Rio Photos

[Hobbes]

Since I started the Merriam's Photos thread   http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,94086.0.html 
I thought I'd post up the photos of the few Rios that we've killed in hopes that some other folks would share some of their own photos.


Eastern Colorado

My son's (our) first Rio back in 2010 or 11.  We called this bird off of a big flock on the KS border.  We'd hoped for one that looked more like the classic Rio, but wasn't letting this guy go.  My son killed three of four grand slam subspecies that year.  He killed a CO Merriam's in the mountains, an Eastern in IL, and a Rio in Eastern Colorado.  We've never hunted the Osceola.

I've got a better photo somewhere, but he had a nice big fan.



Kansas

In 2015 we both shot a Rio in West Central KS on WIHAs.  If not for the massive storm rolling in we'd have maybe killed another bird or two.  As it was we just made it out of the way of the storm, tornado and all,  by driving north out of the path.



My one and only rio:

[GobbleNut]

Great post and pics, as always, Hobbes.

On the subject of Merriam's, Rio's, hybrids, and the issues with telling them apart, here is my take on the matter from a post I made last year about this same time:

As one who has looked over dozens of specimens of Merriam's and Rio Grande gobblers from what are the historic centers of their native ranges, to me there is one visual characteristic that can be used to easily distinguish the two,...or give away hints of hybridization.  That characteristic is the iridescence of the feathers, and particularly, that of the iridescent band in the rump feathers. 

Rios exhibit a very distinct bronzish-copperish sheen in their iridescence that Merriam's do not have any hint of.  The iridescence of a true Merriam's gobbler will be kind of a purplish-silverish sheen, but more importantly, will have no hint of that vivid copper iridescence found in Rios.  The difference is quite honestly pretty hard to describe, but if you see pure specimens of either subspecies side-by-side, it is obvious. 

Most of the intergradation/hybridization in the "plain's states" is between Merriam's and Rios.  If you shoot a bird in those regions, take a look at the iridescent band of the rump feathers in good sunlight.  If the iridescence shows no signs of any bronze-copper sheen, you have "probably" killed a pretty pure Merriam's turkey,...regardless of the tips of the tail feathers.  If that copper-ish sheen is present, then the bird is most likely either a Rio or a hybrid. 

Having seen a smattering of fans from birds taken that were "supposed" to be Merriam's from the northern and northwestern populations, I can state with some confidence that a lot of turkeys that are supposedly Merriam's from those areas have some "stray Rio" in their bloodlines.   

Hope this explanation helps the folks that might wonder....

[Brad_Colvin]

My first Rio last spring in KS.

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[blake_08]

Here's a native range Rio from western Oklahoma. Love the irridescense on these birds.

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[camrontidwell]

Oklahoma rio 2019


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[Sir-diealot]

Nice birds everyone. Can't wait to get on some Rio's in OK and maybe get one next year.

[Hobbes]

Good looking birds!  One of these days I'll make it down to OK or TX to hunt native Rio country.

[deerhunt1988]

Three from Oklahoma.

[Hobbes]

Great looking birds! I should give OK a run sooner than later.  It was relatively close when I was in CO, but it's a haul from MT.  I need a reverse teacher's schedule.....fall,winter and spring off then work all summer.

[davisd9]

North Central Kansas

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

Northwest Kansas Rio

[CAPTJJ]

Here's a couple from Central KS public land, both taken on April 9 at the same spot:

2015:


2018: