Merriam's in Nebraska

[Sparky5536]

Opinions on the best counties to find true Merriam's in Nebraska. Looking for spring of 2019. Looking for public, WIHA, or even private ground. 

[Goodtimekiller]

Northwest corner


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[Yoder409]

Dawes and Sioux

[RutnNStrutn]

Northwest corner
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I've hunted in NW Nebraska near Chadron and Hay Springs. Lots of birds up there. 

[Prohunter3509]

Is that public land there

[Bolandstrutters]

Northwest corner is the only part of the state with potentially true Merriams.  Even then, some localized areas will have more hybrids.  Start studying maps.  OnX maps is a public land hunters best tool. 

[RutnNStrutn]

Is that public land there

I hunted a mix of public and private.

Northwest corner is the only part of the state with potentially true Merriams.  Even then, some localized areas will have more hybrids.

Where we killed our birds it was a mixture of white Merriams, and buff colored birds, which I assume were hybrids. I was fortunate to get a nice white one.

[Bolandstrutters]

Is that public land there

I hunted a mix of public and private.

Northwest corner is the only part of the state with potentially true Merriams.  Even then, some localized areas will have more hybrids.

Where we killed our birds it was a mixture of white Merriams, and buff colored birds, which I assume were hybrids. I was fortunate to get a nice white one.

Thats a beautiful bird.  I think even pure Merriams have some color variations.  I've noticed the same thing throughout South Dakota.  Some of them are almost as white as goulds and some are more buff.  Even in the same flocks. 

[RutnNStrutn]

Thats a beautiful bird.  I think even pure Merriams have some color variations.  I've noticed the same thing throughout South Dakota.  Some of them are almost as white as goulds and some are more buff.  Even in the same flocks. 

Yes he was beautiful, and still is on my living room wall!!
We experienced the same thing where we were hunting. We killed 5 birds between 3 of us that trip. The one in the pic was the only white one. Me and one of the other guys called in 5 gobblers and 8 hens off the roost the first morning. The one I got that day was white, and the other 4 gobblers were buff colored.

[turkeyfoot]

While no doubt the whitest tips are pretty that doesn't have a thing to do with whether a bird is pure merriams you can kill buff tips in pure merriams territory anywhere that are as pure as you can get

[fallhnt]

While no doubt the whitest tips are pretty that doesn't have a thing to do with whether a bird is pure merriams you can kill buff tips in pure merriams territory anywhere that are as pure as you can get

Been says this for years....true Merriam have short legs, beards will be shorter due to this. If you have white tip fever,go to Mexico.

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[GobbleNut]

While no doubt the whitest tips are pretty that doesn't have a thing to do with whether a bird is pure merriams you can kill buff tips in pure merriams territory anywhere that are as pure as you can get

Been says this for years....true Merriam have short legs, beards will be shorter due to this. If you have white tip fever,go to Mexico.

I will add my .02 to this discussion,...(probably not worth much more than that) 
As one who has looked over dozens of specimens of Merriams and Rio Grande gobblers from what are the historic centers of their native ranges, to me there is only one visual characteristic that can be used to distinguish the two,...or give away hints of hybridization.  That characteristic is the iridescence of the feather tips, and particularly, that of the tips of 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 tips 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 sheen is present, then the bird is 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.   

In summary,....shoot one, call in what you want, and be happy!   

[RutnNStrutn]

While no doubt the whitest tips are pretty that doesn't have a thing to do with whether a bird is pure merriams you can kill buff tips in pure merriams territory anywhere that are as pure as you can get

That's likely true. I've hunted mountain birds in NW Idaho, and most of them were buff colored, with just a few white tips around there.

[Yoder409]

While no doubt the whitest tips are pretty that doesn't have a thing to do with whether a bird is pure merriams you can kill buff tips in pure merriams territory anywhere that are as pure as you can get

True story.

Line up several Eastern or Rio fans taken from the same area and look at the color variation.


No doubt, a snow-tip Merriam's is what most guys are looking for.  Of the 6 Nebraska and Wyoming birds my brother and I took this year, they were 50/50 snow-tip / light buff.

[Sparky5536]

Thanks for all the responses. Sure do appreciate it.