The Takeaway: North American turkey species look similar but behave in wildly different ways. To punch all the tags, you need to understand the nuances of each subspecies and how to find them.
There are five subspecies of turkeys, and while they look similar, how they act and where they live are vastly different. You need to understand their behavior and their habitat before you have a good chance of getting one.
Turkey Subspecies
Turkeys in the U.S. became geographically isolated about 20,000 years ago, and since then evolved into today’s different subspecies. Since going nearly extinct in the mid-20th century, wildlife agencies embarked on an aggressive rehabilitation plan, and today some of these subspecies have overlapping habitats, making the lines between subspecies blurry.
Eastern Wild Turkey
The Eastern is the most widely distributed and abundant subspecies in North America, and is found nearly every state east of the Mississippi.
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Largest of the wild turkeys, with toms weighing up to 30 pounds. Notable for having the longest beards and loudest gobbles. Sport chestnut-brown tips on their tail feathers and bold black and white bars on their wings.
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Wary and hard to call in. Thrive in hardwood forests and agricultural edges.
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Found from Maine to Florida, though best range is Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Alabama
Osceola (Florida) Turkey
The Osceola is found only on the Florida peninsula.
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Leaner and darker than Easterns. Wings are mostly black, with dark brown tail tips. Long, needle-sharp spurs.
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Tight lipped and hard to call. Found in flats, cypress swamps, and cattle pastures.
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Found only in Florida, south of the Panhandle.
Rio Grande Turkey
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Tan or buff-colored tail feather tips. Long legs and a more copper-hued body feather color.
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More vocal and aggressive than Eastern. More receptive to loud, excited calling.
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Mostly found in Texas but also in Oklahoma, Kansas, and parts of California.
Merriam’s Turkey
Wins “most beautiful” award and is adapted to higher altitudes.
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White-tipped tail feathers. Weakest gobble and shortest beards.
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Nomadic and can travel miles a day.
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Found in the mountains in Wyoming and Nebraska, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and more rugged parts of western Nebraska.
Gould’s Turkey
The rarest of the North American species, found primarily in Mexico but also in a few isolated parts of the Southwest.
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Large frame, big feet, long legs. White tail tips, but blue-green copper sheen to body feathers.
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Found in isolated parts of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as the Sierra Madre of Mexico.
How to Scout Turkeys Using Trail Cameras
Understanding these birds is only half the battle for hunters–finding where they roost and strut is the other. Luckily, no longer do you have to log serious miles to find them. Trail cams like those from REVEAL have vastly changed hunting and scouting.
Because turkeys are highly visual and move frequently based on food sources, you need a camera like the REVEAL Ultra that will allow you to monitor strut zones like logging roads and field edges in real-time. By seeing exactly what time a tom enters a field, you can pattern this behavior without stepping foot in the woods and leaving a human scent.
Xtra can also help as it allows you to pin camera locations and track movement patterns across a property, giving you a tactical advantage when the season opens.
Rules and Regulations for Turkey Hunting
Eastern: Most states offer tags over-the-counter or online. Some states, like Wisconsin and Illinois, use a lottery system. Many eastern states have split seasons; note which window your tag is valid for.
Osceola: Over-the-counter permits available for hunting on private land. Limited entry quota permit, awarded via a lottery, for hunting in wildlife management areas. Strict quotas for non-residents.
Rio Grande and Merriam’s: Generally available over-the-counter. Kansas has a non-resident lottery draw, while mountain states often have a mix of general over-the-counter and limited quota areas that require a drawing.
Gould’s: Strictly a lottery draw, and a very difficult one at that, with some taking a decade or more of applying to build bonus points. Much easier to hunt in Mexico, but requires an outfitter.
Turkey Hunting Rules and Unwritten Laws
Some general hunting rules change for turkeys, largely because they can see color perfectly. In most states, you don’t need to wear orange while hunting, and many hunters wear head-to-toe camo, including face masks and gloves. Some hunters will wear orange while walking out of the woods after hunting or carrying out a harvested bird.
Most states limit you to a 10 gauge or smaller gauge, with 12, 20, and .410 being the most common. You usually cannot use buckshot, and in most states, hunting turkeys with a rifle in spring is illegal.
Electronic calls are illegal in most states, and so are live decoys. Shooting over a pile of corn or feed is prohibited, though you can hunt near naturally occurring food sources.
Note that some states only allow hunting in the morning, and it’s illegal to shoot a turkey while it’s roosting in a tree.