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Piebald hen turkey

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
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SW Ohio
Deer hunting today and seen this freak of nature. A piebald mixed colored hen turkey.
At 7:40AM a flock of about 40 turkeys flew down about 75 yds. away in the hay field. One of the last one was the piebald hen. As soon as she hit the ground couple other turkeys was chasing it around. Before I could get my camera turned on they had chased it into the brush 120 yds. away.
A little later it's 15 yds. in front of me and all alone. I have no idea how it got from the other side of the field to me. I took the 1st. close up pictures and it ran towards the flock and they started chasing it again. When they calmed down I got couple more pictures at 115 yds. Then the whole flock chased it into the brush and I never seen them again. I will say the whole surely didn't like the odd colored hen with them.
Once in a life time experience. For me at least.
The 1st picture is 15 yds. away.




 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
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SW Ohio
If I would have seen her during bow season I would have it mounted it I shot it.
This is the 1st time I ever seen her. She's not like by other turkey's.

My son said it sounded like a racist turkey since it left the other ones fly down 1st. I won't go there as you'll have to figure that one out yourself.
 
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swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
I have pics of one somewhere. I saw her a couple dozen times and never saw the other turkeys ostracize her. She fit right in, if we had a fall season I certainly would have tried to get her!
 

antiqucycle

Junior Member
506
36
East Ohio
I was under the assumption that smoke phase birds were more so a salt and pepper color, a mix of colored feathers. The one I killed was normal wild colors except for near complete white wings. and yes it was a wild gobbler all the way with no tame birds for miles.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
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SW Ohio
The Ohio DOW responded to me inquiry about the piebald hen turkey I seen.

They gave a positive ID as a piebald turkey. Suffering from a genetic defect called leucism. Leucism prevents the dark melanin pigments from forming and caused the white coloring.

They estimate that less than 1/2 of 1 per cent suffers this defect. With their estimate of 180,000 wild turkeys in Ohio this puts it at less than 900.

They made no mention of smoke phase.

That's kinda neat.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
Maybe the Ohio DNR should do some research. Taken from NWTF website:

Color Phases: A few wild turkeys grow unusually colored feathers. These are known as color phases. There are four color phases, a smokey gray color phase, a melanistic color phase (all black), an erythritic color phase (reddish coloration) and an albino color phase (very rare)

No mention of Piebald.
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
I seen a Smokey Gray phase 20yrs ago in Monroe County near Stafford, was the coolest thing ever when I saw it with a flock of around 20 hens and poults.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
My brother is down visiting from up North. And 22 turkeys walked through the back yard and the piebald hen was with them. Rather neat.