What spieces of Turkey are these???
 

I was hoping someone could tell me what type of turkeys these are. They were both killed in Kansas.

The top one this year outside of Parsons, KS (SouthEast Kansas)

The bottom 3 years ago outside of Larned, KS (Central Kansas)

Sorry the pics are so dand big.

I'll play. Top bird Hybred, bottom one Rio. Don't know duke about KS. Execpt they do have the Hybred's.

I think you called it HomerJ! According to the subspecies map of Kansas, the western 3/4ths of the state is supposed to hold Rios, a few counties up and down through the middle-eastern part holds hybrids, and about 3 county widths over near Missouri holds the Eastern subspecies. The top one has to be a hybrid, as an Eastern has all darker tail feathers with just a lighter brown on the tops of the main fan above the dark black strip. The other would be a Rios based on where he shot him and the couple that I've shot down in Texas. Those are both nice pictures of a couple very pretty birds, although I think a pure Merriams is the prettiest of them all with the real white top on their fans. I would like to finish my main 4 with an Osceola, but seeing as they are only in Florida and I have no yearning to go down there, I guess I'll just settle for 3 of the subspecies since I've also taken Merriams out in the Black Hills of SD.

yea, that's what I was afraid of. My sons first turkey is that bottom pic from 3 years ago. I don't know a whole lot about turkey hunting except I have killed many in West Texas, all Rios. I had thought that Kansas bird was an Eastern since it was in Kansas. We took his cousin along (2nd pic) to Kansas a few weeks ago because he had never shot a turkey before. My son let him have first crack at a turkey since we "thought" he already had shot an Eastern (Kansas turkey). I've been looking at that pic funny for the last 2 weeks thinking that first Kansas turkey might be Rio.

He is trying to get a Grand Slam so we will have to shift gears a bit and go after an Eastern now. The good news is that he did get a Merriam this past weekend in New Mexico.

When you have time please post up a picture or two of the Merriams he just got. Here is a true Eastern.

Here's another true eastern taken in VA.

Beautiful bird Flags! I have one on the wall here that is like that one and is 34" wide from tip to tip and over 20" high that I wanted to post up and I can't find the photo, but will keep trying.

Wow. Those are definitely a lot darker birds. Would South Missouri have true Easterns??

Topgun, Here are a few more pics of the Merriam he got this past weekend. Hopefully, no one is going to inform me that this bird in not a Merriam..lol. But seriously, it is a Merriam isn't it?? He was shot outside of Las Vegas, New Mexico.

I denifitely noticed a difference in this bird based on my past Rio kills. There was a lot more "vanilla"color to the back of the bird and tail feathers.

light tips on the secondary tail feathers, will tell you its not an eastern bird.
RR

Here is a decent map showing the range of the main subspecies, but not where there are hybrids like the one your boy shot in eastern Kansas. I'm not aware of anything but Easterns being in Missouri seeing as how it's a major turkey state and would have no reason to do any cross breeding to increase their flocks.