Florida public land advice for next season.

**jesse8953** · 06-23-2009, 06:03 PM

Do you hunt on public ground in florida?I would like to get me one of those oseolas next season.I can't afford a guided hunt.Have to do it the cheapest way possible. Any suggestions.

**Beagleman78** · 07-01-2009, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by jesse8953

Do you hunt on public ground in florida?I would like to get me one of those oseolas next season.I can't afford a guided hunt.Have to do it the cheapest way possible. Any suggestions.

Ocala National Forest
State Land WMA they have a good Turkey population
all in this state are Oceolas.

Good Luck

**rookieee** · 07-01-2009, 09:50 AM

Try Martin county good amount of turkeys and plenty of hogs to ,both of my sons got there limits on Oceolas

**HuntnMa** · 07-04-2009, 07:58 AM

go to myfwc.com...find out all you'll need to know there....

alot of the WMA's here are quota only and this coming year they will not be transferrable, so you need to apply in Oct.(I believe) for any quota hunt wma's.
where abouts were you thinking of hunting ?
I have to disagree with Beagleman78, not all of our turkeys are Osceolas...anything north of Gainsville and you could end up with a hybrid or an eastern.....I would avoid Ocala National Forest as well...too much BS with the locals....

**jesse8953** · 07-04-2009, 01:10 PM

I always heard from central florida and down were osceolas.Does not matted what part of florida as long as i'm in osceola country.

**Beagleman78** · 07-04-2009, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by HuntnMa

go to myfwc.com...find out all you'll need to know there....

alot of the WMA's here are quota only and this coming year they will not be transferrable, so you need to apply in Oct.(I believe) for any quota hunt wma's.
where abouts were you thinking of hunting ?
I have to disagree with Beagleman78, not all of our turkeys are Osceolas...anything north of Gainsville and you could end up with a hybrid or an eastern.....I would avoid Ocala National Forest as well...too much BS with the locals....

Not hear to argue with you, but i've never seen anything but Oceolas , now I dont hunt North of Gainsville so I cant say for sure about hybreds and easterns would be way on up closer
to GA and Al in the panhandel.

and as far as Ocala Not all is what you say, corse if you hunt roads your going to find that BS your talking about.
Go in Lake Delancy area,you wont find nothing but good woods to hunt and as well as good people huntin it.

I've lived and hunted Central FL all 52 yrs I have hunted
got some dandy WMA's in C FL.
Tell you another place for Turkey, "Seminole Forest"
Loaded with Oceolas, but its also a Quota hunt only WMA
last 25 yrs I've lived 6 miles from there

**Covehnter** · 07-05-2009, 10:33 PM

Osceolas are not all Florida has . . . . get south enough so that when you sleep at night you can rest assured that the feathers on your wall came from a true black wing. In other words avoid the "probably's" and get south of Orlando. Hit the Cypress.

**HuntnMa** · 07-06-2009, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by Beagleman78

Not hear to argue with you, but i've never seen anything but Oceolas , now I dont hunt North of Gainsville so I cant say for sure about hybreds and easterns would be way on up closer
to GA and Al in the panhandel.

and as far as Ocala Not all is what you say, corse if you hunt roads your going to find that BS your talking about.
Go in Lake Delancy area,you wont find nothing but good woods to hunt and as well as good people huntin it.

I've lived and hunted Central FL all 52 yrs I have hunted
got some dandy WMA's in C FL.
Tell you another place for Turkey, "Seminole Forest"
Loaded with Oceolas, but its also a Quota hunt only WMA
last 25 yrs I've lived 6 miles from there

Thats ok Beagleman.....As for as Ocala, i have never hunted it because of the horror stories I have heard, so you'll know more about that than I would, but I would have to say that I am correct when it comes to the osceola...Gainsville has always just been an easy way to remember it.

this is from the FWC website

Florida is home to the Florida wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola) and the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). The Florida wild turkey is found only in peninsular Florida (figure one). North of the peninsula it intergrades with the eastern subspecies.

here's the link to the page that I got it from

http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITAT...es_Turkeys.htm

**Beagleman78** · 07-06-2009, 09:17 PM

Thanks for bringing that to my attention
I never knew that. But I dont hunt up that way either.
Just goes to show even an old man can learn somthing new... Time for another Mtn Dew

There are some horrow story's about Ocala I can tell
but probably what you've heard. But in all seriousness
Lake Delancey is a Still hunt area ONLY not a bunch of yahoo's ripping up the roads .

Beagleman78

**Covehnter** · 07-06-2009, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by HuntnMa

Thats ok Beagleman.....As for as Ocala, i have never hunted it because of the horror stories I have heard, so you'll know more about that than I would, but I would have to say that I am correct when it comes to the osceola...Gainsville has always just been an easy way to remember it.

this is from the FWC website

Florida is home to the Florida wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola) and the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). The Florida wild turkey is found only in peninsular Florida (figure one). North of the peninsula it intergrades with the eastern subspecies.

here's the link to the page that I got it from

http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITAT...es_Turkeys.htm

And I do believe that line made a shift to the north to put it there with all the hype about the Grand Slam. I thought it was through Orlando. . . . . . but whatever nwtf publishes is what they're gonna take if you are tryin' to put one in the books so good luck.

**HuntnMa** · 07-07-2009, 05:59 AM

I hunt the Orlando area so this doesn't really matter me where the line is, lol....I know that they've taken some good ones off of Dexter Mary and thats north of Orlando....I found this map by the NWTF, looks like it was done in 2000.....almost 10 years ago but it still looks the same as FWC's map. If you could find a more recent one, please post it...

**Beagleman78** · 07-07-2009, 08:11 AM

I grew up east of Orlando (Christmas)
hunted all over christmas,whats now Toso.
Know where Dexter Mary is ,deer hunted alot there also.
Graduated from CHS Colonial High school many many moons
ago.

**HuntnMa** · 07-07-2009, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Beagleman78

I grew up east of Orlando (Christmas)
hunted all over christmas,whats now Toso.
Know where Dexter Mary is ,deer hunted alot there also.
Graduated from CHS Colonial High school many many moons
ago.

No way....I know Christmas and Toso. very well, lol.....I work there and have for the last several years.....this is too cool. I love that lil town and Toso...Toso. is about one of the only places around that still resembles old florida...cracker christmas at ft. christmas, the parade,the people, it's just a great place to live...bet we even know some of the same folks

**Beagleman78** · 07-08-2009, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by HuntnMa

No way....I know Christmas and Toso. very well, lol.....I work there and have for the last several years.....this is too cool. I love that lil town and Toso...Toso. is about one of the only places around that still resembles old florida...cracker christmas at ft. christmas, the parade,the people, it's just a great place to live...bet we even know some of the same folks

We just might know some of the same folks or thier relatives.
I moved out there in 1961 and left in 1985 . Now live in
Lake County little community of Cassia on SR44.
BTWN Eustis & Deland I been here for the past 24 almost 25
years.
Your right about Old Florida, this place up here in Cassia
reminded me so much about Christmas this is where I settled. Old time FL too. Turkeys, deer, and black bear every where out here.

You know any Tanners, Billingsley, Story's, Stone's just to name a few.
We use to hold our Family reunions every year at Ft Christmas till alot of the older folks started dieing offand the younger bunch dont care to get together.

I ran airboats and hog hunted on the river from Midway camp
way before airboats became popular, back in the early 70's
Know that river well to from the beeline south to Lake Harney North and Puzzel lake all to well.

Back when I grew up there, as a kid Id walk for miles on ft christmas rd with a shotgun on my shoulder. Tayler Creek rd
was a Dirt road all the way from hwy 50 - SR 520
Killed many a deer, turkey and hogs off that area Tosso.
Sherriff would pull up and never bother me with a gun
you cant do that today LOL

What do you do out there ? if you can say...
Small World ....

**HuntnMa** · 07-09-2009, 05:59 AM

I know Johnny Tanner, met a couple of others but I don't know them...Betty Clark(Savage is her maiden name) is another one thats been around for years, Melvin Clark passed away a couple years back...James brantley, Bill Meaks(law enforcement)....Jimmy green was a longtime airboater, he just died 2 weeks ago....so you know Charlie matthews, he managed Toso. for 25 or more years.They paved Taylor creek not too long before I started going out there, I wish I could of seen it as a dirt road.
I also work at Seminole Ranch(north of 50), so I know the river from 520 (poinsette) to 46, other than that I'm a lost puppy, lol.used to duck hunt Puzzle....
I do it all out there...alot of land management...mainly the roads and firelines,I'm the gal on the big red tractor, lol.... but I also burn, we do alot of exotic plant/tree removal....deer and turkey surveys...help out on the hunts if needed, but most of the time I'm hunting, general maintance...there's 4 of us out there, but we get it done, and it looks great..over the years, it was neglected, got real thick, so we're trying to get it burned regularly( burned the last 2 days) and we're doing alot of mechanical clearing as well....it's still thick but it's come a long way in just the couple of years FWC has had it. I worked for the park service first, then they got out, so FWC hired me and it's been a blessing not only for me but to Toso. ....so much good has come out of it....