I'm having trouble getting photos to load so Ill start by asking any one here that has taken a pure Rio Grande if they can tell me how many tail feathers it has. I thought all turkey had 18 But someone told me the Ris's have 20. Anyone have a count. I got a bird in Kansas but I think it's a Hybred. It has 18 tail feathers. it was killed in Geary co and area known to have Rios Easterns and Hybreds. Any help ....
Camo
All of the melegrious gallapova will have 18 tailfeathers. It is a rarity to have 20 and even more rare to have 19 or 21. It is a genetic thing. I killed a gobbler in one area that had 20 tailfeathers and a buddy of mine killed one there the next year with 20 also.
TRKYHTR
A lot of folks consider any Rio-looking bird killed east of Hwy 81 a hybrid. I'm not sure if that's technically correct or not.
ok thanks for the replys. I'll try to get some pictures up.
Here's a picture of the bird.
http://i.imgur.com/9rSHQ.jpg
Nice bird! He looks Rio enough, eh? :)
Quote from: camotruck on May 17, 2012, 07:35:04 PM
Here's a picture of the bird.
http://i.imgur.com/9rSHQ.jpg
Looks like 20 from what I count.
TRKYHTR
No he's got 18 Funny thing is by buddy ,who went with me on this hunt got one also ... it had 20 tail feathers
As far as I know all turkeys have 18. I have killed one with 19 and from what I have read is one out of every four or five hundred. I have seen a two year old with 16 feathers before.
I always count the tail feathers. Something I have always done
Quote from: TRKYHTR on May 17, 2012, 08:24:32 PM
Quote from: camotruck on May 17, 2012, 07:35:04 PM
Here's a picture of the bird.
http://i.imgur.com/9rSHQ.jpg
Looks like 20 from what I count.
TRKYHTR
I counted 20 as well.
O'well, must be an optical illusion.
God Bless,
David B.
I counted 18