wild turkey

[crimescene450]

im not sure if this is the right section
but anyhow:

i have recently started trying to learn alot of the things i would need to know to survive in the wild
ive learned a few edible plants, and now i want to at least learn the process of preparing a turkey

wild turkey are the most populous game animal in the forest near me
i could probably catch one with a few tries

assuming i did catch one, how do i prepare it?
i dont have any experience preparing animals, but i might as well start learning now.

whats the method?
and is the method the same for all birds, ducks, etc.?

[jc1234]

im not sure if this is the right section
but anyhow:

i have recently started trying to learn alot of the things i would need to know to survive in the wild
ive learned a few edible plants, and now i want to at least learn the process of preparing a turkey

wild turkey are the most populous game animal in the forest near me
i could probably catch one with a few tries

assuming i did catch one, how do i prepare it?
i dont have any experience preparing animals, but i might as well start learning now.

whats the method?
and is the method the same for all birds, ducks, etc.?

The easiest way to defeather Ive been told by a neighbor who eats them a bit (Ive not tried it myself) is to put it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes then grab the tail feathers in a bunch and pull down towards the head...supposedly the feathers and skin come off in mostly one piece.

This wouldnt work well camping though, because who has a pot that big?

[Winnie]

If you just want a meal and don't need it looking pretty on your plate, I've used this method of preparation in the past for Pheasant.
Place your dead bird breast down and with a sharp knife make a small incision at the neck where the skin is loose. Lift the skin away from the body and slide your knife under the skin and follow the backbone down to the tail. Slide your hand under the skin and peel it off the bird lossenening the skin as you go. When you get to the legs and wings you may have to make further incisions along the thigh and drumstick to aid removal of the skin.
Onc the skin is off, take the head off near the body, making the cut from back to front. You should be able to break the neckbone with your hands. Again slide your hands round the neck to disconnect the crop and tubes from the neck and with luck remove the crop and “tubes” to the lungs at the same time as you remove the head.
Next the yucky bit. Turn the bird onto it's back lift the thin covering of flesh just at the bottom of the breastbone. CAREFULLY make a small incision to avoid puncturing the inestines and slide the knife sharp side up into the cut. Continue the cut following the line of the ribcage right roun to the backbone, repeat for the other side. Bend the bird at the point of the cut until the backbone breaks and gently pull the two halves apart. The intestines should start to fall out. Slide yur hand up into the breast cavity and run around the inside to loosen the intestines, lungs and heart. You should then be able to separate the breast crown fron the leg half. To deal with the leg end again CAREFULLY slide your knife under the flesh down toward the pelvis and cut around the anus, then again slide your hand around the inside of the carcass to loosen the intestines before completely removing them from the bird. You can now cut the two halves up how you want. I know this sounds complicated, but once you've done one, it's a quick and easy method of preparing a bird for casseroles etc. Try practising on a Chicken.
If Possible wrap up and hang in a tree. This will keep your hard earned meal out of reach of predators.

NOTE. Do not carry out preparation of any animal at your campsite and bury all the bits you're not eating.

Oh and good luck trying to catch a Wild Turkey. I understand from the more experienced hunters here that they're not as stupid or easy to catch as you might think.

[Rick]

Very nice tutorial Winnie. A+

If you are looking for survival food or wanting to eat the bird in the wild then about the only things you need to worry about are the breast and the legs. You can skin the bird removing the plummage and head then fillet the breast meat off the bone. You'll have a couple of nice sized pieces of meat. Next, remove the legs and thighs in one piece by cutting around the thigh joint and twisting the leg until it pops out. Legs can be tough, however.

This way you don't have to mess with the entrails or worry about feces contaminating your meat should you nick an intestine. You need to understand there is some waste field dressing this way. You'll loose all the meat along the back and rump but there isn't a whole lot there. The up side is you wind up with some nice pieces of meat that you can cook on a stick over the fire or fry up if you have a skillet. You can even boil the meat if you have a pot.

Bury the remaining carcass otherwise you provide a nursery for flies and the possible spread of disease.

[Winnie]

Your method is great too Rick, but I'm afraid the scrooge in me would save every ounce of meat.:)

[jc1234]

Oh and good luck trying to catch a Wild Turkey. I understand from the more experienced hunters here that they're not as stupid or easy to catch as you might think.

The two people I know that consistently get birds year after year just wait on their front porch and when the flock comes walking by one uses a bow, the other uses a small bore rifle. They always seem to be in groups of about 11 - 14 around here. They are elusive critters though. As many live around here, we really only see them when they decide to walk through our yards early in the mornings certain times of year...Ive never seen one just hanging out in the woods...although Im not exactly quiet or worrying about stalking prey when Im out hiking, so it could just be me.

Come to think of it...I dont know anyone who actively hunts turkey around here....I guess deer is just too easy to deal with all the work that goes into hunting turkey for such a small amount of meat comparatively.

[Swamprat1958]

What do you mean by "catch"? I am afraid catching a wild turkey is not as easy as you think. A turkey is afraid of every noise and movement in the woods. You might be able to shoot one off a tree limb, if you were lucky enough to find the tree it was roosting in, but I think you will be surprised at how hard the they are to get near.

[Camp10]

What do you mean by "catch"? I am afraid catching a wild turkey is not as easy as you think. A turkey is afraid of every noise and movement in the woods. You might be able to shoot one off a tree limb, if you were lucky enough to find the tree it was roosting in, but I think you will be surprised at how hard the they are to get near.

I agree. They are cautious about anything not familiar to them most of the time. It might be better to try squirrels, they will go out of their way to get caught....and taste better, in my opinion.

[BLEUXDOG]

I have just missed three this year. A pair with my Scion XD and one with the Yukon. If I had gotten them they would have been the most expensive turkey I had ever eaten.

[crimescene450]

What do you mean by "catch"? I am afraid catching a wild turkey is not as easy as you think. A turkey is afraid of every noise and movement in the woods. You might be able to shoot one off a tree limb, if you were lucky enough to find the tree it was roosting in, but I think you will be surprised at how hard the they are to get near.


wow really?
maybe the turkeys near me arent afraid of humans then

i see them everytime i go hiking
and i always stalk them for fun
i can pretty much always get within 10 feet of them

if i i had a throwing club or a bow i could probably hit one

[justin_baker]

Turkeys are an invasive species here, yet we are limited to one turkey per season (spring and fall). WTF? Seriously, i wake up in the morning and there are turkeys all over my lawn and on my roof. When driving to school we have turkey crossings and we all have to stop.

[kyratshooter]

I must say that being from Kentucky I was misled by the heading of this thread and much disapointed that the subject was the fabled bird and not the elixer of life and perpetual youth our state is famous for.

Seems that in my area The avian turkey form is a neusence animal for 10 months out of the year, fouling lawns, patios and crashing outdoor parties. The other two months they are so crafty they are never seen.

We are quite certain that the WRA sends them E-mail warnings of season openings and durations. They always disapear the day season opens and reappear the day season closes.

On one farm I owned they were so thick we had to kick them off the proch to get into the house. I have actually reached down and picked one up by the feet as I walked from barn to house. So I know that it is possible to actually "catch" one.

They came in every evening when I fed the stock to get their share of the goodies.

Not all turkeys are smart. In fact, I never saw one I though was exceptionally bright. Anything that will have sex with a plastic decoy does not have much going for it.

I think the varrying intelligence levels of the people hunting them is the concern in question.

[Pict]

I have often been tempted to make a giant arapuca and try for turkey. If it was made with cut saplings I'm positive it would work. Ground feeding birds are a natural for the arapuca. The thing that has held me back is that in PA such activity would be illegal and I know myself well enough to know I couldn't resist filming it.

On the handling of freshly killed birds you could always take up hunting or buy a live chicken or duck and prepare it. I will often take live domestic quail out tot he bush to teach people how to prepare live game. Mac

[Swamprat1958]

I must say that being from Kentucky I was misled by the heading of this thread and much disapointed that the subject was the fabled bird and not the elixer of life and perpetual youth our state is famous for.

Hehehehehe! I thought the same thing kyratshooter, but did not mention it. Oh the brain cells that fell to the wayside due to Wild Turkey, Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, Jim Bean, etc. I guess the tense was wrong on the "fell to the wayside", it should have been "continue to fall":)

[kyratshooter]

Hehehehehe! I thought the same thing kyratshooter, but did not mention it. Oh the brain cells that fell to the wayside due to Wild Turkey, Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, Jim Bean, etc. I guess the tense was wrong on the "fell to the wayside", it should have been "continue to fall":)

You do not lose brain cess due to the elixer of life, you trade them. Since one only uses 10% of their brain anyway it is obvious that God intended one to have unused and unneeded cells available for this purpose. That is why the "Good Book" calls for moderation in all things. The damage occurrs when one has a small crainal capacity and uses up his excess 90% too early in life. You must pace yourself so that the excess cells run out as you take that last sip and depart this vail.
:innocent:

[hunter63]

I have gotten lazy and just "breast them out", legs too tough to eat unless you "boil the meat off the bone".
LOL, and,
So, for all those that think that they are "easy to catch", I would have to witness the catching part.........They are the smartest bird in the world...for 15 minutes at time....