Done in Kansas. Through for year.

[HoggleGobble]

Well, my Kansas trip was a success for all three of us. I smoked a nice double beard that had the biggest fan I have EVER seen. When he began strutting towards me, all I could think was, "Man, either he has the smallest body I've ever seen, or the biggest fan!" Well he was 22lbs, so it wasn't the body! We hunted at Hickory Creek Outfitters in Sedan, KS, and MAN does he have the birds! Winter Storm Achilles met us there, but we still heard a good bit of gobbling given the conditions. He had 1 3/16" and 1 1/4" spurs, 10 1/2" and 7 5/8" beards, and a shade under 22 lbs (Scored somewhere around 82). This has been my best year, taking 5 birds in Bama, 3 birds in Mississippi, and this double beard in Kansas. I watched several others die this year as well. Now I have a debate....... I have a double bearded merriams mounted, a 5 bearded eastern mounted, and my first eastern mounted (12" beard, 1 3/8" spurs). I would like to have this Rio mounted so I have three subspecies with multiple beards and good spurs mounted, but I also killed that bird this year with 2 10 1/2" beards and 1 1/2" and 1 3/8" spurs........ Would you mount both of them? And if so, how?






Would you mount this one too? I need some help before I go broke!!

[I-55Bandit]

dead mounts side by side

[TRKYHTR]

Do both. What the heck it's only money. That Rio looks like it has more than 18 tailfeathers. Did you count them? Congrats on a great year.

TRKYHTR

[HoggleGobble]

I believe it had 20 or 21 tail feathers. How uncommon is that?

[Mike Honcho]

I'd say that bird may be a hybrid or an Eastern ..Sedan is in eastern KS right?   Tips of the feathers are too dark for a Rio in my opinion.

I just looked at a photo of a Rio jake my grandson shot around Wichita and an Eastern I shot in eastern Kansas...the fan coloration is not like either but more similar to the Eastern.  The Rios have a very light colored tip on the fan...a light buff color.

Whatever he is he is a HOSS!

Congrats!

[Mike Honcho]

Curious so I went thru some of my photos of Rios shot in central Kansas and I have one or two that are colored similar to this bird also. 

[tomstopper]

Do both. What the heck it's only money. That Rio looks like it has more than 18 tailfeathers. Did you count them? Congrats on a great year.

TRKYHTR

[alloutdoors]

Nice birds, I would definitely be tempted to mount both. Do you know how wide the fan was? I killed one Saturday that had 20 tail feathers and the fan measured 30" across.

[nativeks]

Don't want to burst your bubble, but that aint a true rio. Its a hybrid, you can call it whatever you want.

[DirtNap647]

congrats great pics

[HoggleGobble]

Don't want to burst your bubble, but that aint a true rio. Its a hybrid, you can call it whatever you want.

Your the second person that said that. Just curious, but why do you say that? I've never killed an eastern with cream tips before.. And I've killed my share. I googled rios and they all have creme tips. However, I have never killed one. Maybe someone can enlighten me?

[HoggleGobble]

I'd say that bird may be a hybrid or an Eastern ..Sedan is in eastern KS right?   Tips of the feathers are too dark for a Rio in my opinion.

I just looked at a photo of a Rio jake my grandson shot around Wichita and an Eastern I shot in eastern Kansas...the fan coloration is not like either but more similar to the Eastern.  The Rios have a very light colored tip on the fan...a light buff color.

Whatever he is he is a HOSS!

Congrats!

It's northwest of Tulsa. Just a little east of Wichita.

[Gawhitaker]

Congrats on a Great year, on the decision, thats a fantastic one to have to make!!

[nativeks]

1. If you want a true rio you have to go further west.

2. You can see both subspecies characteristics in that tail fan.

Sedan is in prime hybrid country. I've shot piles of birds with similar coloration to yours. I've got some with lighter cream tips, and some darker as well. Just depends on the parents.

[TRKYHTR]

I believe it had 20 or 21 tail feathers. How uncommon is that?

Very uncommon.

TRKYHTR