Unusual turkey

Dad with the turkey and Skeet (the protector of carcasses)

Dad finally got to go turkey hunting yesterday morning after having been in South Carolina on the opening couple of days. He hunted behind the house, where the flood had reduced the huntable territory by about 1/3. That actually made the hunting easier, as the turkeys had less room to roam.
He killed this 23 pound tom as he sat within 10 feet of the backwater. He chased the tom back and forth across the field three times before finally calling up the hen that was with him. Two jakes chased the hen, and the big tom brought up the rear in full strut. Dad's 2011 spring turkey season lasted all of about three hours.
Skeet (as is the custom) protected the carcass for a couple of hours until dad got around to cleaning it. Notice the unusual barred feathers in the middle of the tail fan. We've never seen one like that before.