is it legal??
 

Hey guys I was driving down the road today and looked across a wheat field and saw 10 turkey and one of them was albino he was completely white. Is it legal for me to take this turkey or are they protected..?? I hunt in Oklahoma

RE: is it legal??
 

Check with your local DNR. You could google it and check out their site. It may not be on there though, I'd give them a call to be sure. If it is legal, it sure would make a nice mount, and get those bad albino genes out of the gene pool too.

RE: is it legal??
 

I've never heard such a law in all the years I've been at it. I think it will be a Blast away bird...

RE: is it legal??
 

RE: is it legal??
 

From what I have read / heard...a white turkey is usually a farm raised turkey (these are the turkeys that you get at the supermarket / grocery store). He may have gotten out and that is why he is with the wild ones. I don't see why you couldn't shoot it, but I don't know the laws in OKlahoma.

RE: is it legal??
 

Here is a link to support what I was saying in the post above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_turkey

RE: is it legal??
 

Yes you can shoot these kind of birds there is no law saying other wise. Not to say that you are wrong r33h but the turkey is not a domestic turkey because the chance of a domestic living in the wild and surviving the chances are slim next to none. It is a wild turkey it is just in a colour phase. I have done research on these different coloured turkeys and have talked to wildlife biologists and they say the same thing. If you want more info on these birds go to the NWTF website and they have an article on them.

RE: is it legal??
 

I originally read that white coloring is a domestic bird on the nwtf website. I think that the bird could survive for a time...maybe not very long, but for a time. Turkeys do a lot of following. One bird leads the way and the others follow. A domestic bird would be able to do just that and get plenty of food and when the other birds run, so could the domestic. bradisthebest could be right though...it is just a color phase...

RE: is it legal??
 

I can quarentee you that i am right r33h i have done extesive research on these kind of thing.

RE: is it legal??
 

looking for an arguement? lets not get hostile cuz both of you are right. there ARE domestic birds that get out and live for a while, but there ARE color phase and albino turkeys. color phase and albino are different but dont want to go into the biological side of it. there can even be reddish or silver looking turkeys. ive read both sides from NWTF and numerous other places so neither of you knows any more than the other.as a matter of fact, buckmasterflex is probably the only one on here who can even get a chance to find out the truth.

legality of killing it could vary, id think it would be legal but then again some states protect albino deer, not sure about their policies on turkey.

RE: is it legal??
 

Back in the day farm turkeys were turned out to the "back 40" to effectively fend for themselves,they were free range turkeys. They would be rounded up in the fall and brought to market. Clipped wings made them relatively flightless, I'm sure a domesticated bird,following wild ones would get the idea of what to eat,however with the prevalence of coyotes these days it wouldn't last long. Besides back in the day fox, coyotes,badgers and the like were not tolerated by the farmers.

RE: is it legal??
 

I am sorry if i came off like i was looking for an argument please don't get me wrong i wasn't. I am just simpily stating what i have been taught, what i know and what i have read. I was working on becoming a turkey biologist so that is why i have so much knowledge of the phases. I also should add that yes some domestic birds have servived for a short will in the wild so i do see that side of it too.

RE: is it legal??
 

I'm not sure about Oklahoma you might have to check your states giude book for that but here in Michigan it's legal to take a off color or albino bird.
I was scouting around last weekend and looking for sheds as well when I came up on a flock of birds and there was a couple that were almost all white .
I know were I'll be hunting for my bird and with a little luck , I'll get one of those off color ones

RE: is it legal??
 

Thanks everyone for your input.. The reason I was asking is because Oklahoma protects white deer so I was just wondering if they did that with turkey to... I will look it up

RE: is it legal??
 

Not all tame birds are white;)There are plenty of tame birds shot every spring...