I was wondering if anyone has shot, or seen in the wild, a turkey with a leg band? I recently watched a program that showed leg banding of Osceolas in S Florida.
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Never. Florida is terrible about management of species. All about making money. Once all the Osceola turkeys are gone, they will move onto something else. Never see them or hear of them relocating turkeys or quail.
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I had spoken to a biologist in Maryland last year that was tracking a hen they collared near my deer stand and they had leg banded several turkeys for their project. I have never killed one, but I think that would be quite the trophy.
My son and I killed banded gobblers on consecutive days last year.
In all my years of turkey / deer hunting I've never seen either banded or collared.
Never seen 1. Dont know if our Pa GC bands turkeys. I know they trap and send turks to different states. :firefighter:
I got one several years back. What a great hunt that was too! It was banded a half mile or so from where I killed it. This was an Eastern in Texas.
(https://i.imgur.com/XFUeWgil.jpg)
They have banded some in the lowcountry of SC for research, and yes I've seen a couple killed in that general area that were banded on the particular site. Never killed one myself.
Saw a banded one killed on a youtube hunt, think it was Missouri, have never seen one in person.
Quote from: Tail Feathers on September 09, 2024, 11:04:22 AMI got one several years back. What a great hunt that was too! It was banded a half mile or so from where I killed it. This was an Eastern in Texas.
(https://i.imgur.com/XFUeWgil.jpg)
Pretty cool 😎 momento
I never killed one and do not personally know anyone who has.
I've never seen or killed one that had a band. A buddy of mine found a carcass of a long beard in TN a few years ago that had a leg band on it. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240911/22a9d50ce2ceab60f974b30830e82df0.jpg)
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I managed to find 3 in two seasons in 2 different states. First one had been banded a few months before. Killed within a mile of trap site. Then killed another a few days later. He'd been banded 2 years, and was at least 4 years old at time of death. They both had GPS transmitters as well. The older bird was one of the first banded/GPS'd for the project. Unfortunately his GPS malfunctioned a few months after being put on him so they missed out on 2 years of movement. But I did kill him in a spot he frequented 2 years prior. He was trapped/banded about 1.5 miles away. Then the very next season I killed a 2 year old that was banded as a jake. Trapped about a mile away. Got his feet bronzed.
(https://i.imgur.com/rHKLMdo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DU5z98b.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qbyMgiP.jpg)
I shot a bird with a band a couple springs ago. It was banded as an adult bird two years before, so it was at least four years old. This was part of a harvest and survival study.
Interestingly, he'd been banded on both legs and had a radio collar placed on his neck. When I shot him he only had one leg band left and the collar was gone too.
Quote from: mihunte on September 28, 2024, 01:28:08 AMI shot a bird with a band a couple springs ago. It was banded as an adult bird two years before, so it was at least four years old. This was part of a harvest and survival study.
Interestingly, he'd been banded on both legs and had a radio collar placed on his neck. When I shot him he only had one leg band left and the collar was gone too.
Very interesting!
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on September 22, 2024, 07:04:10 PMI managed to find 3 in two seasons in 2 different states. First one had been banded a few months before. Killed within a mile of trap site. Then killed another a few days later. He'd been banded 2 years, and was at least 4 years old at time of death. They both had GPS transmitters as well. The older bird was one of the first banded/GPS'd for the project. Unfortunately his GPS malfunctioned a few months after being put on him so they missed out on 2 years of movement. But I did kill him in a spot he frequented 2 years prior. He was trapped/banded about 1.5 miles away. Then the very next season I killed a 2 year old that was banded as a jake. Trapped about a mile away. Got his feet bronzed.
(https://i.imgur.com/rHKLMdo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DU5z98b.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qbyMgiP.jpg)
WOW!!! I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there aren't too many hunters who have shot three banded turkeys. Thanks for sharing that 👍
EDIT.......Oh well...I tried ti add pics but have no idea how on this new format. One made it I guess. They were all resized and would have worked before.
I have got some banded turkeys. The first was a Merriams from South Dakota. A 2 year old that was 4 miles from where he was banded as a jake.
Banded Turkey low res.jpg
I helped a friend in an area that was having a 3 year study done on turkeys where they banded hens and gobblers. Not really my banded turkey but a fun/cool the way in unfolded hunt and we both were excited. A 3 year old banded as a jake in 2010 and killed in 2012 about a mile from the trapping/banding.
2012-04 NE CO James banded turkey 2Resized.JPG
In hunted the study area a lot (it's where I cut my teeth turkey hunting) but never was able to get a banded turkey. It was 2015 and the study had been over since 2010. I figured I would never get a banded turkey since the youngest turkey banded would be 6 years old now. What were the odds of a turkey living that long AND me getting it. I had 2 tags for the area that spring and the first tom I got was banded!! Called it in and he was 6 years old. I got the tom not 100 yards from where I helped my friend get his banded bird. The really special thing was he was banded at the very same trapping as my friends bird, I just got him 3 years later.
CO Banded bird from farm w wingbone 4-15Resized.JPG
A couple of weeks later my 2nd tag for that area kicked in and I hunted a very cold, wet rainy period. Birds weren't gobbling on the roost at all but I had spotted a hen in a tree the evening before and decided to set up about 100 yards near her. Went in under the cover of darkness as the area was very open. but at least it had finally stopped raining. Ended up setting very close to a gobbler. He was only 50 yards from me in his tree. All I and to do was call him down to my side of his roost tree and he would be in range. That's what did and when I went up to him he was BANDED!!!!!. This one was 7 years old. After 7 years of trying to get a banded bird and coming up empty...I get 2 very old toms in one season.
2015 May NE CO 2nd banded bird 3Resized.jpg