Spring Osceola Turkey Season - Inspiration & Preparation

Preparation and scouting for Spring Turkey Season has typically followed one of two tracks over the years:

1. Denial & Disregard. This is the easiest approach and yes, on occasion I have been guilty of it. With many reasons to justify it; I’m just too busy at work to think about it, I may not be able to hunt much anyway, those darned Osceola turkeys are miserable to hunt, it’s already hot, the woods are too dry or too wet, etc. The worst part about employing this non-method is you know in the back of your mind that you are just making it harder to bag a turkey….or are you? Truth is, I have enjoyed some of my best hunts stumbling into the woods with last seasons granola bar wrappers and all manner of disorganization my vest, my box call chirping in my vest like a turkey choking on acorn, etc.....I'm not proud of it, I'm just saying I've been guilty of it. 

2. Reasonable Preparation. This is my preferred approach. It starts with remembering that incredible sound, the most incredible sound I have ever heard in the woods…the gobble of a mature Osceola turkey at first light, deep in the woods surrounded by the fresh green of the spring woods.
Next it's about scouting and gear. On the gear side, I dust off the vest, decoys, calls, blind, shotgun, etc. and get them prepped and placed in the vest, exactly where they belong (a detailed list of gear in an upcoming post). The goal is to locate without hesitation and making any sound everything you have. 
Scouting is just as important as gear, perhaps more. I start after the winter hog season, actually during, with walks and mountain bike rides to areas I've never hunted, some longtime favorites and areas from deer and hog season where I observed turkeys. Keep in mind this is public lands hunting, no feeders or bait allowed and the turkeys have many thousands of acres of habitat to move in. There is no assurance that where turkeys have roosted and fed in the past will be where you will find them. 
Because the Osceola turkeys are notorious for keeping their gobbling to a minimum, especially after they fly down off the roost its critical to get a feel for the areas the are roosting. The topography of the hunting areas, especially trails, open areas for feeding and strutting, edges such as rivers, swamps, and streams become very important....more on that in later posts.