Osceola Turkeys with William Sullivan on the Lands
of General Van Fleet
Green Swamp West
 Editor’s
Note: William Sullivan, president of the Florida chapter
of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), has hunted
turkeys in Florida all his life. During the first of
March in 2007, I hunted with him on property formerly
owned by General Van Fleet, a general during the Korean
War, who entertained m ost
of the generals from the Korean and the Vietnam wars
on this property. Too, the lodge on this property has
been used by the Queen of England, President Eisenhower,
the President of Korea and many other national and international
dignitaries.
Question: William, why do you like Green Swamp West
WMA?
Sullivan: I like Green Swamp West because there’s
a very-limited number of hunters allowed on this 33,000
acres. There will only be four or five, 3-day hunts
with only 18 hunters allowed to hunt each of those hunts.
You have to be drawn for these hunts, and you have to
pay an application fee. But the difference between hunts
at the bombing range and these special-opportunity hunts
is that you can apply as many times as you want for
these special-opportunity hunts, which are only about
$5. If you’re drawn to hunt there, you pay about
$175 hunt fee for a 3-day hunt. So, if you’re
coming to Florida to hunt Osceolas, and if you want
to improve your chances of hunting Osceolas, I’d
say apply at Green Swamp West.
Question: How difficult is it to walk onto a public-hunting
area in Florida and f ind
a gobbler to hunt?
Sullivan: The first thing I’d suggest is to get
a hand-held GPS receiver because many of the areas y ou’ll
hunt will look similar. You can get lost, especially
if you go in before daylight and come out before dark.
At the bombing range, there are a lot of big oak hammocks
and beautiful turkey woods that run out along the edge
of the river, but that’s where a lot of people
hunt. I recommend that you learn the land and try to
hunt away from the river, because there are turkeys
all over the hunting range. If you get away from the
hot spots everyone else wants to hunt, your chances
are much better. If you’re at Green Swamp West
WMA, there are plenty of open woods, some swamps and
also road systems running through the WMA. I believe
the state allows you to go in one day before your hunt
to scout, and you usually can locate a turkey, but I
still carry my GPS with me.
To hunt with William Sullivan, you can write him at
2830 Blackwater Oaks Dr., Mulberry, Florida 33860, or
call him at home (863) 425-6104, or on his cell at (863)
640-1395, or you can email him at wesnwtf@aol.com.
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