fafaflohi Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I was out scouting today in preparation for the spring season and spotted a pure white jake with a nice black beard. He was with 3 other Jakes out foraging for food and blended right in with the snow. He was a beautiful bird to look at and watch, now my question to everyone is. Would you shoot him if you had the chance? My answer is Yes, and then I think it would be mandatory to have a mount made of him in full strut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyotehunter Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 This is a topic debated on a number of forums. There are some albinos that are protected such as the albino moose near Ottawa. I posted a piebald deer shot by a friend in the Niagara area. I debated over shooting some almost pure albino squirrels I found a pocket of years ago. While nice to look at we have to remember that this is a recessive gene and nature has evolved the normal colour phases as a survival characteristic. Imagine the survival chances of ptarmigan and snowshoe hares caught in a January thaw with no snow. Except where specifically protected I see no problem with harvesting a legal animal during season. There will always be criticism because they are unique. But critters are afraid of the unusual and strange within their own species and their chances to breed and survive are often less in the wild because of this. Let's face it, are you going to see the camo critter or the albino critter first. They are a unique trophy and worthy of display if possible for the enjoyment of others - as much as a trophy fish or big buck mount. Heck if for nothing else as to make others green with envy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellandrivercarper Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Would 2 albinos make more albinos or would they make normal ones. Wrc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niagarangler89 Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Would 2 albinos make more albinos or would they make normal ones. Wrc More albinos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellandrivercarper Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Im not a hunter so im going to have to go with no on shooting a albino.I think it would be neet to have a bunch of white animals running around. Do you have any pictures? Wrc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcatch Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I pay enough money for my turkey licence a year and it also took me a whole day taking a money grab course to get my licence. I've thrown away turkey tags from getting skunked, Not happy...... So my answer is if there is no law against shooting a white turkey "Albino" during turkey season then that bird will fill my tag. And I'll be happy eating it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordanl Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 i wouldsay it depends, if you hunting an area thats just littered with turkeys.. i would say yeah thats fine, shoot it, fill you tag, and make your friends jealous. if your fishing an area or season where the hunting is slow or the numbers are near nothing i would probably have to justify with myself to shoot it. but thats my opinion, i have never hunted before so i probably have a skewed vision compared to a hunter:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 The other question to ask??? Is it possible the specimen is an escape. THere are hundreds of poultry farms throughout Niagara. 45 are commercial turkey farms. There are also a number of local show breeders in the region as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blairwelsh Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 White vs Albino Turkey White Turkey are a domesticated type of turkey. They are very common and not the same a true albino turkey. Albino turkey are also white in color, but white because they have a rare defect. Many people tend to think a white turkey is an albino. Most albinos have red eyes and this can be a helpful way in telling the difference between the two birds. ________________________ Albinism is due to various gene mutations that affect the production of normal pigmentation. True (amelanistic) albinos lack melanin and are white with no markings and with unpigmented pink eyes. Partial (blue-eyed) albinos have some residual pigmentation. There are various degrees of patchy albinism (piebaldism) due to localised mutations in skin cells. Temperature dependent albinos have residual colour on cooler parts of the body i.e. Siamese cats where pigment develops on the head, tail and legs, but not on the warmer parts of the body. Bluish-grey anerythristic albinos lack the red colour. Axanthic albinos lack the yellow colour. The actual colour and pattern of these animal depends on what other colours are in the pattern. Tyrosinase-negative albinos lack tyrosinase (an enzyme which synthesises melanin) in their cells; this usually produces a pale yellowish or cream animal with pink-eyes. The more common Tyrosinase Positive albino cannot synthesise melanin, but can synthesise tyrosinase, giving a fawn or lavender (platinum) colour. Leucism is often mistaken for albinism. Leucistic animals, such as white lions, are white or very pale, with dark eyes and some pigmentation, for example ghost markings. Chinchilla is sometimes mistaken for albinism, but is caused by a different mutation that affects the distribution of pigment on the hair shaft. White tigers are chinchilla. Other mutations also cause white animals; some of the animals pictured here (white peacocks) are white, but not albino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordanl Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 i was only under the impression of there being one type of albino. i had no idea there were different types. thanks blair for the short explanation just to add some pictures so people know what he is talking about, Piebald albino turkeys Axanthic albinosLeucisticthen there is the opposite of albino, and i almost like this more, its Melanism .Melanism related to the process of adaptation is called adaptive. Most commonly, dark individuals become fitter to survive and reproduce in their environment as they are better camouflaged. This makes some species less conspicuous to predators, while others such as black panthers use it as a foraging advantage during night hunting. Typically, adaptive melanism is heritable: A dominant gene, which is entirely or nearly entirely expressed in the phenotype is responsible for the excessive amount of melanin.BuckTurkeyFawn?Squirrel, i see these all the time in the Niagara area. pretty cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fafaflohi Posted March 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 I would love to get a pic of him but my camera isnt worth much to zoom in enough to get one. I looked for him again today but to no avail. I did happen to see about 100 Turkey today though all wintering in 3 different areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fafaflohi Posted March 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 I would love to bring someone along with a good camera with a telephoto lens and take some pics of the turkeys strutting and spitting. I saw my first strut of the season today and 2 jakes doing some sort of dance with each other and raising a wing then making a circle around the other jake, then back and forth this went for 5 minutes until a hen came over and gave em heck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 "Not" shooting white turkeys is discrimination .......they are all the same in the oven ! When we hunted at 16 Road , just passed "Putt's Inn" we often hunted for jacks beside a farm that had hundreds of white turkeys that were outside in a fenced area . I would guess the odd one would escape and end up in the nearby bush but we didn't see one ......The question is ........?? ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcatch Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 I'll take and eat a wild turkey over a domestic turkey any day. The wild ones to me are more better tasting. To me anyways... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 Wild is always better than farm raised , from blueberries , moose , fish, to turkeys . My buddy gave me some cooked Jake meat a few years ago & it was delicious ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perkins Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Its a rare piece of nature that you shouldn't shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bones Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 I hunt and I would take one. All wild birds taste great. They belong right beside the mashed potatoes & gravy...... mmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fafaflohi Posted March 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fafaflohi Posted March 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Sorry about the crappy pics but this is through my camera phone and looking through my binoculars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 First of all if you can pick one turkey and actually legally kill it then you are a great hunter. Secondly I would take it IF it had the most value as table fare. I don't think the biggest is the best eating. My first turkey was huge so I have no desire to go bigger or to get a trophy. I actually donated those spurs and the tail to native artists and I don't think they would value the feathers of this bird. In fact it would probably make for some crappy fly tying. If this bird was the first to get in range and I had a clear shot I would take it and sleep good. If I did take this bird however I would definitely get it mounted because something unique is worth celebrating. Simply disposing of its feathers in the green bin would be a sad and unfitting end. If you couldn't afford a mount a nice framed photo would be a must. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 And , don't forget , if you plan on mounting a turkey you can ask for the meat and have it for supper. I have had a few free pheasant dinners after mounting them , and that goes for fish also . After skinning out the birds , rub them down with butter , coat with crumbs & lay bacon strips on the breast meat ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfisch2003 Posted March 17, 2013 Report Share Posted March 17, 2013 Absolutely would shoot it. And too the taxidermist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakeyes Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 I'd have to go with no just for the rareity of it, that being said being at the end of the barrel I may have a different thought at that moment........ all comes down to the person holding the gun i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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