nebraska merriam range

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Im of the opinion that the only merriams are in the far NW corner. Nebraska is a giant melting pot of turkeys...

The good thing is, shoot the whitest one and nobody is gonna argue;) then shoot a buff and call it a rio:)

Last map I saw the distribution lines were state lines lol...

Iowa is full of easterns, and Nebraska has none according to the maps....if turkeys couldn't fly a river that would make sense. Kansas is full of Rios while Nebraska has none...bullspit

Basically, a population will only remain pure if it's geographically cut off.
 
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turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
tricky question there and you'll get many many different answers I'm not sure there is an exact right one but here is mine. I've been fortunate to hunt nearly every county in north Neb over last 20 years except the ones east of Cedar, Pierce, Wayne where there would be easterns for sure. The counties just to east will be hybrid Merriam/Eastern. To get Merriam for sure your gonna have to be Cherry couty west and stay north when you get down mid way in state and west they will be eastern/Rio hybrid all ones I've killed along Repulican river drain have been Rio/merriam hybrid ones along Niobrara river east of Cherry have been Merriam/eastern hybrip. Don't let anyone tell you that a Merriam must have white tipped feather because that is not true some will be buff I've killed several in what NWTF and states say are pure Merriam and have had buff tips. With all that I'm not one that gets hung up on pure and hybrid because the thing I found out when started hunting out that way was when you get away from the easterns in Ks and Neb them are thefunnest most exciting hunts aperson could ever ask for can't beat a bird that you can go out whether it be AM midday or late eveening and strike up a gobble and get them fired up. Your experience will mainly depend on if your able to hunt river drains and creek drains off it Platte Niobrara and Republican being with most concentrated turkeys I've heard as many as 30 toms roosted together of course that was unpressured private ground where roosts were never hunted and in eary season as season goes they would split but still get as many as 8-10 together. We used to have ground paid trespass fee to hunt now an outfitter has that ground and he guarentes his turkey hunts or you hunt for free it was that good of land. There aren't to many places I've found in that state that doesn't have birds just some more than others. The NW is where lot peple go for Merriams it is fairly large area turkey population isn't extremely high but there are enough to make it worthwhile and some the prettiest Ponderosa country I'vebeen in it and SD. Sorry for long write but this is about my favorite topic here could go on all day. I'll be out that wat for 11 days early May
 

Randy

Ten Pointer
This one came from about 4 miles east of Cherry County and about 1/2 north of the Niobrara River. I don't know what sub species he belonged to but he sure was pretty. I hunted the same place several years ago and killed one that was definitely some kind of hybrid. The outer ring of his fan was light buff like a Merriams but the inner portion looked liked an Eastern. One distinguishing characteristic of a Merriams I've noticed in my limited experience is their relatively short and small beards compared to the other sub species.


 
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hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
Where is the rio/hybrid/merriam 'line"?

I cant even find this on the NWTF stuff.

Anyone have a feel for this?

This is the best map of it I've seen....

map.jpg
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Thanks to all of you for the feedback.

FWIW if he shows up and i have a tag i wont be worrying about the color of his feathers.
 

gobbler

Eight Pointer
ive killed "pure" strain merriams in the middle of the black hills that were as buff as any rio, neb is getting absolutely hammered, time to branch out
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
That map clearly shows what QBD2 was talking about. All of the southern NE counties all the way from the Missouri river to the panhandle show Hybrid turkeys while the majority of the northern KS counties show pure Rio Grandes. I guarantee you that the turkey do not recognize the state line and there is no way there is a clean break between the species.

And I agree with Hawglips, if I have a tag and have one fired up and coming in, I will shoot first and then debate the specie after the fact.
 

hawkman

Eight Pointer
This is the best map of it I've seen....

map.jpg

A friend of mine in Oklahoma goes hunting on public land near Broken Bow, OK (on the AR border near Texarkana) on public land for Eastern. He says "west of I-35 and north of I-40 for Rio".


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