The Grand Slam: Osceola Hunt
1 | Tall Tine Outfitters
These shots were taken in late March at Tall Tine Outfitters. The hunter is also the outfitter, Ted Jaycox.
2 | Florida Weather
It was ridiculously hot and the bugs were terrible—but that’s typical weather for hunting Osceolas.
3 | Hen
We had turkeys all around us every day. They were vocal on the roost, then they’d go silent for a while.
4 | Midday Action
But, like turkeys often do, they’d usually be ready to play ball again by midday.
5 | Easter Miracle
We had a couple close calls the first two days, but couldn’t seal the deal. Two full days of turkey hunting is exhausting, so I prayed for an Easter Miracle.
6 | Easter Sunday Gobbler
At 7 p.m. on Easter Sunday, we got it when we intercepted a lone longbeard making his way across a big field.
7 | Limbhanger He was making a beeline for a stand of pines, no doubt on his way to roost. We gave him a few clucks and yelps… - See more at: http://www.realtree.com/hunting/articles-and-how-to/grand-slam-osceola-hunt/limbhanger#sthash.QhBJHH6X.dpuf
He was making a beeline for a stand of pines, no doubt on his way to roost. We gave him a few clucks and yelps…
8 | Victory Lap
…and a 3-inch load of No. 5s took him down.
9 | Custom Box Call
We worked the bird with Ted’s custom box call, made nearly 25 years ago by Dick Kirby. It sounds as sweet today as it ever did.
10 | Turkeys Everywhere
After the hunt, I had the opportunity to just photograph some turkeys. As usual, they were much more cooperative than the birds we’d hunted just a day before. Seems like once your hunt is over, birds are everywhere—such is turkey hunting.
South Florida in March is the first leg of most Grand Slam hunts—and perhaps the most difficult
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