Does anyone know the best way to tell the difference between an Eastern and a Rio? I've read that the Eastern has darker tips on it's tail feathers/fan, but it seems like it would be difficult to tell the difference with a live bird in front of you in the field. I've hunted Rios all my life near Brady, but have a place in Grayson County where there is potential to see both. Thoughts?

shoot then ask questions later. they're both legal

If the Tom comes running and gobbling in its a Rio. If You set up and The tom comes in after 3 hours and never makes a sound it an Eastern.

The Rio gobbles in spanish.

LOL, while these scenarios are commonplace, I've had the exact opposite happen on several occasions. Fan feathers on a Rio will be white, off white or buff in color, while the Eastern will be brown to dark brown in color. I wouldn't worry much on the ID thing, as it's county dependant on the number of birds you can harvest.

Gman

Easterns have an almost bronze brown tip and are very dark barred and they are sneaky.

Rios have a very light tip almost white and on occasion the come running in if your dekes are set up right and they are smaller in size but more vocal on and off the roost.

Hope this helps

I'm with perch Jerker! Dang eastern's they take forever! Although yes the way to tell is the dark tail feather's. Go to a website with pic's of turkey's and notice the bright white tips and center tip's on the rio, and the eastern is way darker! lol atascosa. El' gobblero'

Some of you may remember I played this game a few years ago. To kill the time until next weekends opener...let's play again. Guess Eastern, Rio, Merriam, or Goulds.

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Goulds
Eastern
Rio
Merriams

Seen rios that look just like all three but all from west tx so i know there all rios. Killed a couple of easterns in ny. state and the color was alot darker and the birds almost look black.