Turkey ID Help

South Dakota has three different kinds and they all can and will mix and you end up with muddy birds. Cleaner genetic lines can have varying colors as well. If I remember right the barring on the wings is a more consistent way of telling, I don't remember the specifics, hopefully someone that does will chime in. The terrain of where it was killed can often give you an idea of the "flavor" you shot.

 

A Rio has 20 tail feathers where the eastern has 18.

 

I haven't heard this one before. How does it work for "muddy" birds?
bymers42, looks like the Easterns we shoot here in MN.

 

Next Rio you get in count the tail feathers. Every one I have done has 20 unless the hunter shot them off.

 

I have also never heard this, we have Rios and Merriams here in Utah, out of all the Rios we have shot here, the most I have ever seen is 18 tail feathers. I also raised and bred Rios for several years, and they had 18 tail feathers.

As to that bird you shot it looks like a rio to me, too cream colored to be a true eastern. Although i was just reading about the turkeys in Nebraska and according to the NWTF website, mostly all the turkeys in Nebraska are either Merriams, or hybrids of the Merriams crossed with either Rios or Easterns so a good possibility it could be a hybrid.

 

Ive only delt with 18 tail feathers on rios also mounted one the other day and it only had 18

 

I have shot a ton of rios - all with 18 tail feathers.

 

Looks like an eastern/ rio cross to me.

 

I must have been lucky then getting all the strange odd ball Rio's.

 

Looks like an eastern to me. All I've ever hunted in Kentucky has been eastern and have killed several with the lighter tips, and know we don't have any rio's in the state.