Coyotestalker

I don't know where the "domesticated turkey guessing" came from, but out here in the west, it is a recessive gene. In the canyons of the central coast of California, you can definately tell that the "whites" to not resemble the stature of domesticated birds. Maybe out in south Dakota where CJ and others reside there might be a cross breeding, but out in the west, its an common anomaly.

Bobgobble2

Thought this was a pretty cool pic!!Looks wild enough to me standin next to his brother.....

JoeA

A friend hunted a white tom last season. He saw it on the roost; white with a black beard. He didn'tget the gobbler last year, but will try again this season. The white gobbler is roosting in nearly the same treeas last year. It'll make a nice mount.

j. plate

There have been many articles published by the NWTF on this subject.

Although you cannot ever rule out people interbreeding domestic turkeys with a wild bird and the like, there is a well documented and genetically proven color phase of the wild turkey. It's called the 'smoke' phase. Seen much more frequently in the southern states and pockets out west, it is definately there.

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/v...a=466&q=152421

An article from the PA Game Commission including an excerpt about the color phases.

Article on NWTF website. Look under the 'Feathers' heading.

hawglips

This month's issue (Lovett Williams) said the same thing.

Hal

c j

That does look cool. Sorry - the 'white' ones I was referring to don't look like that. The ones I've seen aren't white/smoke colored with dark accents/feather tips; they're white, with pinkish features. Some have some dark 'blotches' which gives a coloring similar to Paint horses. Pretty sure those are crossed and not a phase like the one in this picture.

Goose 11

I found this picture on a Photographer's site, but I cannot seem to find a picture of atrue albino WILD turkey. So they MUST be very rare! Anyway, I've never seenany white WILD turkey in Florida or Alabama. If I did my first thought would be that it had been cross-bred, but, the domestic turkey has noticably shorter legs than a Wild Turkey. And the ones I've seen are fat.

Just my 2 cents,
Trae

Rebel Hog

Awesome! In over 50yrs in the field, have never seen a Turkey like this one!

Goose 11

I found a good picture of a Domestic Turkey. There is NOTHING in this bird that even faintly resembles a Wild Turkey!

I mean, yea, they look alike, but noticethe attitude, the healthly verses unhealthy, the spirit, the short legs verses the longer ones.

I think whoever domesticated any turkey should be hunted down and shot. That domestic bird looks depressed, and even suicidal. Look in his eyes, he's asking you to cut his head off! I don't think we should refer to that as a turkey at all.

Rebel Hog

It looks tasty to the dogs!