I have seen one in my life, on a hillside on the way to my kid's grade school probably 10 years ago. He was an emu like bird, just huge looking. The color was like a barn pigeon, and he was feeding in a hillside probably 80 yards uphill in a big woods hillside. I took a gobbler that only weighed 18 lbs in a neighbor county and had 2 gobblers and 5 hens, including a gorgeous smoke phase hen. Had them at 30 putting on a show for what seemed 5 minutes but picked my bird and got him. Sure wish she had a few jakes but have never seen another. Any smoke stories :fire: out there?
Not a smoke but saw a silver hen once and some albino gobblers. I bet smoke is gorgeous.
Thanks 935, and just to be clear, my little 18 lb bird had some hooks but it was normal color, and I think he was an older bird in decline? Or just a scrappy 3 year old former runt? Anyway, I have seen a few smokey hens over the years but had the one such hen doing the dance in front of me. I could sit here wishing the gobbler was smokey, but I can't much improve on the images in my mind for that particular hunt. I set up for a buddy to get his first, off public of course, and they came in wrong. I know THAT never happens to anyone else right? I was 35 yds away, he was 55. Probably helped me hold off for the 5 minute show, but in the end we both got the smoke phase show and had a gobbler to walk out with. I think I have seen a really pretty smoke phase Merriam in someone's avatar.........TGIF everybody!
No "Smokes" but have had a buddy kill an "erythristic color phase" red/white jake and I have seen a hen in our area with same coloring.
MK M GOBL
Here is the one I shot 6 years ago. John Beard from TN mounted the bird for me and actually took second in the masters division at the NWTF taxidermy competition that year. It was the first turkey I had ever shot. I actually thought I had shot a domestic turkey at first. Little did I know it would be a once in a lifetime bird! Realizing how few gobblers there are out there and Osceola's at that make it even more special. In all my searches online in the past this is the only smoke phase Osceola i have seen. Sorry to those of you who have already seen this bird. I just can't resist showing it off when I get the chance!!!
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8657/15998997011_de0e48cb0a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3q4)Silver Phase Turkey (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3q4) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7519/15998998431_dce07b08ee_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3Qx)turkey4 (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3Qx) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7473/15378713054_2426e14852_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pqXVB5)Turkey Mount 3 (https://flic.kr/p/pqXVB5) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
Cool bird!
Wow!!! Glad you decided to show it off again. That is a beautiful bird. A smoke grey would be my dream bird.
Awesome looking bird,for sure.
Beautiful birds! I have saw 2 in my life, 1 in Pa. 10 or so years ago while scouting for deer. and 1 last summer in WV while driving down the highway.
Beautiful bird!!!
Nice
Nice! Can''t beat that for a first bird.
Not the best quality but snapped this pic of a hen while hunting.
I've never seen one in person, but I'd love to. I heard about one of the local guys killing a white bird a bunch of years ago, but it turned out to be an escapee from a farm.
That's an awesome looking bird eorlando, thanks for the pic.
Bob
The first three years that I turkey hunted I had access to a 40 acre parcel of private property in SE Michigan. Every year I saw the same smokey gray gobbler multiple times during the season. The eastern part of the property was unhuntable because it was a safety zone (within 450 feet of neighboring houses) and every time I saw that bird he was either on that side of the property or up on a wide-open flat where it was impossible to get close. I hunted that bird hard for those three years and never got an opportunity. I took a gobbler each year but not the one I wanted. Also saw a number of smokey hens during that time. After three years the property was sold to a developer and I lost my access.
Quote from: eorlando on February 05, 2016, 07:55:06 AM
Here is the one I shot 6 years ago. John Beard from TN mounted the bird for me and actually took second in the masters division at the NWTF taxidermy competition that year. It was the first turkey I had ever shot. I actually thought I had shot a domestic turkey at first. Little did I know it would be a once in a lifetime bird! Realizing how few gobblers there are out there and Osceola's at that make it even more special. In all my searches online in the past this is the only smoke phase Osceola i have seen. Sorry to those of you who have already seen this bird. I just can't resist showing it off when I get the chance!!!
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8657/15998997011_de0e48cb0a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3q4)Silver Phase Turkey (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3q4) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7519/15998998431_dce07b08ee_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3Qx)turkey4 (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3Qx) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7473/15378713054_2426e14852_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pqXVB5)Turkey Mount 3 (https://flic.kr/p/pqXVB5) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
Beautiful! Awesome job on the mounts!!
Wow! Getting back on this thread after work has been working me a little too hard lol! Yes eorlando that is what we all dream about! Thanks for posting and keep em coming if'n ya got em. :you_rock:
Awesome looking birds for sure...but I cant help thinking they're just a cross between a wild bird and a feral domestic bird not some mythical creature. I have a friend that raises Royal Palms and he lets them free range his property..wild turkeys visit them all the time....An Albino would be a true non typical
Quote from: MK M GOBL on February 05, 2016, 07:18:36 AM
No "Smokes" but have had a buddy kill an "erythristic color phase" red/white jake and I have seen a hen in our area with same coloring.
MK M GOBL
Never seen a smoke phase but we have a hen on my lease that's red and white. Had that gene in our area for several years I guess, this is the second I've seen in the past 15 years.
Here is a picture of a smokey grey phase bearded hen I got back in 2005.
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/grey_bird.jpg)
^^^^^^^^**Very nice!!! Did you mount her? If so, lets see a pic. Had you seen her before or just the day you shot her? Just curious. Congrats!!!
I had 2 smoke phase longbeards come by in the fall several years ago with a flock of hens. Season was open but I figured I would kill one during the spring. I never seen them again. Talked to a guy that was on them opening day and said they were with 5 hens and in range but never could get a shot. He never seen them again. From where he seen them and I seen them was only about a mile the way the crow flies.
I seen the same white hen in Tenn 2 years in a row and widowed her both times :D
I took these last fall, no clue what to call it. Is this a domestic bird, hybrid, or a wild bird?
Quote from: Thundermtn on February 16, 2016, 01:58:42 PM
I took these last fall, no clue what to call it. Is this a domestic bird, hybrid, or a wild bird?
Domestic bourbon red
Thanks!
Quote from: Thundermtn on February 16, 2016, 01:58:42 PM
I took these last fall, no clue what to call it. Is this a domestic bird, hybrid, or a wild bird?
This could be a wild bird, they are "erythristic color phase" red/white. A buddy of mine killed a jake with this color mutation.
I killed this clown a few years back, was posted back then. I don't care what suit and tie he wears, it's the hunt experience that I remember most.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/hattT05/circusfreak_zps1a797931.jpg)
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/hattT05/P4030006_zpsd7352f7c.jpg)
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/hattT05/IMG_0665a2_zpsa2490f17.jpg)
Quote from: eorlando on February 05, 2016, 07:55:06 AM
Here is the one I shot 6 years ago. John Beard from TN mounted the bird for me and actually took second in the masters division at the NWTF taxidermy competition that year. It was the first turkey I had ever shot. I actually thought I had shot a domestic turkey at first. Little did I know it would be a once in a lifetime bird! Realizing how few gobblers there are out there and Osceola's at that make it even more special. In all my searches online in the past this is the only smoke phase Osceola i have seen. Sorry to those of you who have already seen this bird. I just can't resist showing it off when I get the chance!!!
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8657/15998997011_de0e48cb0a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3q4)Silver Phase Turkey (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3q4) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7519/15998998431_dce07b08ee_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3Qx)turkey4 (https://flic.kr/p/qnM3Qx) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7473/15378713054_2426e14852_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pqXVB5)Turkey Mount 3 (https://flic.kr/p/pqXVB5) by e_orlando (https://www.flickr.com/people/80867112@N06/), on Flickr
Awesome bird ... I hope to get one someday.
I have seen smoke phase before. My dad would say they were Naragansette crosses...lol.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Some damn cool birds in this thread. I have never had a bird in range that was not your typical eastern.
I saw one smoke phase hen lots of years ago and a friend killed a smoke phase hen maybe 10 years ago during our fall season...
I saw two silver/gray toms on a lease near Lumpkin,Ga in the fall one day while scouting. I looked hard in the spring for them but figured they wouldn't make it for long before something would get them.
Great Post
Is a smoke phase the same as a silver?
eorlando that Osceola is awesome!
Quote from: Struthunter on February 28, 2016, 02:01:17 PM
I saw two silver/gray toms on a lease near Lumpkin,Ga in the fall one day while scouting. I looked hard in the spring for them but figured they wouldn't make it for long before something would get them.
Great Post
Is a smoke phase the same as a silver?
eorlando that Osceola is awesome!
Thanks!!! From what I have heard they are one in the same. Just different names from different folks.
never seen a smoke gobbler, but I have some neat footage of a smokey hen from a couple years ago on a Washington turkey hunt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ikLd1a_-o
Great birds taken here. Congrats to all :icon_thumright:
Quote from: jblackburn on February 29, 2016, 12:25:50 PM
never seen a smoke gobbler, but I have some neat footage of a smokey hen from a couple years ago on a Washington turkey hunt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ikLd1a_-o
Very cool, thank you. Congrats on your bird. :icon_thumright:
Bob
I've seen one dead smoke phased gobbler and one alive. The National Forest where I live is full of smoke phased hens. If you see a large flock (10 or more) more than likely you'll see a smoke phased hen. I've seen as many as 3 or 4 in one flock.