The North American Wild Turkey has five subspecies: the Rio Grande, the Merriam’s, the Osceola, the Eastern, and the Gould’s.
There are opinions and thoughts on hunting each subspecies, like that Alabama and Mississippi Easterns are the hardest to hunt, or that Florida Osceolas are the quietest and hardest to call in. Regardless of difficulty or the collection of a Grand Slam, each wild turkey is to be celebrated.
The Eastern Wild Turkey
Information provided by NWTF
Photography by Tes Jolly
Easterns are the most abundant of the five subspecies, as well as the most widely distributed. They’re mostly found east of the Mississippi River, but they are in a total of 38 states and several Canadian provinces.
They are characterized by chestnut-brown tips on their tail feathers and white and black bars on their wings. Adult males or toms weigh 18-30 pounds while females or hens typically weigh in around 8 to 12 pounds.
Eastern toms have what is considered the strongest gobbles of all subspecies. They also tend to have the longest beards of all the subspecies.
Basic Characteristics of the Eastern Wild Turkey
Feathers:
Chestnut-brown tips on tail feathers
White and black bars on the wings
Size:
Adult males weigh 18 to 30 pounds
Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds
Gobbles:
Very strong gobbles (strongest gobbles of all subspecies)
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Beards:
Very long beards (longest beards of all subspecies)
Hunting Difficulty:
Second to the Osceola in difficulty of calling in
Osceola Wild Turkey
Information provided by NWTF
Photography by Mike Matthews
Osceolas are only found in Florida. They are characterized by dark-brown tips on their tail feathers, mostly black wing feathers with very small bands of white. Adult males typically weigh around 20 pounds while the females weigh around 8 to 12 pounds. These turkeys have long legs, strong gobbles and very long spurs, while their beards are usually shorter than their Eastern counterparts. They are considered among hunters to be the toughest species to call into range.
Basic Characteristics of the Osceola Wild Turkey
Feathers:
Dark-brown tips on tail feathers
Mostly black wings with very small white bands
Size:
Adult males weigh approximately 20 pounds
Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds
Gobbles:
Strong gobbles
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Spurs:
Very long spurs
Long legs
Beard:
Shorter beard-lengths than Easterns on average
Hunting Difficulty:
Considered the toughest species to call in
Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Information provided by NWTF
Photography by Darcy Daniels
Rios concentrate in the western desert regions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and other western states. Mexico also has a healthy population. They are characterized by tan-colored tips on their tail feathers, equal black and white barring on wing feathers and moderate gobbles and beards. Adult males weigh around 20 pounds while their female counterparts weigh around 8 to 12 pounds.
Basic Characteristics of Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Feathers:
Tan-colored tips on tail feathers
Same amount of black and white barring on wings
Size:
Adult males weigh approximately 20 pounds on average
Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds
Gobbles:
Moderate gobbles
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Beard:
Moderate beard-lengths
Spurs:
Moderate spur-lengths
Merriam’s Wild Turkey
Information provided by NWTF
Photography by Guy Tillett
Merriam’s are the most abundant in the mountainous regions of the West. The Rocky Mountains are considered the central hub of the population. They are characterized by light colored tips on their tail feathers with more white and less black on their wing feathers. Adult males weigh around 18 to 30 pounds, and the females weigh around 8 to 12 pounds. They are considered to have the weakest gobble of all the subspecies and have short to moderate beard lengths.
Basic Characteristics of Merriam’s Wild Turkey
Feathers:
Light tips on tail feathers and upper tail coverts (rump feathers), buff to white
More white and less black on wings
Size:
Adult males weigh 18 to 30 pounds
Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds
Gobbles:
Weakest gobbles of all subspecies
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Beard:
Short to moderate beard length
Spurs:
Short spurs
Gould’s Wild Turkey
Information provided by NWTF
Photography by Stephen Spurlock
The few, newly introduced Gould’s subspecies can be found only in Arizona, New Mexico, and the Sierra Madres of Mexico.
They can be distinguished by the white tips on their tail feathers, and they have long legs similar to an Osceola. Adult males typically weigh 18 to 30 lbs; the females weigh about 12 to 14 lbs.
Basic Characteristics of the Gould’s Wild Turkey
Feathers:
Snow-white tips on tail feathers and upper tail coverts
Wings are moderate in coloration
Size:
Adult males weigh 18 to 30 lbs
Adult females weigh 12 to 14 lbs
Gobbles:
Moderate gobbles
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Beard:
Moderate beard-lengths
Spurs:
Shortest spurs of all subspecies
