pure wild strand IMO

[Bucky T]

I believe it's the climate a species lives in that dictates its size. Warmer climates have smaller animals than animals of the same species residing in colder climates.

 

[M Sharpe]

This thread reminds me of the movie..."Last of the Dogmen". About an isolated group of Cheyenne Indians living the old ways with out modern day contact with an outside world.
I also find it hard to believe there is an isolated species of turkeys that have had no outside contact with the restocked turkeys.

I believe food source dictates the size of turkeys along with hereditary genes that trace back to that original turkey. I know of guys around Tifton that have killed birds that look just like an osceola. I've also got a bantem rooster that doesn't hesitate to jump on the egg laying hens twice his size.

 

[GLS]

The likelihood of unmixed blood in today's "wild turkeys" has diminished over the years because of shrinkage of habitat and re-stocking. Henry Davis's The American Wild Turkey (1949) writes of "pure strains" in two areas of SC, one of which is now underwater in lakes Moutrie and Marion of the Santee-Cooper system.. The other location he described was along the Savannah River in an area known as the Tillman Tract. Henry Davis's information may not have been based on scientific research, but the Savannah River Swamp, on both sides of the river is vast and has held wild turkeys since the beginning of time. The SC side has been the domain of large, single-family owned plantations in acreage sizes of 20,000-50,000 acres. I would suspect the same could be said of turkeys in the Okefenokee Swamp. Fort Stewart has never had stocking and its 280,000 acres has always had turkeys. While the occasional 20 lb. bird is taken, it is rare and the average bird is about 15 lbs. I have seen smaller mature birds. I agree that when we see a bird today that appears to be one of the old strain, it more likely than not is the result of genetic throwback rather than the product of old line birds. Genetic diversity in turkeys is not a bad thing. It can be the key to species survival.

 

[ghost8026]

I don't know if there could be speration of breeds or not but I do know the area where he killed these and the birds can be odd at times of course but my club borders the property he hunted we have approx. 6000 acres and about 2500 of it is river swamp on the satilla and borderin my club and that property is a club of close to 14000 acres with a huge oak hammock and a bunch of river swamp so I'm sure its possible for a pure original wild strand to make it through all the years in them thick nasty swamps who knows though

 

[dawg2]

I believe there are eastern/osceola crosses. I do not believe there is another "subspecies" of turkey. There are definitely climatic and environmental factors that affect turkey sizes regionally.

 

[M Sharpe]

The likelihood of unmixed blood in today's "wild turkeys" has diminished over the years because of shrinkage of habitat and re-stocking. Henry Davis's The American Wild Turkey (1949) writes of "pure strains" in two areas of SC, one of which is now underwater in lakes Moutrie and Marion of the Santee-Cooper system.. The other location he described was along the Savannah River in an area known as the Tillman Tract. Henry Davis's information may not have been based on scientific research, but the Savannah River Swamp, on both sides of the river is vast and has held wild turkeys since the beginning of time. The SC side has been the domain of large, single-family owned plantations in acreage sizes of 20,000-50,000 acres. I would suspect the same could be said of turkeys in the Okefenokee Swamp. Fort Stewart has never had stocking and its 280,000 acres has always had turkeys. While the occasional 20 lb. bird is taken, it is rare and the average bird is about 15 lbs. I have seen smaller mature birds. I agree that when we see a bird today that appears to be one of the old strain, it more likely than not is the result of genetic throwback rather than the product of old line birds. Genetic diversity in turkeys is not a bad thing. It can be the key to species survival.

Good post !!!

 

[Nicodemus]

Back when my folks were hunting these birds, 50 to 100 years ago, these were the typical birds that were here, not the bigger birds that are predominate now in the area If it was an isolated pocket then it stretched from south central Georgia to the coast, over into South Carolina, and down into Florida. At least it appears that way from what has been posted in this thread. I can surely believe it too. As GLS said, looks like there is the occasional throwback now.

 

[GLS]

If it was an isolated pocket then it stretched from south central Georgia to the coast, over into South Carolina, and down into Florida. .

I think it was in an old Dave Harbour book that depicted by map the region you mention that indicated the turkeys in this region were considered "intergrades" of Eastern and Osceola.

 

[ccleroy]

The likelihood of unmixed blood in today's "wild turkeys" has diminished over the years because of shrinkage of habitat and re-stocking. Henry Davis's The American Wild Turkey (1949) writes of "pure strains" in two areas of SC, one of which is now underwater in lakes Moutrie and Marion of the Santee-Cooper system.. The other location he described was along the Savannah River in an area known as the Tillman Tract. Henry Davis's information may not have been based on scientific research, but the Savannah River Swamp, on both sides of the river is vast and has held wild turkeys since the beginning of time. The SC side has been the domain of large, single-family owned plantations in acreage sizes of 20,000-50,000 acres. I would suspect the same could be said of turkeys in the Okefenokee Swamp. Fort Stewart has never had stocking and its 280,000 acres has always had turkeys. While the occasional 20 lb. bird is taken, it is rare and the average bird is about 15 lbs. I have seen smaller mature birds. I agree that when we see a bird today that appears to be one of the old strain, it more likely than not is the result of genetic throwback rather than the product of old line birds. Genetic diversity in turkeys is not a bad thing. It can be the key to species survival.

Very good post!

 

[jeremybuckhunter]

I killed one with no spurs like r buddy's in southwest ga 2 years ago