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Rio Grande gobblers are known as the most vocal and often easiest of the four subspecies to hunt. But they’re still turkeys—don’t travel to Texas expecting a pushover.
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Hunting open-country Rios usually means running and gunning.
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Rios are notorious for gobbling hard at all hours of the day.
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The photographer and his brother do much of their hunting near Childress, Texas.
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Sometimes turkeys aren’t the only things you’ll find in the spring woods.
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Though Texas is the most common destination for a Rio hunt, Kansas and Oklahoma both have good populations of them as well. Rios have also been successfully transplanted to parts of the Dakotas and states along the West Coast.
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Though not as white as the Merriam’s subspecies, Rios sport buff tips on their tail fans.
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When a Rio answers inside of 200 yards, you’d best find a spot to sit and get your gun ready. They often respond quickly.
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When you see that big red and white head bobbing through the mesquite at 30 yards, well, you know to do.
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Disproportionately long legs are a dead giveaway of a Rio—they’re a good place to hang your tag, too.
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The author’s brother with a fine Texas Tom.
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See the Florida leg of the Grand Slam series by clicking here. Look for the Eastern leg next week.
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With a Florida tag filled, the next leg of a single-season Grand Slam often means heading to Texas for the wild and reckless Rio Grande gobbler
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