Snohomish Co. Eastern Gobblers !

[Wacenturion]

Dumb question, but how can you tell if they are hybrids and what kind of turkeys did you guys release in the 90s'. I obviously don't know a whole lot about turkeys, please forgive me.

Coloration of the birds tail tips, banding etc.  Behavior is another.  Birds released on Pillchuck Tree Farm back in the 90's were wild trapped Eastern's from Iowa.

[Kola16]

its possible they were the true wild birds since we turned them loose around Bryant Area !!!!

What are you talking about 

[Southpole]

Ooooohhh, thanks for the education guys.

[Wanttohuntmore]

I think I saw these back in 2000 or so, about a dozen of them.  I never told anyone about these, hoping they'd spread.  Glad to see some are still left.

[kevinlisa06]

Hey John yes they're still in the same area of Bryant I know lots pf people in the area that have been seing them in the last 5years or so. They mostly hang on private land and not many people want a guy huntin their land on this side of the state. Its great to see pics of the phantom sno-co easterns and looks loke they're doing good.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I am glad they are around too !    I never had the desire to hunt them unless they really took hold ...Ever since Pilchuck screwed us on the deal I lost all interrest ...Over the years people contacted me who ride horses over there and seen them on the powerlines feeding and they have told me once they gotten close to them they would disapear into the timber ...these are truely wild birds ... some of us can tell whether or not they are wild or not ...One of the best ways to tell on an EASTERN WILD TURKEY is to look at his tail fan ..the feathers in the center of the fan will be CHESTNUT COLORED and the tips of the fan will be darker brown colored... once you have been around them long enough you will learn the difference ....I will find some photos to show ya the difference ...

[whitey]

We have them around monroe. A few here and there.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I just found some photos to help you guys learn the diffence between the 3 species of wild turkey we have in Washington ...there are other species too that I will mention ...this could get long 


 #1 Rio Grand Turkey ... see the( goldish coloring) in the tail feathers ...
 #2 Eastern WIld turkey .....see the ( Chestnut coloring ) in the tail fan ...
 #3 Merriams Wild turkey ...see the ( white or yellowish coloring ) in the tail fan ...
Then you have the Oseola in Florida which looks like the eastern bird with different markings on the wings ...
Then you have the Goulds in Arizona which look like the Merriams but their tail fans are usually a true white colored..

Then you have the Ocellated Turkey in Central America    Hope this helps !

[Southpole]

Easterns mixed with.....?

[Wacenturion]

Game farm stock from somewhere of mixed heritage.  Quite common with uninformed people assisting with turkey releases.  All they do is give wild turkeys a bum rap as people actually think that's what they are and how they act.  Definitely not wild birds in my opinion. 

The picture of the red turkey on top of another and that lovely looking bird to the right....well lets just say no self respecting truly wild Eastern gobbler, would ever let himself look like that.  That's a pretty common attire for penned birds or domestically reared, free roaming around the farm types.

[HoofsandWings]

As long as they taste the same.

[BOWHUNTER45]

when people buy these pen raised birds they are always marked Easterns - Rios - hybrids ect ....if you buy turkeys from anyone else rather than a state representive then most likely they are pen raised birds ...No matter what the seller is telling you ....just shoot them all when they walk up and eat from your hand    100% wild bird wants nothening to do with you 

[Wacenturion]

when people buy these pen raised birds they are always marked Easterns - Rios - hybrids ect ....if you buy turkeys from anyone else rather than a state representive then most likely they are pen raised birds ...No matter what the seller is telling you ....just shoot them all when they walk up and eat from your hand    100% wild bird wants nothening to do with you 

 

True, wild turkeys are not purchased in a way we think of things being bought.  The transaction in wild trapped birds occurs between states like in the case of Washington getting birds from Iowa.  The price per bird was set based on an average tapping cost nationwide, per the different subspecies.  Much easier to trap Merriam's and Rio's than Eastern's just from the difference in wintering flock sizes.  Went the rocket net goes off and 100+ Merriams or Rio's are on the bait, the odds of having move birds per individual shoot is much greater than say 20 plus or minus Eastern's on bait.

The sad thing is Washington used to get birds in trade for other birds or animals or for nothing.  States just wanting to help out other states.  Generally F&W agencies had to trap and relocate anyway and sending some out of state to help another agency was no big deal.

Then the NWTF saw dollar signs and inserted themselves into the transaction.  They asked the various states what it cost to trap birds, then applied those findings to an NWTF cost chart.  Then they hung a carrot out to states with large numbers of birds and lots of NWTF members, in the form of dollars from the receiving NWTF state chapter coming back to them to use in their state. 

NWTF controls all the Superfund accounts and movement of dollars between them  Administrative fees added in as well as their approval for expenditures.  Hell they even charged the receiving states interest.  That's when sportsmen lost big time.  The amount of birds coming in was dependent on available dollars on hand or borrowed that was used to pay the trapping state.  Consequently, numbers of birds available for release when WDFW was open to doing it, slowed way down.

NWTF..."Not Worth The Frustration" if you ask me.  Bunch of freaking used car salesmen.  Too bad because the members in state are good folks and put in a lot of effort for their passion, only to have it harvested by some good ol' boys down south.   

[Wacenturion]

when people buy these pen raised birds they are always marked Easterns - Rios - hybrids ect ....if you buy turkeys from anyone else rather than a state representive then most likely they are pen raised birds ...No matter what the seller is telling you ....just shoot them all when they walk up and eat from your hand    100% wild bird wants nothening to do with you 

only the red was in these turks was bought the rest came out of the woods not from a seller and you can get turks used to people happens all the time. put a gain feeder out and let them get used to it and won't take long before you can sit right next to it and watch them eat. been there done it try it find out

True, wild turkeys will tame down around farms or even near some rural homes if fed, especially in winter.  They have a comfort zone and do get used to things.  Merriam's and Rio's more so than Eastern's.  Wild birds though generally will move away from those free meal sights as things warm up and breeding commences, followed by brooding and pecking order establishment during the rest of the year.

Your statement of the "Red" bringing them out of the woods is probably a fair assumption, along with help from the feed "Red" and others are getting.  However just what did "Red" bring out of the woods?  Certainly not any offspring of wild birds that were released on the Pillchuck Tree Farm.  They are as I said before, from a game farm stock of mixed heritage.  They are most likely the result of someone trying to do his part to get turkeys established.  You'll notice I left out the word "wild". 

These types of releases show up fast as in just about every case they end up in someone's yard, roosting on someone's roof and defecating all over some one's porch or deck.  Like you, been there done that.  Will some have Eastern characteristic?  Of course, along with any other subspecies on the game farm that their linage traces to.

As far as the wet goofy looking Eastern you refer to.  Well all I can say is, I seen lots of wild birds and even in our wet weather, they generally don't allow themselves to get in that condition.  Otherwise they are easy predator bait and removed from the population.  They depend on the condition of their plumage.  That bird is feather duster material.   It looks like, acts like, and is a domesticated  game farm bird.   

[lokidog]

As far as the wet goofy looking Eastern you refer to.  Well all I can say is, I seen lots of wild birds and even in our wet weather, they generally don't allow themselves to get in that condition.  Otherwise they are easy predator bait and removed from the population.  They depend on the condition of their plumage.  That bird is feather duster material.   It looks like, acts like, and is a domesticated  game farm bird.

I have raised 100's turkeys as well as hunted wild birds. I could show you that bird 2 two days later you would probably tell me take wasn't the same bird. Come on down after a week of spring rain here on the wet side and I will  more than happy to show you. I watched these birds for the last 5 years so I think I will go with what I know not with what you think.
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Dont get into it with Wacent, he's the expert on turkeys......