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  • Leadeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 19, 2009
    36,696
    113
    .
    Easy to find at a turkey farm, or along the highway enroute to places like Farbest.
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,752
    113
    Arcadia
    I have no idea how rare they may be as a naturally occurring phenomenon but as Leadeye alluded to, my first suspicion would be an escapee.
     

    AGarbers

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Feb 4, 2009
    1,360
    48
    Martinsville
    I have read reports on liberated domestic turkeys running with wild turkeys and even cross breeding with them and creating cool color variations. A 4" beard is kind of short unless it is a jake.
     

    Reller39

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 27, 2013
    72
    8
    Stendal
    He was with about 30 Turkey biggest group I've seen in forever, took pictures but phone sucks. He stands out so wouldn't think he will last long enough to grow big beard
     

    66chevelle

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    25   0   0
    Jun 16, 2008
    741
    43
    greenfield
    There is a all white one where I deer hunt in Ripley county. I have watched him for 4 years now. I've wondered if he is a domestic or is actually a wild one. He is the same size as the other toms and has a good size beard. I don't know much about turkey hunting but I know when I'm sitting in my deer stand they are all around me.
     

    yetti462

    Master
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    5   0   0
    May 18, 2016
    1,627
    113
    Unglaciated heaven
    Like deer mutations, turkey do the same. "Ghost phase" is what they are called in the turkey world and are cool looking critters. I've seen a couple of toms at the taxidermist and seen a hen in a natural setting. The ghost phase turkey won't be all white like a farm raised bird. They have some brown, gray mottling on them. I've killed regular toms with white bars in the tail feathers.
     

    two70

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Feb 5, 2016
    3,725
    113
    Johnson
    How common are albino turkey

    It depends on the area. White or other color phase turkeys are not all that uncommon in the original re-stock areas due to inbreeding caused by capturing and releasing the majority of the birds from the same population. It seems to be less common than bearded hens though even in those areas.
     

    Reller39

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 27, 2013
    72
    8
    Stendal
    Thank you for the information. I have seen white squirrel and deer,even a black deer but never a wild white turkey. For the last 20 years we have had Turkey's thick in pike county. Hope to get better picture of him soon if I do I will post it
     

    Terry4570

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Nov 18, 2010
    173
    16
    N.A. IN.
    Here is what old friend and big time hunter of everything told me about the white turkeys ,that they had some butter ball or tame in them and that a C.O. told him that they need to be taken out of the flock . This has been over 20 years ago he told me this , I am sure that albinos do happen but the C.O. might have a good point of getting them out of the flock .
     

    two70

    Master
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    19   0   0
    Feb 5, 2016
    3,725
    113
    Johnson
    Here is what old friend and big time hunter of everything told me about the white turkeys ,that they had some butter ball or tame in them and that a C.O. told him that they need to be taken out of the flock . This has been over 20 years ago he told me this , I am sure that albinos do happen but the C.O. might have a good point of getting them out of the flock .

    This sounds plausible if you don't have much experience with domestic turkeys. The reality is that there is virtually no chance that a domestic turkey, especially a white one, lives long enough in the wild to produce offspring. Domestic turkeys are not used to avoiding predators, roosting in trees and can barely, if at all, fly. The expression "a domestic turkey is so stupid they will drown in a rainstorm" exists for a reason. Sure it's an exaggeration but not by as much as most would think.
     

    The Bubba Effect

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    May 13, 2010
    6,221
    113
    High Rockies
    This sounds plausible if you don't have much experience with domestic turkeys. The reality is that there is virtually no chance that a domestic turkey, especially a white one, lives long enough in the wild to produce offspring. Domestic turkeys are not used to avoiding predators, roosting in trees and can barely, if at all, fly. The expression "a domestic turkey is so stupid they will drown in a rainstorm" exists for a reason. Sure it's an exaggeration but not by as much as most would think.

    +1 Domestic turkey do not escape to have adventures in the wild.
     
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