# Osceola National Forest???



## jharrell (Mar 1, 2009)

I know this might be a touchy subject to some. I was wondering if anyone has hunted the ONF and could tell me if it is worth the drive down there. I am not asking for any road names ( but if you wanted to volunteer you could shoot me a pm) I have been thinking of making a long weekend and give it a try when season gets here.


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## oatsj (Mar 1, 2009)

Gatorb said:


> Never heard of it? Where is that?



Its on the James river Bream fishing there last year heard turkeys in the forest


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## gobblingghost (Mar 1, 2009)

If your looking for an Ocseloa turkey I think you'll have to fo farther. If your wanting to hunt Fl turkeys there are several mangement areas just across the line


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## Covehnter (Mar 1, 2009)

Hunted it a couple years ago but was only able to hunt it a couple days. There were birds around and i talked with the rangers, they said the place is covered up but for some reason they werent talkin' good (it was unseasonably cool). From what i could tell it's managed well, lots of burns which we all know turkeys love.

Oh yeah, but Eastern birds for sure.


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## rutandstrut (Mar 1, 2009)

It is 50 Miles west of Jacksonville. Not in Osceola territory. You will have to drive at least 100 Miles farther south to get into them!


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## Omega (Mar 1, 2009)

There should be plenty of turkeys in the areas off 441N out of Lake City. I know a fella who runs in there and can usually find some from time-to-time (he primarily hunts private land but goes there because it's close to his job).

There are plenty of birds in the area though. I used to hunt a small tract of private land close to there on the W side of 441 and there's no shortage. I'd guess it'd be worth it to go, especially if you're going to do some hunting during the week.

If you're looking for Osceolas, you'll have to go farther south but I'd bet you'll find the birds from ONF will show traits of both Easterns and Osceolas (I've killed 4 near there and 2 show traits of Eastern and the other 2 show Osceola).


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## FLGobstopper (Mar 1, 2009)

Sent ya a pm.


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## DaddyPaul (Mar 1, 2009)

rutandstrut said:


> It is 50 Miles west of Jacksonville. Not in Osceola territory. You will have to drive at least 100 Miles farther south to get into them!



Actually you only need to go about 10 miles south of Osceola to get into what the FWC defines as "Osceola" country.

Union County is under the line they drew a couple of years back (unless they changed it this year) and is just down the road from US 90 which borders Osceola on the southern end.


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## jharrell (Mar 1, 2009)

Is there any WMA's a little further south that may have some good Osceola hunting?


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## jharrell (Mar 1, 2009)

What about the Ocala National Forest?


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## DaddyPaul (Mar 2, 2009)

jharrell said:


> What about the Ocala National Forest?



It would be in Osceola territory but I know nothing about the hunting there.


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## gblrklr (Mar 2, 2009)

jharrell said:


> What about the Ocala National Forest?



There are quite a few turkeys in the Ocala National Forest, but like most public land in Florida, it is all quota.


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## howl (Mar 2, 2009)

The official line is only about half right. You still have Easterns below that line. 

If its specifically an Osceola you're after you need to get South of Gainesville and some will tell you to get further South yet.  

Get below Ocala and you'll find some of those six foot tall bronze birds.


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## gblrklr (Mar 2, 2009)

howl said:


> The official line is only about half right. You still have Easterns below that line.
> 
> If its specifically an Osceola you're after you need to get South of Gainesville and some will tell you to get further South yet.
> 
> Get below Ocala and you'll find some of those six foot tall bronze birds.



Yeah, but you can't kill Sandhill Cranes in Florida.


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## howl (Mar 2, 2009)

Shame the same isn't true for hyperbole on this thread.


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## jharrell (Mar 2, 2009)

If there are any wma's that any of you know of please let me know.


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## gblrklr (Mar 2, 2009)

jharrell said:


> If there are any wma's that any of you know of please let me know.



You can take a look here to see the WMA's in FL that allow turkey hunting without a permit.  I would expect that on most of those hunting during the week would be better.


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## ThatredneckguyJamie (Mar 3, 2009)

There are quite a few on that list that are very good...Alot of hunters on most but if your willing to do a little footwork you can get into some nice spots that most arent willing to walk to


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## gottabowhunt (Mar 4, 2009)

Three Lakes WMA check it out!  Place is loaded with birds and managed well also.


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## Tom Laubach (Mar 5, 2009)

In  Florida Nonresident turkey permit is $100.00 plus a nonresident hunting license 151.50 season or  46.50 10 day.

Plus a management permit $26.50 if hunting on a WMA


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## hunter 85 (Mar 12, 2009)

hunt green swamp it has one of the best turkey pop. in the state wma's it is in lake polk and sumter co.s and u show up at the gate and get a permit they only let 250 people in at the two gates first come first serve after the first weekend


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## hawglips (Mar 12, 2009)

rutandstrut said:


> ...Osceola territory. You will have to drive at least 100 Miles farther south to get into them!




I'm not so sure about that.

Here's three pictures.  One from a turkey killed in SC in April '05, one from a turkey killed in NC in April '07, and one from a turkey killed south of Orlando FL in March '07. 

Anybody want to try to guess which belongs to which? 

A) 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





B) 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




C) 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Per Lovett Williams' latest book, the longest living turkey documented was an osceola from Fishing Creek FL that was trapped, banded, and released in Texas, along with a bunch of others.  She lived at least 14 years.  I bet she raised a bunch of little osceola poults in TX before she died.


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## The Termite (Mar 12, 2009)

Spring Creek Management Area east of Perry has birds.  It borders our lease and we have lots of them.  Not sure of the rules there but it should be a good hunt.


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## SWAMPFOX (Mar 15, 2009)

*Public land osceola turkeys*

According to the Florida Times Union's Outdoor section this morning these are the WMAs that have Osceola turkeys:

Arbuckle, Big Bend-Jena Unit, Big Cypress, Bull Creek, Devil's Hammock, Green Swamp, Jumper Creek, J.W. Corbett, Kissimmee River Public Use Area, Lochlossa, Log Landing, Richloam, Three Lakes, Upper Hillsborough, Upper St. Johns River Marsh.


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## blindhog (Mar 15, 2009)

Is this an Osceola wing?






I saw a map by Lovett Williams that showed the line to extend into S Ga and a part of S Al.  I 'll try to find it.

That wing was from a bird killed in Grady Co SGA.

I found the article that disputes conventional opinion I see on the net.
http://books.google.com/books?id=oV...X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA216,M1


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## gblrklr (Mar 15, 2009)

SWAMPFOX said:


> According to the Florida Times Union's Outdoor section this morning these are the WMAs that have Osceola turkeys:
> 
> Arbuckle, Big Bend-Jena Unit, Big Cypress, Bull Creek, Devil's Hammock, Green Swamp, Jumper Creek, J.W. Corbett, Kissimmee River Public Use Area, Lochlossa, Log Landing, Richloam, Three Lakes, Upper Hillsborough, Upper St. Johns River Marsh.


I believe the list included only WMA's that allowed hunting without a quota permit for some part of the season.  There are many more WMA's "in the zone" that aren't listed.


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## DaddyPaul (Mar 15, 2009)

gblrklr said:


> I believe the list included only WMA's that allowed hunting without a quota permit for some part of the season.  There are many more WMA's "in the zone" that aren't listed.



I'm wif him!


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## hawglips (Mar 15, 2009)

blindhog said:


> Is this an Osceola wing?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No question that osceola morphology extends well up into GA and SC.   Since easterns and osceolas are genetically undifferentiated (DNA), characteristics such as the dark wing are the only thing that separates the two.  

Since I got no takers, here are the answers to my three examples above.

A) FL, south of Orlando
B) NC
C) SC

The only bird killed below the official osceola line was the one with the whitest wings.


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## blindhog (Mar 15, 2009)

hawglips said:


> No question that osceola morphology extends well up into GA and SC.   Since easterns and osceolas are genetically undifferentiated (DNA), characteristics such as the dark wing are the only thing that separates the two.
> 
> Since I got no takers, here are the answers to my three examples above.
> 
> ...




Makes ya wonder about all the big $$ some pay to go hunt these birds a little earlier, unh?


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