Wild turkey with white head.

[jigginjim]

As I drove thru Hanover today, I noticed a small flock of young wild turkeys. 1 was a typical colored hen, the other looked like the head and fronhalf od bird was white or very little colored. My cell phone camerea would not get a good photo of bird.

[Gordie]

I think I would be trying to keep an eye on that bird and scout it for a future season. sounds like it would be a cool mount.

[bigbucks]

They're pretty common. There's a few partial white ones in one of the flocks I hunt every year.

[Jim Uran]

Here is a turkey I took a pic of last spring who was also partially white.

[DonBo]

That is a beautiful bird. Way to go getting a shot of that.

[Jim Uran]

Here is the ladies he was with!! He wasn't far behind them.

[DonBo]

Beautiful birds. I've heard that is not uncommon, but I've never seen it.

[setterguy]

Are these crosses with Commercially grown birds?

[Jackpine Rob]

I've heard them referred to as "smoke" or "smoke phase" birds. My friend the fish cop tells me they are highly prized trophies in some areas of the country.

I've seen a number of them in parts of South Dakota, but have never pulled the trigger on one myself.

[Jim Uran]

Are these crosses with Commercially grown birds?

I was thinking the same thing when I first seen these! But really, there aren't any farms near where I got these pics. I'm glad they have gained some interest anyways.

[DonBo]

Here it is right from the NWTF HSOforum:

Myth #3: Silver-phase turkeys are a result of domestic turkeys joining a flock in the wild.

Fact: Silver-phase turkeys are wild and do not come from domestic turkeys.

Some hunters believe silver-phase turkeys are a result of domestic turkeys mixing with a wild flock, but silver-phase turkeys "are just as wild as their bronze brothers and sisters," said NWTF Mid-Atlantic States Regional Biologist Dowd Bruton. Consider the coloring just a genetic anomaly. "We often hear that they're `white turkeys,' but when you actually get your hands on one you'll see they have a silver and black tint whereas a typical Eastern wild turkey will be bronze and black."

[Leaddog]

Was seeing a smoke colored bird this spring. All that saw it said it was a hen, turns out its a jake. Hope to see it as a 2 yr old. Won't be will a gun in my hand since I don't that area but sure many will be after him.

DonBo - nice job adding the NWTF facts!

[Jim Uran]

Wow, what a trophy he would be!!! Too bad we don't have a season up here on these guys yet!

[DonBo]

DonBo - nice job adding the NWTF facts!

That's why they pay me the big money.

[hartner62]

I'm guessing it was the same flock that I see almost on a daily basis. I saw them last year in my back yard a lot and one of the hens was bright white(doesn't look silver) and just today I watched a little one with a white head feeding in a field near by with 11 of her friends.

[Muskie456]

We had a guy in our hunting party kill a hen in 2006. He sent the photo into ODN but it was put in the back with the blk and whts. It was really cool he ended up mounting the bird. He watched that thing all summer.

[vister]

i believe these turkeys are cross bred wild/domestic. thats why there is two in one pic. I also believe that they are to be removed, as there is no closed season on them. i'd check with a co, but i believe they are not something you want. it prohibits the natural reproduction of wild turkeys. so, if i remember correctly just shoot them! check first though, i'd hate to apologize for someone gettin fined. the same goes for cinnamon, or brown turkeys. maybe the cinnamon ones are the cross bred turkeys? not, sure, i'd look into it further.

[vister]

just checked into it. 10-15% of wild turkeys are born with the narragansett gene, which prohibits the pruduction of red, black and brown pigments.

[Hoyt4]

Where we hunt in SD we have around 7 off them now.First year hunting there was only one white lead hen.We can take hens during the spring season where I'm hunting but was not able to get one last spring she stayed on private property.Very cool to see even if not natural breeding.

[BartmanMN]

I'm guessing it was the same flock that I see almost on a daily basis. I saw them last year in my back yard a lot and one of the hens was bright white(doesn't look silver) and just today I watched a little one with a white head feeding in a field near by with 11 of her friends.

I had 13 birds cross in front of me in St. Michael after I dropped my compost off. None where white, but a lot of birds none the less.

[harvey lee]

They are very pretty birds. It would make a very nice mount.

Now, go get em.