Turkey plucking

[Stargazer]

Has anyone here ever plucked a turkey? I know they have some where around 3,000 feathers or so.When I cleaned my last bird all I did was boned the breast meat out.I want to roast a hole one this time(if I am lucky this year)but have never plucked one.Any tips would be helpfull.I know there must be tons of vids on U tube but my puter is acting up and for some reason does not like the internet lately.

[nell67]

Yea,I have,and the easiest way I have found to loosen the feathers,is to dunk the turkey into boiling water to open the pores,lets the feathers slip out easily when you pull them.My problem is the weight of the bird,as I generally hold it by the legs while pulling the feathers,but found my self getting lazy dlaying them down on a table to finish the job.

I have also skinned one,but it was much drier when cooked,and I wasn't a fan

[Stargazer]

I have also skinned one,but it was much drier when cooked,and I wasn't a fan

Same here.Thats why I want to pluck my next one.Thanks for the info.

Would I be safe in thinking that you had removed the wings before dunking the bird in boiling water?

[nell67]

Same here.Thats why I want to pluck my next one.Thanks for the info.

Would I be safe in thinking that you had removed the wings before dunking the bird in boiling water?

No,when I dunk them,the bird is completely intact,including the wings and the feet,which is what I hold onto while plucking,then I remove the feet prior to gutting.

[Stargazer]

Ahh,that makes sence.Dont know why I was thinking you would remove the wings first.

[trax]

ahem "I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's son..." and it goes on, I know you asked about turkeys but the heading just made me remember that.

[hunter63]

I have plucked a lot of them, takes a while, but then again, after it's dead, you have all the time in the would.
Your season is over, so whats the hurry?

Most of the time I didn't have the option of boiling water, container would have to be pretty big.
Most of my turkeys have been shot at "The Place", and accommodations were pretty primitive in the beginning.

So, I just pour a coffee, get out the lawn chair, a shopping bag for the feathers, (don't know how many, never counted them), and just take your time and go for it.

If it's a hen or jake, I have been known to start plucking while still in the woods, while allowing the other guys to keep hunting.
Need to leave head, wings,legs w/tag, wings etc on for registration, but give you a head start.
Lot of guys just do the breast, but your correct, I think they are too dry also.

First turkey, 24 lb tom, we roasted on a spit at Rendezvous, along with a 12 lb capon on another spit, in a fire pit about 6 ft long.
Took about 7 hours.
So it was like 10k bucks for hunting land,
10K bucks for 4X4
700 bucks new shot guns
300 bucks new camo and "stuff"
1000 bucks for trailer to stay in
2000 bucks for drive way to get truck and trailer on to hunting land.

So 1-24 lb turkey (@1000 bucks per pound) cooked at Rendezvous feeding 16 people:
Priceless!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stargazer]

24lb Tom, well done.My first was 18lbs.It was the largest taken in the area at the time of weigh in.Last year I got skunked.The list is probabley long as to the mistakes that I made.Oh well its another year and another season.

With any luck I will be plucking this spring.I wish my season was more than two weeks long.To make things worse, we do not have a fall season in my zone.I really cant complain tho.The turkey population is growing at a good rate.Who knows the state may open a fall season here if things continue.

[Huntinfool]

I seem to just always breast mine out I then skin the legs. I cut out the wings at the top joint my friend gets the right wing feathers I take the left wing feathers. Then we make wing bone calls out of the bones got several laying around.

Last two or three I made into turkey salad. I boil the legs and/or the breast adding seasonings until it's nice and tender.

Add all the good stuff whatever you personally like.

I promise you none it will go to waste well maybe your waist. LOL!

~HF~

[Old GI]

Briings to mind a chicken plucking story. When, as a very young boy, we lived in WV (St. Alban's and South Charleston) in the early '50s, my mother would kill the bird and process it including plucking. She grew up on a western PA farm. She was having a problem with the tiny pin feathers or down? (I think they are called). She had just purchased a new Ladies Schick electric razor when they first came out. She decided to try to shave the bird. It worked well.

She then sat down and wrote a letter to the President of Schick saying something to the affect: Sir, I am more than completely satisfied with my brand new Ladies Schick razor. In fact, I have found a new use for it (relating to the success with the chicken). You might consider adding a new item as you did with the electric Ladies Schick model. You will then have a Mens Schick, a Ladies Schick and a Chicken Schick. Thank for for these marvelous products.

(I know, way too much time on my hands.)

[hunter63]

She then sat down and wrote a letter to the President of Schick saying something to the affect: Sir, I am more than completely satisfied with my brand new Ladies Schick razor. In fact, I have found a new use for it (relating to the success with the chicken). You might consider adding a new item as you did with the electric Ladies Schick model. You will then have a Mens Schick, a Ladies Schick and a Chicken Schick. Thank for for these marvelous products.

(I know, way too much time on my hands.)

LOL, I love it..........

[Ole WV Coot]

Briings to mind a chicken plucking story. When, as a very young boy, we lived in WV (St. Alban's and South Charleston) in the early '50s, my mother would kill the bird and process it including plucking. She grew up on a western PA farm. She was having a problem with the tiny pin feathers or down? (I think they are called). She had just purchased a new Ladies Schick electric razor when they first came out. She decided to try to shave the bird. It worked well.

She then sat down and wrote a letter to the President of Schick saying something to the affect: Sir, I am more than completely satisfied with my brand new Ladies Schick razor. In fact, I have found a new use for it (relating to the success with the chicken). You might consider adding a new item as you did with the electric Ladies Schick model. You will then have a Mens Schick, a Ladies Schick and a Chicken Schick. Thank for for these marvelous products.

(I know, way too much time on my hands.)

For all you pluckers the easiest way I've found with a turkey is a section at a time if you don't have a #2 washtub to dunk the bird in is pour boiling water on the part you are eager to pluck and as to the itty bitty leftover fuzz light a paper bag or newspaper anything like that and singe those things off. Easy to do and anyone(almost) can do it OUTSIDE

[Rick]

You could always skin it out. That will give you the bird minus the feathers and skin. It will cook a little drier with the skin, however.

[2dumb2kwit]

Oh, Oh, Oh, how about if you skin it....then wrap it in bacon, so it doesn't dry out, when cooking.

[hunter63]

I've tried skinning, breasting it out, but nothing beats plucking, for a nice juicy bird.

The one we cooked over the open fire was just about black on the outside (skin), and my first thought was, holy carp, we cindered this thing.

One slice and the juice just squirted out, and I know we hit it out of the park.

But that's just me.

[Huntinfool]

Oh, Oh, Oh, how about if you skin it....then wrap it in bacon, so it doesn't dry out, when cooking.

LOL! That's what they make cookin' bags for. Unless you're cooking it over an open fire like hunter63. then I guess you could do like some natives did cook the feathers right off that bird! LOL!

Or cover the whole thing in clay bake it over the open fire, and then bust the clay free removing clay, feathers, skin, and all! J/K I've never tried the last two methods! LOL!

~HF~

[hunter63]

LOL! That's what they make cookin' bags for. Unless you're cooking it over an open fire like hunter63. then I guess you could do like some natives did cook the feathers right off that bird! LOL!

Or cover the whole thing in clay bake it over the open fire, and then bust the clay free removing clay, feathers, skin, and all! J/K I've never tried the last two methods! LOL!

~HF~

Clay pack works on trout, haven't tried bird.