Merriam's in MN?

[Hoyter]

Does anyone know if there are Merriam's turkeys around the twin cities? There were 2 jakes near my office building today doing some light strutting. There was clearly a color difference in the tips of the tails and back feathers so it made me wonder. Everything I've read says Merriams are further west than MN.

[sticknstring]

Should be strictly easterns in all areas of MN. You don't have to travel too far SW to hit Merriam strains though. Birds will vary in color, the same as deer or any other critter. It could have exhibited some other characteristics such as melanistic or smokey gray phased too. Pictures would help!

[Hoyter]

The color phase thing would make sense. I guess I haven't heard of that on turkeys before but there's a first time for everything.

I have about a half dozen pitures in a Powerpoint presentation but can't figure out how to post them.

[Leaddog]

Merriams may have been an early stocking attempt, seem to remember reading that somewhere in MN turkey history. But most likely its just a slight genetic variation. I've taken a couple central MN toms that had fans more like birds I've got in SD, cream color vs rust tips.

[alex1]

I hunt just south of Alexandria, and back in 2002 I shot a turkey with White tips instead of the normal rust, or buff color tips. When I went in to register it, the local warden was there so I asked him about it. The reply I got was that when they released birds up here they had trapped some down around the pipestone area, and it was possible that they trapped couple of Mirriams. The only thing he could think of is that someone had raised some and let them go around the area.