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Ask Dr. TomAsk Dr. Tom


IT’S THE HUMIDITY.

A hot topic in my barbershop is stocking Rio Grande turkeys in the delta areas of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. We have abundant crops and native trees. Why can’t the Rio survive in this region? They are hardy enough to make it through tough Kansas and Nebraska winters and extreme Texas summer heat.

Jim Wells
via e-mail

FYI > Many famous turkey hunters were once barbers. Just ask Eddie Salter, Harold Knight and Dick Kirby. They are a cut above.

All research indicates that Easterns are the native bird for your region. It’s always best to stick with the native. Rios don’t do well in the humid East. When wildlife agencies tried restoring Rios in east Texas, the adult birds survived for several years but never fledged enough broods to sustain the population. The biggest differences in western and eastern Texas are the amount and timing of rain. Young turkeys cannot survive cold, wet nights, and Rios may be more susceptible than Easterns. If you like hunting turkeys in the Delta, stick with Easterns and work to improve their habitat.

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