EUREKA!!! (Turkey ID Help Please)

[Kevin]

My neighbor caught the first turkey on camera either of us has ever seen around here. One of my other neighbors has seen some over the years but rarely. and he lives back in the bush behind me. I told y'all about my knifemaker buddy that lives in town and saw what he said was at least 60 way out in a pasture near the golf course but that not close to my place - this turkey was a couple hundred yards from my shop at most.

My turkey ID skills are non existent. Is this an Eastern or Rio? Jake or hen? My guess is Eastern jake but as you can see if it has a little beard it is not in the image because the lower half cut off so cannot see if it has spurs.

 

[Kevin]

The clearing in the background in the picture above is the same one in the yellow circle below where I said I wanted to set my decoys up in my decoy thread, and was advised by a couple members not to do so . . . .

 

[CWS]

Looks like a decoy to me.

 

[Kevin]

I wouldn't put it past him haha but no it ain't a decoy!

@JR Custom Calls what is this? I figured you turkey guys would have this solved by now.

 

[Wildthings]

Looks like a Rio hen to me. Hens can have beards also

 

[ripjack13]

I think it looks more like an eastern hen...

Edit...pasted wrong name.

 

[Kevin]

osceola hen

WTF is a osceola?

 

[Wildthings]

Osceola is a subspecies of the wild turkey from Florida

Grand Slam
Merriams
Gould's
Osceola
Eastern
Rio

Super Slam would include the Oscellated from Mexico

 

[ripjack13]

Sorry Kevin. I cut n pasted the wrong name. But they're another type of turkey...mostly in Florida and that SE range...

 

[ripjack13]

Osceola is a subspecies of the wild turkey from Florida

Grand Slam
Merriams
Gould's
Osceola
Eastern
Rio

Super Slam would include the Oscellated from Mexico

I had all those opened to look n see which one it could be...

 

[ripjack13]

WTF is a osceola?

Osceola turkey's range is from Georgia to Louisiana, it is native to Florida.

 

[Wildthings]

 

[Kevin]

Osceola turkey's range is from Georgia to Louisiana, it is native to Florida.

Well then if I have a oscilea that sum buck is more confused than Tony looking for a barbershop.

 

[Wildthings]

WTF is a osceola?

You should be saying "WTF is a Oscellated?"

 

[ripjack13]

Yep....

 

[Kevin]

Which ones taste the best - are they like ducks where one tends to be more fun to eat than another? I know with ducks the divers generally taste bad (although I never minded canvasback) but turkeys all eat the same stuff right?

 

[ripjack13]

The ones up here, they are good for breasting em out, the rest is stew material...

 

[DKMD]

I prefer Wild Turkey in a bottle and Butterball on my plate.

 

[Kevin]

I prefer Wild Turkey in a bottle and Butterball on my plate.

I figured you were going to say you preferred Wild Ball and Buttered Turkey......

 

[ripjack13]

Well...thats better than turkey balls and wild butter...