went to Nebraska for a merriam this last weekend and after day 1 we had to head back to Michigan due to family emergency, I was able to kill a bird but it was not white banded like a merriam i was told they were hybrids with the eastern so my search is still going to kill a true white banded bird or Rio if anyone has any leads on good hunting property or a place to lease for a few days to spring turkey hunt, maybe an outfitter if reasonable price

Sorry your trip was cut short. I’ve had great luck with nice white Merriams is SE MT, Western SD n NW Neb, lots of public ground to hunt and incredibly beautiful.

We have all 3. Hybrids, Rio, and Merriam. I’d be more than happy to have you hunt. We are covered up with turkeys, but in a draw unit only. I have 300 birds on our ground and I didn’t draw a tag:( sorry about your trip. Good luck

Ive never done DNA testing, but that doesnt mean it was a hybrid. Ive killed a small pile of Merriams and some of them just dont have good white tips. Killed one last year that could pass as a Rio and you gottta go several hundred miles to find one of those.

Mine could pass for a eastern saved the fan and compared to easterns from Michigan and Kentucky you can’t pick out the bird I shot in western Nebraska North Platte area. And family is always first just means another hunting trip to get the grand slam

True and I agree.

You can't always go by the "norms" that the biologists state are the absolutes. I killed a Merriam in the Black Hills decades ago and the tips were not that light. Three birds came from that flock and all were the same. In South Dakota, they started introducing the Easterns as the Merriams stayed around the ranch feedlots too much in winter. Hunts used to be guys riding out in the loader tractor and shooting their birds years ago. So while there can be hybrids and are, there are also Darwin mutantions.

The flock that summers in my yard is Merriams, and is almost black. I sincerely believe as some squash will turn a blue tint in some soils, that soils and the amount of light affect feather color. I have seen coons here buckskin colored to pure black. Buetos go through dark phases as much as horned owls. I would say that you shot a Merriams which was typical of that area of Nebraska.

Too bad you had to run back home.

Too bad about Your trip...I hope you find your Spot!

Western South Dakota

Wyoming has them. The hunt area near Shell is an over the counter tag area. Lots of birds-lotsa public hunting and the ranchers in the area are the friendliest people you will meet. Knock on a few doors and you can hunt on private. The ranch I hunted on had one stipulation (kill em all) I only had one tag and they said they didn't care as the turkeys tear up their hay bales something terrible. In that area they don't turkey hunt they turkey shoot.

I would pick a state with pure Merriam’s. I know of “guides” in Nebraska that say you can shoot three of your grand slam birds on one hunt. They go by tail fan colors, lol. White=Merriam Buff=Rio Dark=Eastern. If that was the case I’ve killed a pile of Merriam’s in Kansas and Texas for that matter!