How the hell do I hunt cypress swamp gobblers!?

[djrcm7]

well I'm out on three lakes wma in FL and spent yesterday hiking and trying to find any decent open land or hear/see any birds. Not a peep and not a single bird spotted. Last night I found a slightly more open area with pines and some oaks. Set up this morning and heard one gobbler forever away. Packed up and went after him. I found myself face to face with a big thick gnarly swamp. He gobbled again and I tried to get back there but a snake couldn't get back there. How do you floridians hunt a bird like that?? It's super frustrating and a pain. I drove 22 hours from MO and these Florida birds make me wanna drive right back!

[fountain2]

Don't give up!  Google earth, scout..do whatever!

A little tidbit I can offer is to find a cypress head and figure a way to set up around it makes. Typically they roost in the cypress heads.

[ddturkeyhunter]

Have fun, learn what you can and don't expect it to go how ever it worked this year next time. I have hunted Three Lakes four different years since the first time in 2009. And a different one with out saying two much on where it is only opens mid week or later and limited number of people. Smaller but less people. This is my between year where I can only sit at home and look at the pictures everyone else post, but will be back trying next year again. Love the challange of figureing out the birds, with all the people pushing them around. The gobblers are in the cypress because of the people pressure. And I was told everything is dry down there this year again, just like in 2009. The first year I went down there it was bone dry, hunted every day for 10 days. Hunted till one each day and walked the rest of the day till dark learning everything I could about the East side and the West side. Didn't shoot a turkey that first year but did in 2010. But in 2010 the water was back to it normal levels again and I had a hard time getting back to some of the places I want to be. It didn't help when this Yankie seen that 8 foot gater sunning him self on the trail I need to pass through in the dark ether. So getting back to advice for you, learn what you can, try and find that little area by your self, had to do but keep trying. I always was in first dozen through gate each day, walk for 2 1/2 HR only to have a ATV pull right up next to you at first light. Just the way it is if you want to hunt back there, and watch the roads. I have no problem walking in the dark, but have walked 3 HR only to find a differt road that will brings you to with in a half hour walk. They Roost in the cypress over where the water use to be most the time. But they come out of there but some times it is only at 11:00 so don't quite early. Call softly and only every 15 minute max, watch your watch, dont over call, they are pressured. You picked a tough management to try for your bird but if you get one its a real trophy. A Florida Public Land Gobbler good luck.

[g8rvet]

Figure out where he roosted.  Then figure out where there was dry ground for him to fly to. It may be an island or a narrow strip in there.  We have even had to cut our way into heads so we can move in on them before daylight.  A couple years back my brother tried to get in to one. Said he sounded like a heard of elephants.  He went back that afternoon with machete in hand and cut a way in to the swamp that the bird was obviously flying down in to.   We were waiting on him three days later and he came in like he was on a string.  He gobbled about 3 times on the limb and never said a word on his way to us.   I called him in and my brother shot him.

His son had one roosted there yesterday, so it looks like we will be cutting some brush again. 

It looked like this once we got in there, but you would not believe what we had to walk through to get in there. 

[Cottonmouth]

Use Google earth to try to set up on a path of dry ground for him to follow.  Don't be afraid to move on him. I moved 3 times on one before he flew down just to get around some sloughs.  Got him. Fine bird with 11 1/4" beard.

[BB30]

Have fun, learn what you can and don't expect it to go how ever it worked this year next time. I have hunted Three Lakes four different years since the first time in 2009. And a different one with out saying two much on where it is only opens mid week or later and limited number of people. Smaller but less people. This is my between year where I can only sit at home and look at the pictures everyone else post, but will be back trying next year again. Love the challange of figureing out the birds, with all the people pushing them around. The gobblers are in the cypress because of the people pressure. And I was told everything is dry down there this year again, just like in 2009. The first year I went down there it was bone dry, hunted every day for 10 days. Hunted till one each day and walked the rest of the day till dark learning everything I could about the East side and the West side. Didn't shoot a turkey that first year but did in 2010. But in 2010 the water was back to it normal levels again and I had a hard time getting back to some of the places I want to be. It didn't help when this Yankie seen that 8 foot gater sunning him self on the trail I need to pass through in the dark ether. So getting back to advice for you, learn what you can, try and find that little area by your self, had to do but keep trying. I always was in first dozen through gate each day, walk for 2 1/2 HR only to have a ATV pull right up next to you at first light. Just the way it is if you want to hunt back there, and watch the roads. I have no problem walking in the dark, but have walked 3 HR only to find a differt road that will brings you to with in a half hour walk. They Roost in the cypress over where the water use to be most the time. But they come out of there but some times it is only at 11:00 so don't quite early. Call softly and only every 15 minute max, watch your watch, dont over call, they are pressured. You picked a tough management to try for your bird but if you get one its a real trophy. A Florida Public Land Gobbler good luck.

Agreed, mid to late morning is best time IMO they will come out of those cypress heads and cruise. Just stick with them. Even pressured they are still turkeys and will still do their thing. Mid morning is also a great time to try and get into where he was this AM.

When I am hunting a new piece of ground the first time, usually my first day or so is more of a scouting day than hunting. Also, at least in MS in our cypress swamps birds will go back and loaf in and around the swamps/bottoms as it is generally cooler once the temps start getting up there especially later in the season when the temps start getting into the upper 80s and low 90s. Makes a good mid day sit soft calling.   

[blackmagic]

This is open where I hunt in FL.