Recently been some discussion on the variation in coloration of Merriam's turkeys. The historical native range of Merriam's turkeys is Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. If you look up some history on Merriam's in different states you'll find that Wyoming's birds were transplants from New Mexico and Montana's birds are transplants from Colorado and Wyoming.
I've lived in the West for the last 13 years, so I've got a fair collection of Merriam's photos. Here are some of those photos from South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana. I hunted NE Washington a few days in the rain several years ago and didn't kill a bird there, so no photos from there to share. I've not hunted a couple of the more popular western destinations, the Blackhills (WY or SD) or New Mexico.
I took all of the photos (some with a timer), but it is a mix of my own birds along with my kids and a few other folks that have hunted with me. I've likely posted all of these photos in the past during the respective year they were killed. The only reason I have more birds from MT is I've hunted here a lot more. My truck has the miles to prove it also.
I've cropped a couple folks out because I don't know if they want me putting their faces online even though I took the photo.
Colorado
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Nebraska
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South Dakota Plains. We killed these birds just east of the Blackhills in 2002 before I moved west.
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MT's pockets of birds are isolated from each other in many cases by long distances, wide open spaces, and big mountain ranges. The next four or five sets of photos are all from distinct areas in MT.
All eight of these birds are from the same general area.
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All from within a two or three mile radius over multiple years. The double for my son and I last year was the more buff colored that we've killed there. The melanistic bird was on oddball.
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These birds are both from completely separate areas, but are stand alone birds in that I've only killed one bird in each area. One is a mountain range the other a riverbottoms bird. The riverbottoms bird was the heaviest Merriam's that I've killed.
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Another area. The birds here are typically a little more on the buff colored end of the spectrum but typically very good looking birds. The one was wet since it was raining off and on all morning when I killed it.
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These are all killed within about 10 miles of one another, but the top two were killed within a half mile of each other. The one that is so red (that my son killed) appeared to be an anomaly (red in most of its feathers), but my daughter's bird was fairly dark too. The next was within a few miles of the first two. The bottom two aren't as dark and are from another 15 or so miles away, but still the same pocket of birds. This area just seems to produce birds that are more towards the buff end of the spectrum.
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Deff showing variation. Congrats on all the fine birds.
Thanks for taking the time to post all of those photos, Hobbes. They should go a long way in demonstrating and clarifying the misconceptions it seems quite a few folks have about Merriam's turkeys and how they should look.
Your photos obviously are from the more northern Merriam's populations, all of which as you say are from transplanted birds. One observation I might make when comparing the southern-most populations of Merriam's found here in New Mexico with your photos is that the buff coloration seems to be a bit more prominent here.
If I was to post a similar group of photos from birds taken down this way, I believe the buff coloration would be more typical and apparent,...in general. I say "in general" because there are those occasional birds that are more along that lighter spectrum, but overall, I think our Merriam's are darker than yours.
North Central NE. Can see the MO River border to SD from the top of the "hill".
This is three birds taken from the same tree a year apart. 2018 was the double, second picture is last springs bird. In 2017 I passed on a tom at ten steps that was as dirty as an Eastern as there was a pure white tip hung just out of range. This last year in it seemed this particular property was getting much "whiter" in both hen, and jakes that I observed. The third picture is the fan off of a tom from a river bottom property about 15 miles away where the birds are very bronzed. Was raining that day so don't have great pics of that bird other than the tail. Was my first "Merriam" and has been a blast over the last few years seeing the birds in the area only getting better.
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Good looking birds Hookedonhooks.
Quote from: Hobbes on January 16, 2020, 09:58:02 AM
Good looking birds Hookedonhooks.
Thank you sir! The group of birds from the area you and your son doubled and the melanistic phase are absolutely gorgeous. All great birds.
Thanks for sharing!!! :turkey2:
Hobbes, great thread.
This is the early transplant information I have been able to gather. Unfortunately there seems to be very little information on where in NM the birds came from. The CO birds would have been from the far southern part of the state in those years.
1935 15 New Mexico Merriam's sent to Wyoming
1951 26 New Mexico birds to Wyoming (Black Hills)
1948 29 NM + CO birds to South Dakota
1954 13 CO birds to Montana
1955 18 Wyoming birds (presumably from NM transplants) to Montana
Merriam's from the Gila National Forest in southwest New Mexico
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46805782365_8fc886eac0_o_d.jpg)
More buff colored Merriam's from Lincoln National Forest, southeast New Mexico
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47629849361_6aa2c7c93f_o_d.jpg)
We have found the Gila birds to be more white on average than the Lincoln Merriam's, but with a lot of overlap.
Yeah..thanks for sharing those are some really nice birds
Quote from: Rapscallion Vermilion on January 16, 2020, 10:30:00 AM
Hobbes, great thread.
This is the early transplant information I have been able to gather. Unfortunately there seems to be very little information on where in NM the birds came from. The CO birds would have been from the far southern part of the state in those years.
1935 15 New Mexico Merriam's sent to Wyoming
1951 26 New Mexico birds to Wyoming (Black Hills)
1948 29 NM + CO birds to South Dakota
1954 13 CO birds to Montana
1955 18 Wyoming birds (presumably from NM transplants) to Montana
Merriam's from the Gila National Forest in southwest New Mexico
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46805782365_8fc886eac0_o_d.jpg)
More buff colored Merriam's from Lincoln National Forest, southeast New Mexico
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47629849361_6aa2c7c93f_o_d.jpg)
We have found the Gila birds to be more white on average than the Lincoln Merriam's, but with a lot of overlap.
Great info and pics, Mike. I agree that the Gila birds tend to be whiter in general. It should be pointed out that the western NM (Gila)/AZ Merriam's populations and the Lincoln NF populations (even though they are both native), for the most part have been geographically isolated from each other for eons. The lack of genetic intermixing over the long haul could very likely be the reason for the tendencies in color variation.
Another interesting fact is that the Gila/AZ population genetics could actually have been influenced by genetic interactions with the Gould's subspecies which, although somewhat geographically isolated, is not all that far south of those Merriam's populations. ...Food for thought...
Thanks for sharing. I love looking at pictures of Merriams and can't wait to hunt them. I was looking at possibly hunting north central NE since it's a shorter drive but after seeing those photos I may drive a little further west to make sure I shoot a "pure" merriams ????
IMO it would be hard to say you shot a "pure" Merriams from north central Nebraska. If you are set on Nebraska, drive the extra two hours west and hunt the Pine Ridge. Still some hybrids, but you can call them Merriams for arguments sake. I've hunted a lot in north central Nebraska in Cherry County and it seems there are more variations that I would consider Rio's versus Merriams. Just to muddy the water up a little more I'll add some photos of Merriams I've taken in the last 10 years in the Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills. Like what has been discussed already, most are buff colored.
(http://i.imgur.com/jRx9xAbh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/jRx9xAb)
(http://i.imgur.com/CHSdNlXh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/CHSdNlX)
(http://i.imgur.com/Glnlrouh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/Glnlrou)
(http://i.imgur.com/DlVUceUh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/DlVUceU)
(http://i.imgur.com/gBgiQd6h.jpg) (https://imgur.com/gBgiQd6)
(http://i.imgur.com/CQp3KC5h.jpg) (https://imgur.com/CQp3KC5)
(http://i.imgur.com/DPstoqTh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/DPstoqT)
Thanks! I think I have my sights on the black hills
Awesome photos nebgoosehunter. I love the Pine Ridge. I've not been there since 2015. It used to be a yearly trip when I lived in Colorado.
Great info and photos Rapscallion.
MT has had some Easterns released illegally in the Flathead Valley years ago that took hold. They have no real opportunity to mix with the populations that I hunt , but I have seen multiple birds in the farm country near Kalispell that clearly show Eastern characteristics. I've also seen birds closer to the surrounding mountains that appear to be Merriam's (probably a hybrid). I'd like to stop and listen to the Easterns to see if they sound like Easterns or have the same gobble as a Merriam's.
I've killed enough Merriam's that I no longer concern myself with is it a Merriam's, but I still don't like the idea of states or individuals knowingly muddying the water. Given the opportunity, I'll gladly kill one of the Eastern mutts around Kalispell.
Northeast Washington... Birds taken about 400 yards apart.
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My son hunted northeast WA around Spokane. The gobbler he killed definitely had some Rio blood in him. Not saying either of those birds does,....just sayin'...
I've been to Northeast Washington for a 3 day hunt at the end of the season and was unsuccessful. It rained off and on all but one morning, if I recall correctly, so I blame it on that. ;D Hopefully I can make it back there soon. It feels like I left something undone.
Got my first Merriam's in 2018 just on the east side of the Missouri River in South Dakota. The closest unit to me with shotgun tags is about an hour away. There's only 10 resident tags each year so I didn't get one in 2019 and I'm hoping my preference point will be enough this year.
Archery tags are over the counter and statewide so I've been trying with my bow. Close but no luck yet.
First picture is with my bird right after I shot it. My son wasn't with me but he was pretty excited and waiting for me when I got home.
I hunt Merriams in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. I've noticed that the camera will take a buff colored Merriams and turn it pretty white. Curious Hobbes, do you think some of those photos make the birds look whiter than they were.
Quote from: packmule on January 19, 2020, 09:32:52 AM
I hunt Merriams in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. I've noticed that the camera will take a buff colored Merriams and turn it pretty white. Curious Hobbes, do you think some of those photos make the birds look whiter than they were.
Some of them, definitely. If the sun is on them, especially shining from behind the fan, they'll look more white. You can tell that some of them are white with no sun. I tried not to include photos that made them look too white, but some do regardless.
I have only hunted Merriam's in NW Nebraska near the Pine Ridge, coming from NY is was the closest(still a long drive). Plus a 3 bird limit and lots of them to hunt.
2014, private cattle ranch, buff:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Ghk1W8rZ/2014-MERRIAM-S1.jpg)
2014, on the Ridge, same spot, same flock, evening and following morning, white and red:
(https://i.postimg.cc/qv4d4Jvg/2014-MERRIAM-S2.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/YCRBS5vR/2014-MERRIAM-S3.jpg)
2018, same flock as last 2, white as snow:
(https://i.postimg.cc/L54Mxh0C/P3302634-2.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/GtVNDj6C/P3302630.jpg)
2018, another public spot on the Ridge:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y0vZTNGb/P4052687_(2).jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/sxXTBssx/P4052667.jpg)
Great looking birds, and with a recurve. My family had great times in NW Nebraska. We were living at 10,000 ft in CO at that time, so every visit there in late May seemed so warm. The first trip was mid April and it snowed, so not the same experience.
I came across this thread after having recently talked to an outfitter about a Gila hunt. He said they have Rios down toward desert that were not stocked there. That's certainly not on the NM G&F map.
NM birds
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I was unaware of this, but New Mexico shows Rios in a few areas and potential for hybridization. See the attached map from NMs web site.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6779/w54oBV.png)
Quote from: Hobbes on February 18, 2020, 05:04:43 PM
I was unaware of this, but New Mexico shows Rios in a few areas and potential for hybridization. See the attached map from NMs web site.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6779/w54oBV.png)
Oh boy. Sore subject for Gobblenut. Pretty sure all the birds I took were merriams.
Quote from: JMalin on February 18, 2020, 06:30:46 PM
Quote from: Hobbes on February 18, 2020, 05:04:43 PM
I was unaware of this, but New Mexico shows Rios in a few areas and potential for hybridization. See the attached map from NMs web site.
Oh boy. Sore subject for Gobblenut. Pretty sure all the birds I took were merriams.
Yeah,....you don't want to get me started on our G&F Dept. and their turkey transplanting strategy and the reasoning behind it,...or should I say, lack thereof. "What?...You mean that is historic Merriam's wild turkey habitat? ...Well, let's just dump a bunch of Rio's right in the middle of it!" (assorted emoji's here)