In just a few short hours my wife and I will be headed to Sunny (we hope) Orlando Florida. We are going with my oldest daughter Tara, her husband Glen, and our 4 year old grandson Kyle. Tara and Glen have a time share, and invited us along for some R & R in the sunshine state. My wife is on spring break, and so is Tara (school teacher) and me I’m just an “old” retired guy looking for something to do.
I figured if we’re going to Florida during the spring turkey season, then maybe I could take a few days to hunt the rarest bird of them all. The Osceola Turkey is by far the hardest bird to collect, in order to fulfill the “turkey grand slam!” I didn’t want to have to drive very far away from Orlando, so I Goggled a couple outfitters within an hour and a half drive from our hotel. I must tell you that I experience “sticker shock” when the outfitters quoted me a price for a two day hunt. They both assured me my chance of getting a bird was almost 100%, but my success came with a price tag of over $2000 dollars. That’s alot of money for 10 pounds of turkey meat. That works out to $200 dollars a pound. Needless to say I’ll have two more days to relax around the pool, and dream about what could of been, if only I lived the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous!” More and more it seems that hunting is becoming a wealthy mans sport. Thank God for the money hunters have poured back into conservation, wildlife restoration, and habitat development and acquisition. At least I can still hunt deer, bear, and turkey here in Michigan, and I don’t have to remortgage the house.
I hope there is Internet access where we are going so I can keep my blogging up. Sunshine and 85 degrees here we come!
Mike
I was just in Orlando a week or so ago, and it was gorgeous there. I priced some pheasant hunts earlier this year and experienced the same sticker shock that you did, Mike.
Those outfitters must be rich, because I can’t believe how much they charge.
Have a good time while you’re down there.
Enjoy your time Mike. The weather sounds great, but for some reason Florida has never had a pull on me. To bad the turkey hunting didn’t work out, but I can sure understand, laying down $2,000 for a turkey hunt? wow!
Hope you’er having a great time! I know you will savor the time with your family and when you add grandkids to the mix it gives everything that extra magic!
Uncle Mike bring some sunshine back please!! Have a great time. I hope you guys had a great Easter.
Have fun…makes you think we should try a new bussiness in florida would have fun and make money eh.