BOWHUNT FOR THE FLORIDA OSCEOLA
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Billy Yargus Starts The Florida Hunt Off
The afternoon before opening day Billy went out with MIke Purser to scout for gobblers. Mike had been following a Boss Tom for 3 weeks. The first time he saw him he had 20 hens. But a few days ago he was down to two hens. Last afternoon Billy got 3 mature gobbles from a swamp head that Billy had been roosted the Tom at.

They made their plan for the morning hunt. They found a place for their ground blind by a fence corner near a bunch of bee hives. There was good visibility along the fence and across the pasture toward the beehives. If the Tom came out of the swamp they would see him.

In the morning Billy popped up the blind and place a hen decoy 6 steps from the blind on their side of the barb wire fence and put a jake decoy 5 yards further and on the opposite side of the fence. Then they waited.

At 6:10 the Tom gobbled. At 6:30 Billy did a fly down cackle. The gobbler responded and Billy yelped aggressively to get him worked up. A hen did a fly down cackle in ten minutes. Billy did excited hen yelps and stopped.

Two jakes came up behind the blind and walked into view 5 feet away. Soon a hen came down the fence by the bee hives. Billy hen yelped at it and the gobbler sounded off 70 yards away. Billy saw more hens along the fence by the bee hives.

Billy hen yelped at him and shut up. He knew the gobbler would follow the hens along the fence. When the two jakes saw the hens they started toward them. The Tom appeared near the bee hives and he saw the jakes coming toward his hens. He cut the jakes off. The jakes did a fighting rattle in an attempt to run the bigger gobbler off.

The Tom had another take on the situation and charged the jakes and ran them around in the field between the fences. Billy clucked and yelped hard -- trying to make the Tom stop. He did and Billy pulled the trigger. The Tom dropped.

Billy Yargus with the first gobbler of the hunt.
 

In Florida we are hunting with David Mills of Zolfo Springs, Florida in Central Florida's Osceola wild turkey country. David is an immediately likable guy and makes you feel at home from the get go.  David has thousands of acres available to hunt Florida Osceolas. He understands this unique species of wild turkey and knows his extensive area like the preverbal back of his hand. David is now part of the Woodhaven Sting Team and is hosting them on this hunt. To contact David about Osceola hunts, bow or shotgun, phone 1-863-990-9087.