposed to turkey hunting any longer. I got to thinking that I'd like to get an Osceola turkey in Florida after harvesting Easterns up north. I started applying for WMA permits in Florida, building preference points for the lotto system after each unsuccessful application. Eventually, I got one! Jim Neviaser gave me some pointers and I did some research on the area. I called my uncle, booked plane tickets, and got psyched to go. You can return your permit about two weeks in advance and retain your preference points. About three weeks prior to the hunt, I had to fire one of the field research technicians for my dissertation project, which made me the tech until I found a replacement. By the time I realized how "underwater" I was, it was too late. I cancelled the trip, losing the points, the ticket money, etc.
Current story:
Flash forward a few years and I was applying in an effort to get more points. Lo and behold, I drew a the permit I was hoping for and it was during spring break. My field research is over, so I'd be flexible to go. This time, I planned to go with my friend, Micah. He's a northern boy, having lived in Maine, Alaska, and Norway, so I knew he'd be excited to explore new terrain.
Knowing that we were heading from winter to summer in a matter of hours, and that we would be scouting and hunting hard, we started training a few months out. We biked, hiked, and otherwise got into better shape. We couldn't replicate the heat and humidity of Florida, but we figured several miles of hiking in the Shawnee hills would help with the flatland hiking. We also researched the WMA "Johnny O'Connell" style, poring over the management plan, talking with the biologist about the burn history, making so many GIS maps (soils, LiDAR, vegetation, etc), and, of course, consulting with Jim again. I mean look at this beautiful elevation map!
Of course, all of that research could only take us so far. There's no substitute for scouting. We flew to Florida four days before the hunt started. Picked up some used bikes off Craigslist, hit up Publix for some carrot & raisin salad and sweet tea, and got geared up for the morning.
Day 1:
The next day, we headed into the WMA in the dark. Micah dropped me off at one trailhead and he went to scout another. Just as he started to pull away, I flagged him down. I had almost forgot to tell him something very important.
See, the day prior, we saw a tree absolutely covered in poison ivy. Micah asked if there were any other plants to watch out for. I told him that the only other one to be concerned about was "poison palm". He got a bit concerned, and asked what it looked like. I pointed to a dense understory of palmetto bushes on the side of the highway. He believed me and got quite concerned asking how we could possibly get around without touching any! I think I told him to just watch where he was stepping. So, as he pulled away in the pre-dawn dark, I remembered that I better let him in on the joke, lest I ruin his whole first morning of scouting. I could imagine him tip-toeing around, trying to avoid every one of the palmettos that make up almost the entire understory in some parts, haha!
I had chosen to wear my non-waterproof-anymore boots instead of my knee boots, so naturally, I hit a flag pond that blocked the trail almost immediately. We posted up at our planned listening spots about a mile apart. I didn't hear much, but Micah heard and moved in on some gobblers on the roost. He was able to watch them fly down, strut, and eventually walk away. I took pictures of the sunrise.
Day 1:
The next day, we headed into the WMA in the dark. Micah dropped me off at one trailhead and he went to scout another. Just as he started to pull away, I flagged him down. I had almost forgot to tell him something very important.
See, the day prior, we saw a tree absolutely covered in poison ivy. Micah asked if there were any other plants to watch out for. I told him that the only other one to be concerned about was "poison palm". He got a bit concerned, and asked what it looked like. I pointed to a dense understory of palmetto bushes on the side of the highway. He believed me and got quite concerned asking how we could possibly get around without touching any! I think I told him to just watch where he was stepping. So, as he pulled away in the pre-dawn dark, I remembered that I better let him in on the joke, lest I ruin his whole first morning of scouting. I could imagine him tip-toeing around, trying to avoid every one of the palmettos that make up almost the entire understory in some parts, haha!
I had chosen to wear my non-waterproof-anymore boots instead of my knee boots, so naturally, I hit a flag pond that blocked the trail almost immediately. We posted up at our planned listening spots about a mile apart. I didn't hear much, but Micah heard and moved in on some gobblers on the roost. He was able to watch them fly down, strut, and eventually walk away. I took pictures of the sunrise.
I took off further down my trail, which eventually turned into marsh. Like full-on water and cattails. But I found a way around it and into a picturesque hammock. The understory was so open in spots that it almost looked landscaped. I saw no turkeys, but enjoyed the stroll. Funny enough, Micah ran into a strutting tom only a few hundred yards from where I took off into that hammock. Finding turkeys is a little bit smarts, a little bit persistence, and a whole lot of luck!
On the way back in from the hike, I spotted some little striped guys hanging out by a puddle. I didn't get a picture before they dived in, but I could have reached in and scooped them all up to cuddle. The big splash in the pond behind the puddle was a warning to leave them be.
My hike on day two was pretty nice down to and along the river.
The return trip not so much. The first path that I tried from my satellite mapping no longer existed. So I doubled back and walked several extra miles to a trail from the WMA map. Unfortunately, that didn't exist either. Not sure if or when it existed, but it is now overgrown and not clear. Instead, I followed a flooded creek or airboat path or something for a mile and then bushwhacked the rest of the way to the rendezvous point. Made it back with a shot of water and a nearly dead battery on my phone.
Day 3:
Exhaustion got the best of us. After the extra long hike and an afternoon of fishing, I got sick. Micah sent me to bed and he crashed soon thereafter. We were so tired that we left all the car doors open overnight and awoke the next morning at 8am to a car full of fog. With the delay, we were driving in to the WMA in the daylight. We spotted about a dozen turkeys in different areas, more than we had seen in two days of scouting.
Another afternoon of scouting, another sunset without gobbles. I watched a hen scratch around for a while and then headed back in.
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