Turkey down! What species?

[fly4fish]

I arrowed this turkey last weekend. The map shows where I got him (SE), there are only Rios, so I assumed that is what he was. Then, I saw a photo of a harvested bird from Colorado, of which the hunter claimed it to be a Merriam. Mine looks almost identical to his though, so I thought I would ask the professionals. According to the map in the WDFG regs, Merriams' are only in the NE part of the state.

So, what do you think?

I had the louse on me after packing him out, and saw another while tending the fan. Anyone see them much? I fried him up and enjoyed some of the best meat I have ever eaten, as did the in-laws.

Got awesome footage to. Video to come!

[Mfowl]

Looks all Rio to me. What was the weight? I've found Rio's to be the heavyweights in our state. The buff tips on the fan suggest Rio to me. Sometimes Merriams have buff tips on their tail feathers as well. NE Wa is known for having Merriams with snow white tips and draws hunters just for that reason. I have heard that Merriams will wander over the border from Oregon's Blue Mtns in to Wa but I think its pretty rare. Nice bird! Congrats!

[270Shooter]

Rio, cant go by the fan tips colors, though I shot a meriams a few years ago that had a fan similar colored to yours, and my bird this year was pretty much all white, it too was a merriam.

[turkeydancer]

Rio ... several factors can affect the coloration, but this still looks like a Rio ... also the state classifies the subspecies by county of harvest which to them would still make this a "Rio".

[mtnseth]

As turkeydancer mentioned, the bird is a Rio based solely upon county of kill.  That said, the genetics in several regions of the state are pretty muddy and hybridization is likely very common, especially as one gets closer to the Idaho and Oregon borders.  I know first hand that several recent WDFW trap and release projects have moved birds from traditional Merriam areas (NE) to Rio zones south of the Snake River, and the state (in terms of management, anyway) increasingly views any eastern WA bird as "just a turkey."  There are certainly still genetically pure flocks in those regions, but I don't think WDFW puts much emphasis on keeping it that way. 

Interestingly, Whitman County "Rio" I killed this year (and all of his flock mates) had whiter tipped tail feathers than any bird I've ever killed north of Spokane.  It was on par with the Montana Merriams I've killed. 

As far as the louse, I have yet to see a turkey that didn't have them.  That's one of the main reasons turkeys dust themselves.  Don't worry, though, lice are host- specific.  They may bite you once, but quickly die without a bird to live on. 

Congrats on a beautiful bird!

[arees]

I had the louse on me after packing him out, and saw another while tending the fan. Anyone see them much? I fried him up and enjoyed some of the best meat I have ever eaten, as did the in-laws.

I wouldn't have thought you would get much meat off a louse that size. 

[turkeydancer]

As turkeydancer mentioned, the bird is a Rio based solely upon county of kill.  That said, the genetics in several regions of the state are pretty muddy and hybridization is likely very common, especially as one gets closer to the Idaho and Oregon borders.  I know first hand that several recent WDFW trap and release projects have moved birds from traditional Merriam areas (NE) to Rio zones south of the Snake River, and the state (in terms of management, anyway) increasingly views any eastern WA bird as "just a turkey."  There are certainly still genetically pure flocks in those regions, but I don't think WDFW puts much emphasis on keeping it that way. 

Interestingly, Whitman County "Rio" I killed this year (and all of his flock mates) had whiter tipped tail feathers than any bird I've ever killed north of Spokane.  It was on par with the Montana Merriams I've killed. 

As far as the louse, I have yet to see a turkey that didn't have them.  That's one of the main reasons turkeys dust themselves.  Don't worry, though, lice are host- specific.  They may bite you once, but quickly die without a bird to live on. 

Congrats on a beautiful bird!

I had an NWTF biologists tell me once that the only way to know 100% what subspecies you harvested is to do a genetics test, but that's cost prohibitive.     

[The Gobble-stopper]

Turkey dancer, you forgot to mention there is a second way to make for sure. Before you shoot the turkey just ask it. He is sure to know who his parents were!

[Rob]

Is that a leg band?

[lokidog]

Is that a leg band?

Probably his tag taped to the leg.

[fly4fish]

Is that a leg band?

Probably his tag taped to the leg.

Correct. That is my tag on leg.

Thank you all for your much more professional opinions than my own. What I have gathered from this is that there is not a real big difference between the two. I read something about the wing coloration; white on black vs. black on white.  Nothing I am going to remember in the woods for sure. I will just call them Rios for now on. 

I have just uploaded the video and will start a new post right now for it.

Thanks again,

Chris

[lokidog]

Is that a leg band?

Probably his tag taped to the leg.

Correct. That is my tag on leg.

Thank you all for your much more professional opinions than my own. What I have gathered from this is that there is not a real big difference between the two. I read something about the wing coloration; white on black vs. black on white.  Nothing I am going to remember in the woods for sure. I will just call them Rios for now on. 

I have just uploaded the video and will start a new post right now for it.

Thanks again,

Chris

Yep, the silliness of identification by location, one side of the road it's this, the other side it's that... yeah, right....      

[mossy8352]

Nice bird regardless of which breed it is.