Post by: Jester052 on April 19, 2015, 10:54:08 AM
Biggest Bird I've EVER Harvested. I wanna give a huge shout out and thank you to Elkpiss. He saw me in the parking lot and stopped in to BS and helped me take some pictures of the bird because my phone died. Great guy!
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on April 19, 2015, 11:19:03 AM
Post by: youngbull on April 19, 2015, 11:49:17 AM
havent seen to many evening birds down
Post by: lokidog on April 19, 2015, 12:37:34 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 19, 2015, 12:39:51 PM
Congratulations!
Post by: Jester052 on April 19, 2015, 12:44:33 PM
Funny looking Eastern! ;)
Congratulations!
Thank goodness for County of kill! :IBCOOL: I'm off to the Blues as we speak.
Post by: RadSav on April 19, 2015, 01:24:19 PM
Funny looking Eastern! ;)
Congratulations!
Thank goodness for County of kill! :IBCOOL: I'm off to the Blues as we speak.
:chuckle: :chuckle: Good luck!
Post by: Jester052 on April 19, 2015, 02:02:12 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 19, 2015, 02:10:31 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 19, 2015, 02:15:34 PM
I know that one was east of I-5 south of you a good ways.
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 19, 2015, 03:51:36 PM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 19, 2015, 03:57:21 PM
Post by: Birdguy on April 19, 2015, 04:24:46 PM
Jester, good looking tom for sure no matter the look or the location :tup:.
Post by: RadSav on April 19, 2015, 04:52:51 PM
I would not be a bit surprised to see any type of "wild" turkey in western Washington. There have been plenty of "well intentioned uninformed" people over the years helping the western Washington turkey population. The internet is an easy place to find birds or eggs to aid in this activity. I know I have spoken to a lot of people over the years we were raising birds that raised all kinds of birds illegally, when things get tough or the owner is ill prepared the birds get out, and while some hang around they are never penned up again. The next breeding season they may reproduce and the young while not wild are not domestic either. The survival rate is poor but a few make it.
Jester, good looking tom for sure no matter the look or the location :tup:.
A few years ago I shot a golden pheasant way the heck and gone from any residence. You just never know. Odd thing about your bird was that all the hens looked the same. That is really crazy for Thurston Co. I'm hoping Wacenturion chimes in and adds some clarity. If I were you I'd be feeling pretty darn good right about now! A Merriam in Thurston Co might be tougher to get than an Eastern! And the to get one with that kind of beard and spurs :IBCOOL:
Post by: bobcat on April 19, 2015, 06:00:58 PM
Post by: jackelope on April 19, 2015, 06:05:55 PM
Post by: Jester052 on April 19, 2015, 06:22:09 PM
I know that this bird isn't a full Eastern but he's got to be a hybrid. His fan is whiter then any Merriam I've got in the NE corner. I mean I've gotten a bird 20min drive to both Canada and Idaho that looks like a Rio it's so tan. But his wing feathers that are zebra striped are very very black, not brown like my others. Also his chest was black more than brown and he was tall like an eastern. But I worked so hard for this bird, It was a3 year process. I started by taking a week reading this forums past posts for 30min- 2hrs per day until I got through every post I could find referencing Easterns. (There's hundreds) I have a notebook with every place someone mentioned and I stared with the places that got the most mentions and worked my was down the list. I've scouted my butt off. I've put in over 1000 miles driving and I'm guessing 100 miles beatin feet. The most I've seen was A SINGLE track until I found this place and heard a far off gobble. I figured what the heck, this is where I'm starting. I went there last year and not a thing, so I made my way to the NE. Well I went back this year and within an hour I had 2 different birds sounding off. I soft yelped over a ridge and he was coming in. After 2 hours and 3 gobbles he was, I'm guessing, within 30 yrds (his gobble was loud). I got so jacked I tried to move so I could see him and the next thing you know, silence. It was like a funeral. The rest of the day I got another far off gobble but that was it. So I was back in the same spot by 0430 yesterday and not a sound. Around 9 I let off some soft calls and out of no where (phantoms for sure) two hens show up and walk,feed,purr 5yrds away. They looked lighter like Merriams but I've NEVER seen an eastern before so I thought the hens just looked like that. 5 hours pass with nothing so I start moving to another spot and 10 min down the trail I heard a loud BLOW and two hollow sounding thumps, I swing and take a couple steps back to see a black bear staring at me no more than 20yds away. I start to move away from the bear and it took off running into the brush. I'd never seen a bear either so that was pretty cool (scary).So after that I needed a new set of drawers, lunch and a beer. After lunch I head back in and I bump a bird. It took off up the trail and into the bush. It's tail feathers more Rio colored, not brown like an teaser but tan. So I think it might of been one of the hens I saw earlier. So I continue up the trail and set up and just wait. The trail is an old logging road that has grass and moss on it so I figured it looked like a feeding ground. (Close to the tree line but somewhat open.) After an hour I see him. He just wandered out feeding 60yrds out and then after 2 steps in the opening he turned back in to the bush. After 5 min he popped out again at 45 paces and I didn't pass the opportunity. I rolled him hard. When I walked up, to my surprise , he had these colors. But he was tall. Then I hit the road and Elkpiss helps me out with some pictures and few of his friends stopped by they all didn't seam suprised by the coloring. They all refered to it as an eastern and their from the area. So all I DO know is that this was the most mentally,physically and time consuming hunt I've ever done.
Post by: SkookumHntr on April 19, 2015, 06:40:49 PM
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on April 19, 2015, 06:46:29 PM
Post by: Dan-o on April 19, 2015, 06:50:36 PM
You definitely earned that bird.
Thanks for sharing. :tup:
Post by: Turkeyman on April 19, 2015, 09:37:09 PM
Post by: bb76 on April 20, 2015, 12:36:36 PM
Post by: Trapper John on April 20, 2015, 12:40:14 PM
My next adventure is to try turkey hunting
JC
Post by: The Gobble-stopper on April 20, 2015, 01:01:02 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 20, 2015, 01:17:47 PM
Wonder when we are going to see one of these? I'd buy a tag...I think :chuckle:
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on April 20, 2015, 04:28:40 PM
Post by: one more on April 20, 2015, 04:40:10 PM
RadSav: Photoshop sure makes pretty birds.
Diane
Post by: Tom Tamer on April 20, 2015, 05:44:13 PM
Post by: kodiak 907 on April 20, 2015, 05:54:31 PM
My buddy got this Tom last week. It is one of the coolest color phase birds I hav ever seen. Didn't look like a Merriam at all to me, but it was in the heart of Merriam country :dunno:
Post by: RadSav on April 20, 2015, 06:09:57 PM
:yeah:
My buddy got this Tom last week. It is one of the coolest color phase birds I hav ever seen. Didn't look like a Merriam at all to me, but it was in the heart of Merriam country :dunno:
Look at the wing feathers on that guy! Sort of looks like a Bronze in the tail and a Spanish Black in the wings. That is one cool bird :tup:
Maybe a Spanish Black Wing Heritage Bronze...Yeah, that's it...Yeah :chuckle:
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 20, 2015, 06:27:02 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on April 20, 2015, 06:45:05 PM
You might want to PM "Wacenturion" and ask him. Anything I'd say would just be speculation. I'm not sure if there was an early Merriam release there or maybe someone released on their own :dunno: He should know the real answer or at least give a guess based on better information. I've never shot one east of I-5.
Aren't those ones in Colville you shot east of I-5? :chuckle:
Post by: Jester052 on April 20, 2015, 07:02:32 PM
Don't if it's much more than just a gene that popped out, All the major species of turkey( as far as I've read) all have the exact same DNA, so go back far enough a Merriam's is and Eastern that just moved west, plumage adapated to their surroundings, I've seen " Merriam's" color phased Hens within miles of the JC release sites. Just got one where the dominant feather color DNA happened to be buff? My two cents. Look at the Barred wing feathers, Easterns have far less white on their primaries then do the other two in this state. But yes Wacent would be my goto for more analysis.Thanks for that Tom Tamer! This bird has gotta be a hybrid! It was the tallest bird I'd ever seen and his primaries were WAY more black and the barring was very thin compared to the Merriam's wing that I had there. I've already taken the bird to the taxidermist for a full mount or I'd have more pictures. My phone died and I was so jacked but I'll have more soon. Most of you know how tall a Merriam is when he periscopes you, this bird was a giant in height. And when a Merriam comes into full strut how copper and brown his chest feathers are. This one was jet black and his back feathers below his fan were black.
Post by: RadSav on April 20, 2015, 07:57:28 PM
You might want to PM "Wacenturion" and ask him. Anything I'd say would just be speculation. I'm not sure if there was an early Merriam release there or maybe someone released on their own :dunno: He should know the real answer or at least give a guess based on better information. I've never shot one east of I-5.
Aren't those ones in Colville you shot east of I-5? :chuckle:
I knew I was going to catch heck for not clarifying that. Can't get nothing by H-W members!
All my Washington State Easterns have been taken West of I-5 :chuckle:
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on April 20, 2015, 08:06:05 PM
You might want to PM "Wacenturion" and ask him. Anything I'd say would just be speculation. I'm not sure if there was an early Merriam release there or maybe someone released on their own :dunno: He should know the real answer or at least give a guess based on better information. I've never shot one east of I-5.
Aren't those ones in Colville you shot east of I-5? :chuckle:
I knew I was going to catch heck for not clarifying that. Can't get nothing by H-W members!
All my Washington State Easterns have been taken West of I-5 :chuckle:
Bearpaw did make it really easy by posting all those picks of you with your turkeys on his spring thread. :chuckle:
Post by: Jester052 on April 20, 2015, 08:07:20 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 20, 2015, 08:12:28 PM
Bearpaw did make it really easy by posting all those picks of you with your turkeys on his spring thread. :chuckle:
You mean my Merriam and my Rio? :IBCOOL: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: RadSav on April 20, 2015, 08:14:09 PM
Post by: Elkpiss on April 20, 2015, 08:36:23 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on April 20, 2015, 08:40:12 PM
Bearpaw did make it really easy by posting all those picks of you with your turkeys on his spring thread. :chuckle:
You mean my Merriam and my Rio? :IBCOOL: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Yep you were grinning like a Cheshire Cat. :chuckle:
Post by: RadSav on April 21, 2015, 12:55:54 PM
Bearpaw did make it really easy by posting all those picks of you with your turkeys on his spring thread. :chuckle:
You mean my Merriam and my Rio? :IBCOOL: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Yep you were grinning like a Cheshire Cat. :chuckle:
Dale has a way of bring out my inner Dork Fish :chuckle:
Post by: RadSav on April 21, 2015, 01:01:42 PM
At least for me I was just curious on how those Merriam genes got in that area. I've never seen a bird like that in Thurston Co. To me that means an even more rare and exciting bird :tup:
Post by: Jonathan_S on April 21, 2015, 01:29:33 PM
:yeah:
My buddy got this Tom last week. It is one of the coolest color phase birds I hav ever seen. Didn't look like a Merriam at all to me, but it was in the heart of Merriam country :dunno:
Look at the wing feathers on that guy! Sort of looks like a Bronze in the tail and a Spanish Black in the wings. That is one cool bird :tup:
Maybe a Spanish Black Wing Heritage Bronze...Yeah, that's it...Yeah :chuckle:
There is a smoke-phase Tom running around my neck of the woods according to my neighbor. I told him not to shoot my Blue-Slate tom :chuckle:
Post by: Tom Tamer on April 21, 2015, 03:38:20 PM
Don't if it's much more than just a gene that popped out, All the major species of turkey( as far as I've read) all have the exact same DNA, so go back far enough a Merriam's is and Eastern that just moved west, plumage adapated to their surroundings, I've seen " Merriam's" color phased Hens within miles of the JC release sites. Just got one where the dominant feather color DNA happened to be buff? My two cents. Look at the Barred wing feathers, Easterns have far less white on their primaries then do the other two in this state. But yes Wacent would be my goto for more analysis.Thanks for that Tom Tamer! This bird has gotta be a hybrid! It was the tallest bird I'd ever seen and his primaries were WAY more black and the barring was very thin compared to the Merriam's wing that I had there. I've already taken the bird to the taxidermist for a full mount or I'd have more pictures. My phone died and I was so jacked but I'll have more soon. Most of you know how tall a Merriam is when he periscopes you, this bird was a giant in height. And when a Merriam comes into full strut how copper and brown his chest feathers are. This one was jet black and his back feathers below his fan were black.
Cool, again the sizes too, Easterns are the largest of the subs species too. Seeing a photo going around FB turkey pages of a 37+lb Eastern, Ky or Tn I think. No matter these West side birds are one tough nut to crack. Only been able to do it once, my Dad twice. Nice job and Congrats!
Post by: RadSav on April 21, 2015, 04:16:31 PM
There is a smoke-phase Tom running around my neck of the woods according to my neighbor. I told him not to shoot my Blue-Slate tom :chuckle:
We had a local Winco selling Narragansett chicks last year. They are sure a cool looking bird. I've seen them smoke-phase until they go into strut and then they turned black, grey and white. Really neat how drastic the change was. Years ago Oregon had a few southern ranches that gave you the opportunity to shoot some of the exotic turkey species. I never did one of those, but had friends that did and said they were super hunter wise. Guess hunting pressure almost year round can make them pretty smart...for a dumb bird ;) I'm thinking ODFW put a halt to that recently.
Post by: Jester052 on April 21, 2015, 04:22:09 PM
I hope the OP realizes all this talk about what sub species has absolutely nothing to do with my view of how great a bird he harvested. That is one great bird and an equally awesome story of persistence and hard work.Thanks Rad!
At least for me I was just curious on how those Merriam genes got in that area. I've never seen a bird like that in Thurston Co. To me that means an even more rare and exciting bird :tup:
Post by: rosscrazyelk on April 22, 2015, 02:35:01 PM
Post by: Jonathan_S on April 23, 2015, 07:43:28 AM
There is a smoke-phase Tom running around my neck of the woods according to my neighbor. I told him not to shoot my Blue-Slate tom :chuckle:
We had a local Winco selling Narragansett chicks last year. They are sure a cool looking bird. I've seen them smoke-phase until they go into strut and then they turned black, grey and white. Really neat how drastic the change was. Years ago Oregon had a few southern ranches that gave you the opportunity to shoot some of the exotic turkey species. I never did one of those, but had friends that did and said they were super hunter wise. Guess hunting pressure almost year round can make them pretty smart...for a dumb bird ;) I'm thinking ODFW put a halt to that recently.
Narragansetts are cool birds, I love watching them strut, same as my Royal Palms. I have yet to eat a wild turkey that came close to as tasty as my free-ranging heritage birds :drool:
Haven't had any Eastern yet though
Post by: MerriamMagician on April 23, 2015, 08:54:53 AM
Post by: Jester052 on April 23, 2015, 11:25:15 AM
Post by: MerriamMagician on April 23, 2015, 03:46:48 PM
Post by: Jonathan_S on April 24, 2015, 10:05:33 AM
I'm hearing reports of others who have killed Merriam looking birds in areas of Thurston county. Maybe these are feral birds?
Not tough to feature. You know there are wild strains of turkey poults and eggs available through a bunch of hatcheries nationwide. Merriams, Rios, Easterns...