First Bird of 2014 - Osceola

[totallycluckedup]

Well I got out for my first try last Saturday morning for the season.  I'm all the way down here in the southern tip of Florida.  Due to parenting obligations, I had to miss out on opening weekend, but it all worked out for the best. 

As the sun started to break over the cypress trees, I let out a few soft yelps, but didn't hear anything.  Once it started to get brighter approaching fly down time I decided to give out some louder yelps.  Way off in the distance I got one to answer.  It was so far away, it was one of those gobbles that you had to wonder in your head if you actually heard it, or if the desire to hear one was so intense, that maybe it was just in your head.  I gave it about another 30 seconds and yelped again.  Once again a barely audible sound off in the distance let me know it wasn't just in my head.  Not wanting to call too much, I gave it a couple minutes before yelping again.  This time I could tell it was closer, but so far away I wasn't sure if he was coming or with hens already.  After about what was probably 5 minutes and a few more calls, I could tell he was headed my way.  He was hot which made it a whole lot of fun.  Once I got him within a hundred yards I started doing some puts and purrs.  He answered to everyone, sometimes giving me a double gobble.  He came from my left straight to me until he was about 15 yards out.  I had a jake and hen decoy out to my front right (about 1:00 position).  Once he was that close, I quit playing around.  He did a strutting show, sizing up my jake decoy.  You could see in his actions the moment he decided he could take the jake.  He strutted up and made a bee line for it.  Originally I had planned to wait until he beat up my decoy so I could see the show, but my desire to put him on the ground got the better of me.  As he moved in front of me, I slowly put my Benelli Super Nova into the shooting position with my point of aim about 5 yards in front of him.  As soon as his head walked into my eotech reticle (which I have nicknamed the circle of death...lol) I squeezed the trigger and down he went stone dead... not a flutter or a kick.  I paced the distance out to 12 yards.  He had one 1" spur and one 1 1/8" spur, both sharp as needles.  His beard was really skinny, but measured up to 11" (11 1/2" if I really pulled on it...lol).  I don't have a weigh scale, but I'd venture to say he's in the 16lb range.  Since my spot was so far out, I had to get up at 3:00 AM to be set up at 6:00.  Sun started peaking around 6:15 with official sunrise at 6:45.  Bird was down at 7:08.  Was a short but such a fun hunt with the show he put on, and how vocal he was.  For an Osceola he was very vocal.  Here's a few pics

[captin_hook]

Way to go!

[renegade19]

 

[darn2ten]

Congrats! That sounds like a awesome Osceola hunt, don't get them that vocal everyday got sure.

[MiamiE]

Congrats man! I don't sit and wait any longer, now I go after them if they're vocal.

[mozart_hunter]

Congrats

[SS Josh]

Congrats! Nice Bird 

[Gold Spur]

Congrats on a beautiful bird!

[boomer]

Congrats!!

[tomstopper]

Congrats.....

[Gooserbat]

Great Job

[alloutdoors]

Nice bird, congrats!

[RutnNStrutn]

Congrats! That's a good looking bird!!

[hookedspur]

WTG 

[TxLongspur]

Congrats!! Blow blow Seminole wind