[dpms]

How common are these in eastern birds? I noticed a few of the pictures posted so far had some white in the center tail feathers. My second gobbler had them and Matt/Pa's gobbler had them too. Here are mine and Matt's birds for reference.

 

[mauser06]

My 2nd bird had one or 2 as well....it was busted off too...

 

[DoubleGobble]

I've seen it several times. I assume it is not that rare.

 

[Limbhanger835]

Seems to be pretty common, most of mine have had them but not as high as these two.

 

[Matt / PA]

I dont think its terribly common but it looks like you can get a streak of it in a local population....this is a bird one of our landowners shot while hunting with us last year. It was shot on the exact same farm as the bird I killed this year so they may have even been brothers. His was a 2yr old and mine this year likely a 3yr old.

 

[Fullfan]

I have killed probably some where around 15 mature birds with the white on the center 3 tail feathers. All have come from Pa though.

 

[REDLAB]

I have killed several birds with the center 2 or 3 like that !
All Pa birds !

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I killed one about ten years ago with the white highlighted tail feathers. It's the only one I have killed like that though.

 

[Borden811]

It seems to be fairly common. Definitely wouldn't call it rare. However, I've never seen many hens with it. Possibly because most people don't take pictures with a hens tail fan spread out.

 

[jmbear12]

I can think of only three birds with the barred tail feathers that have come back to camp over the last ten years, usually getting between 6-10 birds per year. I think they're neat looking, and although I don't usually keep the fans anymore, I'll probably mount a barred fan if I get another one. I got a beautiful one several years back, but the mice got to it before I did.

 

[Hunter8319]

I would say its common. I killed a gobbler last year that had a lot of completely white wing feathers. A pgc biologist told me that even that was not very rare.

 

[Everyday Hunter]

Never shot one like that. Also never shot a gobbler with more than one beard. I did shoot one with white wing feathers back around 2007 or 2008.

Steve.

 

[B B]

Shot a few with white feathers. I was told the older the bird the higher up the white goes... don't know if its true.

 

[Brian D]

I shot one in NJ, one in 2G, one in 4c, and one in VA that all had a little white in the center tail feathers. A lot of the turkeys my friends and family have killed have had it too. It doesn't seem to be all that rare.

 

[Kip Feroce]

I have taken several with the barred tail feathers. With as many as 3 on a tail.

 

[ng270]

They've been pretty common for us, both in PA & KY. Quick count of the pics I have handy of birds we have taken showed seven toms with it, out of about 30.