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Ray Fetherman

@rayfetherman

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Hobbyist photographer with a love for wildlife and the outdoors. Living in Colorado. USFWS volunteer.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

I definitely won't forget sheep Sunday, this is a giant bob and i are watching.

@kapturegear @biggamenationofficial @bighorn.bob.kyhn @mountainhuntinc @hunt_az @backcountryhunters @wilderness_athlete @montanawildsheep #wildsheep #hunting #wildsheepfoundation #huntinglife #hunters

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Has this guy roamed back into our lives? @rayfetherman believes he may be back after a year hiatus. Go check out some of Rays recent pics and see what you think 🤔

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🦃 QUICK TURKEY ANATOMY LESSON

Around the head area, you have a lot of wobbly business:

🔸CARUNCLES: The bumps on the head and neck that look like the skin of a gourd made of blood clots.

🔸WATTLE: The fleshy skin sail that hangs from the turkey’s neck. Also known as a dewlap.

🔸SNOOD: The fleshy protuberance on the forehead that dingle dangles over the beak.

These are all capable of changing different shades of red, white and blue based on the turkey’s emotion. Each feature is typically smaller and less colorful on female turkeys (hens) than male turkeys (toms).

Moving down the body we also have:

🔸BEARD: The tassel of thick, hair-like feathers that stick out of the turkey’s chest.

🔸SPURS: The little daggers on most male turkey legs primarily used for defense.

The characteristics of these features vary by sex and age. Most hens lack beards and very rarely grow prominent spurs. Beards and spurs both grow with age on toms.

1 - A tom with prominent snood, wattle, and caruncles. Major caruncles are often located at the bottom of the neck. 📸 @honeysucklehillpoultry

2 - A tom on full display with beard and spur visible. 📸 @jimmyb_intothewild

3 - This tom’s long, deep red snood makes him a desirable mate. 📸 @pagamecomm

4 - This tom’s shrunken, pale red snood indicates he is likely calm. 📸 @widar_wildlife

5 - Another calm tom with pale head and shrunken snood plus visible beard and spur. 📸 @hanksgamecallsjr

6 - A young tom with short beard. 📸 @littleredfarmstead

7 - Hen with small snood and caruncles. 📸 @outdoors.rc

8 - Sexual dimorphism in turkeys. The tom (right) is larger with a longer snood and more prominent wattle and caruncles. 📸 @smallfarmcharm

9 - Another example of sexual dimorphism. 📸 @rayfetherman

10 - A bright red head on a tom. 📸 @thekeetlifefarm

11 - A blue head on a tom. 📸 @scottallen19

12 - A multicolored tom head likely indicates confidence. 📸 @mattaddington

Listen to our episode on Meleagrology (TURKEYS) at the link in bio or wherever you get your podcasts.

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💥PHOTO BY: @rayfetherman A throwback Thursday photo to 2023. I was sitting in my truck and this big mule deer buck came through the brush right at me. He made my day.
#muledeer #muledeerbuck #muledeercountry #muledeerhunting#muledeerfoundation

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💥PHOTO BY: @rayfetherman A big mule deer buck giving me a look back in a fall colored field.
#muledeer #muledeerbuck #muledeercountry
#muledeerfoundation#muledeerhunting

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💥PHOTO BY: @rayfetherman A portrait of another one of my all time favorite mule deer bucks.
#muledeer #muledeerbuck #muledeercountry
#muledeerfoundation#muledeerhunting

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Here are the top nine post for the last 28 days. Thank you to all the photographers who contribute to this page.
You are the best of the best.
Thank you to all my followers you keep this page going.

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PLEASE READ CAPTION

Western big game opportunity is shrinking.

Tag odds are tighter.
Points are stacking.
More kids are applying — fewer are drawing.

If we don’t protect youth opportunity now, western hunting won’t look the same in 10–20 years.

That’s why I support @outdoorsmenlegacyalliance.

They’re fighting for youth tag access, giving away real hunts, and advocating to keep western opportunity alive.

This isn’t about handouts.
It’s about protecting elk camps, mule deer seasons, and the next generation of hunters.

If you believe every kid who wants to hunt deserves a fair shot —

👇 COMMENT “LEGACY”
👉 Then go follow @outdoorsmenlegacyalliance

Let’s build something that actually moves the needle.

#WesternHunting #ElkSeason #MuleDeer #ProtectTheWest #YouthOpportunity HuntingHeritage

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💥PHOTO BY: @rayfetherman A photo of a big mule deer buck from when it use to snow in Colorado.
#muledeer #muledeerbuck #muledeercountry
#muledeerfoundation#muledeerhunting

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💥PHOTO BY: @rayfetherman Split 5 was always fun to see and photograph. He was an amazing bull that will provide happy memories to many people who had the opportunity to see him and photograph him over the years. He will be missed by many. The first photo is from 2023 and he is wearing some willows in his antlers. The second shot is 2024 and he is wearing meadow grass in his antlers. The third photo is from 2025 and is the last photo that I took of him.

#wapitiwednesday
#elk #bullelk #elkhunting #rockymountainnationalpark

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💥PHOTO BY: @rayfetherman A throwback Thursday photo of Slingshot from the 2022 rut. He was posing perfectly on a small ridge, watching an approaching buck, as the sun was coming up.
#muledeer #muledeerbuck #muledeerfoundation
#muledeerhunting#muledeercountry

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💥PHOTO BY: @rayfetherman Another favorite mule deer buck in the snow photo, from a few years back.
#muledeer #muledeerbuck #monstermuleys
#muledeercountry#muledeerhunting

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