Well I have really only hunted Easterns enough to really comment here!

I have hunted Rios twice.

To me each was the same as far as calling.

The terrain I hunt is farm fields, hard woods, cedar swamps with a smattering of ridges and ravines. Hunt for them in Wis, Mich, & Iowa. Only states I have been too. In Michigan we tend to do more Run and Gun but in Wisconsin and Iowa it is more scouting and pick a spot to just sit and wait them out.

I have Easterns where aggressive calling (cutting) worked better than soft clucks but have been told in high pressure states that soft clucking or yelping works better. In Mich we ususally get opening season while in Wisconsin we hunt very late almost the last season. Non - pressured birds seem to be easier to call.

Lately most of my Eastern Tom's I have harvested was not from calling the Tom but calling to the hens with the Tom and getting one hen to answer me. At least the last 5 Toms had hens and each time it was the Hen who brought me the Tom.

Though some don't agree later in the season a silent dog whistle works well for me while doing late evening roosting. At least in my Central area of Wisconsin. Important fact is the very best time is the last 10 minutes of light. Watch the Red-wing blackbirds. When they leave the wire and hit the groudn to roost you had better get moving.
In Michigan the same tactic does not work. In fact in 20 years of hunting them I have had only one vocal late evening Tom - take that back 2! It is the wing beat from picking a good roost area you hear.

Michigan hunting for me is cedar swamps with hard woood eges and a few fields. One fact is when Michigan started a Fall hunt it changed the Spring behavior of the birds. By that I mean one could stop the car and glass and it would not bother the birds in the far distant field edge. Now slow the car down even a little bit and they are gone!

another fact that during the lull of the day we had a hard time finding birds. Guess what? You might just find them in the smack middle of a very wet Ceadr swamp! And on the ground.

Easterns in both states Gobble at different times. As it has been written around 10 to 2 Pm is really the best time to find that lonesome Tom given the hens are nest building. I find this true in both states. Toms henned up are tough to get unless you can draw the hens to you.

Most Easterns I have harvested have not been older than 3 years old. I look at spurs more than the length of the beard. Weight of the birds in each state for a mature bird is around 20 =/- 5 lbs. Biggest bird I have taken in weight was from Iowa, Was 27 lbs. Michigan birds don't get much above 20 lbs. Now I do hunt Michigan in the far north - Da YouPee!

My Wisconsin birds run bewteen 20 to 25 lbs.


Now the Rios I had a chance to hunt last year. Was early season and the Toms where in bunches with bunches of hens. There was much jostling for dominance as the birds hit the ground. Then the whole flock split in groups of 3 to 15 birds. There was about 70 total. We did an end around hike and found groups of good Toms - 2 to 3 in a group. It was one 3 some I called in that I got a good mature Tom.

The second day was similar for me in the Midwest states. Birds did hit the gorund but went after the hens and away from me. They where as vocal as the Easterns. I chose to sit and wait them out. About 9 AM when I saw the hens leave these 3 Toms I did get the Toms back across the 102 acres and back to me. It was with much coaxing throuhg soft and subtle calls to down right agressive calling. I plumb about burnt up a box call.

To me I have had similar situations hunting Easterns.

Now why did I start this thread?

I wanna learn as much as I can about Merriams and Osceolas.


JW