Hi,

I'm new to turkey hunting. Been doing some research about how to identify an Eastern Turkey versus a Rio Grande Turkey and have come up with this:

- Eastern has darker color on the tips of some of their feathers, Rio has light tan color.

- Eastern has black and white bars on their breast feathers.

- Eastern are typically heavier and have shorter legs than Rios (though if they're not standing side-by-side how can you tell?).

Is there anything else? Something a little more full-proof? I'll be hunting in a county with only an Eastern season ... does that typically mean that the county probably doesn't have a Rio Grande population?

Am I over-thinking this?

Thanks!

Just look up the speices ranges and you will generally get an idea of what turkey your hunting.Texas has Rio and eastern and Kansas has both Rio and eastern with the Rios being more to west and the eastern being more to the far east.typically a Rio is a bigger bird than the easterns in the southern states.and the rio in full strut has a lot more whiter colors than a eastern.Both are fun to hunt whichever one you go after good luck.

What county are you hunting. There are a few counties in Texas that have both but not very many. Actually there are 3 species of turkey in Texas.

Rio turkeys have light buff colored tips on the tail feathers
Eastern have chestnut colored tips on the tail feathers
Merriam turkeys have White colored tips on the tail feathers

Merriams in Texas????????

Yes..up in the tip of the Panhandle, there are a few in both TX and OK.


Gman

I plan to hunt in Fannin County which, I believe, is on the western edge of the Eastern Turkey's range. The maps I've seen show a buffer area between there and where the Rio's range starts. However, I don't know how accurate those maps are.

Merriams are located in more than just the tip of the panhandle! many Western counties have Merriams, I killed two Merriams in Tom Green County many years ago, The NWTF even took DNA samples to verify the sub species.