Two sections of towering pines loomed ahead, a single 10-foot-wide mowed grass path running between them and extending beyond sight. In front of me, guide Parker O’Bannon stood on the forest edge, cautiously scoping out the two-track. It was mid-afternoon, and he was worried about spooking birds on our way into the property, a 2,300-acre parcel along Florida’s Nature Coast. It was one of several pieces of land, totaling almost 10,000 acres, owned and managed by Florida Outdoor Experience (FOE) near Chiefland. As O’Bannon had explained earlier, the path cut through the flatwoods—a distinctly Floridian mix of pines, palmettos, shrubs and grasses extending across a flat expanse—before eventually leading into a thick swamp. This bog harbored several turkeys, including some gobblers that trail cameras had captured walking and strutting along this path during most late afternoons.
O’Bannon motioned to me and photographer Oliver Rogers, who was tagging along for the hunt. He told us he’d seen a hen milling in the open way down the road, but if we moved slowly, and quietly, we shouldn’t bump any birds. Following him, we eased about 200 yards down the two-track before tucking into the pines on the left. It was as far as O’Bannon felt comfortable going that late in the afternoon, and we immediately began carving out an impromptu hide and shooting lane. As the guide put out a breeding hen and a half-strut jake decoy, I settled into a turkey chair behind a couple panels of camo fabric. Tucked back into the palmettos and with a narrow shooting lane between two
