Here at the Strut Zone, we’re always keen on sharing additional turkey hunting opportunities with you guys. Back on September 8, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) began accepting 2010 special-opportunity spring turkey hunt applications. The deadline for submissions is midnight (EDT) October 13.
Applications may be submitted at wildlifelicense.com, county tax collectors’ offices or at any license agent. A random drawing decides who will receive the coveted permits. To apply, hunters can obtain application worksheets at MyFWC.com/Hunting/ under “Limited Entry Hunts.”
According to sources, demand for these hunts is typically greater than the number of available permits, but hunters can increase their chances of being selected by submitting as many $5 nonrefundable applications as they like. Successful applicants pay a permit fee of $50 – $175, depending on the special-opportunity hunt area selected.
The FWC says these special-opportunity turkey hunts “take place on large tracts of land, with great habitat, healthy turkey populations and a limited number of hunters.” As many of you guys know, the Osceola is a highly prized subspecies of wild turkey, found only in peninsular Florida, south of and including Dixie, Gilchrist, Alachua, Union, Bradford, Clay and Duval counties.
All hunts take place within the Osceola turkey’s home range.
There is one downside. Participation rules limit out-of-state hunters to one permit per hunt. For more information on special-opportunity Osceola turkey hunts, visit MyFWC.com/Hunting.