| Author |
Topic  |
|
reel_time
Starting Member
3 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2012 : 1:41:28 PM
|
| I just started deer hunting last year (harvested two), and I'm ready to take a stab at turkey hunting. Do any of the local deer processors open up in the spring for turkey, or am I on my own? |
|
|
brickyard15
Intermediate Member
  

87 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2012 : 2:47:00 PM
|
| nothing to really process. just pluck and gut that bad boy |
 |
|
|
tailwalker2001
Senior Member
   

204 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 07:48:14 AM
|
| Really? You wanna take a bird to a processor? I think it's best you stay the hell out of the turkey woods. Looks like turkey hunting is becoming the "cool thing" to do these days. |
 |
|
|
Easy
Senior Member
   

2818 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 08:08:14 AM
|
| Reel Time, if you get one, make it look like one you buy in the frozen food section and it's processed! I won't even, tell you how to process doves! |
Edited by - Easy on 03/23/2012 08:09:37 AM |
 |
|
|
flyinghigh
Senior Member
   

630 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 09:15:15 AM
|
| Think I will have to agree with tailwalker on this one. If you need a turkey processor you should turn your tags back in to the state, and not take up a space in the woods. |
 |
|
|
Partners-Ship
Senior Member
   

1036 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 09:39:29 AM
|
I agree. I could not believe the post was real. I think I'll call Cordray's and ask them how much per pound to prcess my bird
Hunting, fishing, and poker are my sports. Work when necessary. |
 |
|
|
cane_creek
Senior Member
   
666 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 09:50:34 AM
|
quote: Originally posted by tailwalker2001
Looks like turkey hunting is becoming the "cool thing" to do these days.
Yep and it's really pissing me off..... |
 |
|
|
JimIslander
Senior Member
   

1804 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 09:51:36 AM
|
quote: Originally posted by reel_time
I just started deer hunting last year (harvested two), and I'm ready to take a stab at turkey hunting. Do any of the local deer processors open up in the spring for turkey, or am I on my own?
Hey, take it easy on the brother. Not everyone grew up with guts on their faces (thankfully I did).
There are several great YouTube videos on how to clean your turkey. It's dirt easy, and really a part of the "primitive hunter" game. If it's really hot, get those guts out as soon as you can.
Tidewater 196DC Yamaha F115 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pungo 120 |
 |
|
|
tailwalker2001
Senior Member
   

204 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 10:05:50 AM
|
quote: Originally posted by cane_creek
quote: Originally posted by tailwalker2001
Looks like turkey hunting is becoming the "cool thing" to do these days.
Yep and it's really pissing me off.....
Yea....makes me worried about April. |
 |
|
|
ReelHunter
Senior Member
   

1543 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 11:26:29 AM
|
You can clean a turkey in about 10mins...no plucking. I fillet out the breasts and then pop the legs off...Look at it like it is a 18# quail and you will have no problem. I would not pluck/gut another bird for the rest of my life, too easy to peel the skin back fillet out without ever pulling a feather. The real question is anybody got a good recipe for the legs? The only way I have found to not have them turn out tough as nails is to slow cook them in a crock pot. The breast meat I usually cut in strips and fry, but thats just me
|
 |
|
|
Partners-Ship
Senior Member
   

1036 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 12:06:37 PM
|
I cook wild turkey the same way I would a rabbit or squirrel, hunters style. I marinate in red wine and SECRET seasonings I then cook mushrooms and peppers in olive oil in a lage frying pan . I then add the turkey and tomato sauce and simmer until tender.MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM good
Hunting, fishing, and poker are my sports. Work when necessary. |
 |
|
|
Easy
Senior Member
   

2818 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 2:57:00 PM
|
Best recipe for turkey legs is! 1. let stand outside in a covered container in warm sunny spot a minimum of 3 days. 2. Place leg in crab trap. 3. place trap in creek 4. pull trap after soaking 24 hours 5. eat crabs
|
 |
|
|
elgeebee
Senior Member
   

472 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 7:27:15 PM
|
I break the legs off at the joint, then skin and remove the drumsticks - then cut off the beard and fan, fillet the breasts and usually chuck the rest. The breast meat is the best part - cut into strips, bread or batter then fry...the drumsticks are good when slow-cooked in the crock pot.
Lewis Brownlee "elgeebee" WS Ride 135

|
 |
|
|
Bulldog_bites
Senior Member
   

359 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2012 : 10:38:26 AM
|
I always take the fan. Even if I do not hang them on the wall they are great for decoys. Take a 270 cartilage and super glue it to the back of the fan at the base. break an old aluminum arrow in half for the stake and now you have a new decoy. Makes the turkey think that the tom is turn the other way strutting. Ive had them do circles around the fan trying to figure it out.
Scout '282 tidewater '21
Oscar '10 |
 |
|
|
haz-r-dous1
Senior Member
   

4272 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2012 : 3:04:31 PM
|
I skin my bird. Knock off all the things that dont fare well. Wings, feet, and neck. Cut out the breast. Then take the rest of the bird and boil. makes a great stock and then strip meat off bones add a little rice and boom turkey and rice.
Going to Church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
You are the offspring of 5 monkeys having But Secs with a retarded fish squirrel. CONGRADULATION!!!!
|
 |
|
|
livinthedream
Intermediate Member
  

123 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2012 : 6:15:16 PM
|
| Pressure cook the legs. Debone and make into "chicken salad". I usually just take mine to the processor though. |
 |
|
|
reel_time
Starting Member

3 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2012 : 3:10:38 PM
|
To those who posted helpful replies, thanks - I didn't realize it was that easy! To those who condemned me for the question - I'm sorry - I didn't realize that if you weren't born with a turkey call in your hands, that you were never allowed to learn how to hunt. |
 |
|
|
salty849
Senior Member
   

1252 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2012 : 09:21:08 AM
|
I have a picked one sitting in the fridge right now waiting on the smoker, took about 30 minutes to pick him, singe him, and knock the guts out. Be prepared for some constructive criticism when you ask a dumbas s question on a public forum. I wish you would post this in the gobblers roost on scducks.com so you could get some real feedback.
"City folks sure dont know much" |
 |
|
|
DubyaTB
New Member


8 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2012 : 12:05:00 PM
|
| reel time-you give me $50 and ill process the bird for you. |
 |
|
|
Dadfsr
Senior Member
   
392 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2012 : 1:32:03 PM
|
I usually just skin the bird, cutting off the wing tips and feet first, gut it and fix 'em that way. I've always put them on the grill on low heat (not quite smoking) but will wrap the bird in a couple layers of cheesecloth that has been soaked in a mixture of about half melted butter and half canola oil (plus seasonings). That keeps the bird from drying out while it cooking which leaving the skin on would normally do. Even fixed that way the drumsticks may be a little tougher than most people would want to eat at the table so I use all of the left overs and put everything in large stock pot for fixing a batch of tasty turkey broth that also has all the left over meat stripped off and added to it. I'll bag that up in quart bags to keep in the freezer and use later for soups or turkey and noodles-there's much more flavor in the broth from a wild turkey than anything you can get from the store! Oh yeah-make sure to save the heart and liver to put in the stock pot. If you save the gizzard you are going to have to really clean it good since it will be full of grit.
I just haven't wanted to take the time to pluck one yet...maybe this year  |
Edited by - Dadfsr on 03/26/2012 1:34:08 PM |
 |
|
|
OhioNavyNuke
Senior Member
   

879 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2012 : 10:14:33 PM
|
| i shot my first and only turkey back home (after 6 years of empty tags)the year before i left and plucked and gutted it and it was perfectly fine on the table. not really any secret to it, but you can dip it in a pot of hot but not boiling water and it will help loosen the feathers. plucking the wings took a pair of pliers but it still worked. granted it was a jake and not a tough old tom, but i injected garlic butter in each wing, drumstick, thigh, and a couple times in the breast and stuffed it in the turkey fryer that it barely fit in (13lbs plucked and gutted). everything on it including wings and legs turned out fine, just make sure you dont overcook it as with any wild game. |
 |
|
|
Rick K
Senior Member
   

159 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2012 : 12:13:17 AM
|
| You guys are brutal!! Not like most Forums I have visited. I thought Forums were meant to share and learn! JMO |
 |
|
|
JimIslander
Senior Member
   

1804 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2012 : 08:32:38 AM
|
quote: Originally posted by Rick K
You guys are brutal!! Not like most Forums I have visited. I thought Forums were meant to share and learn! JMO
This is a fishing forum that includes a few hunters. Did you really expect nice? 
Tidewater 196DC Yamaha F115 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pungo 120 |
 |
|
|
Fred67
Senior Member
   

3350 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 08:53:01 AM
|
quote: Originally posted by reel_time
To those who posted helpful replies, thanks - I didn't realize it was that easy! To those who condemned me for the question - I'm sorry - I didn't realize that if you weren't born with a turkey call in your hands, that you were never allowed to learn how to hunt.
funny how people get jealous over a plentiful stupid bird. Glad some on here gave you some good advice. I once plucked a whole bird... never again.
This is my 2 cents. skin back the breast, fillet out the two halves. cut into cubes. beat the heck out of them with a meat tenderizer mallet. lightly season, batter in Zaterans and deep fry for 3 min. or bust open a can of Campbells cream of mushroom soup and simmer the beat up meat chunks in it for a while. Not bad marinated in some zesty Italian dressing and put on the grill either.
Some would call me wasteful but I never keep the legs, but I sure got a kick out of Easy's suggestion for the crab trap!
You can do geese the same way.
< Evil is simply the absence of God > |
 |
|
|
Bluerooster
New Member


6 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2012 : 1:18:05 PM
|
| Tailwalker2001 sounds like a real friendly guy with that advice. |
 |
|
|
JimIslander
Senior Member
   

1804 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 07:43:06 AM
|
We slice (crosscut) the breasts on the end grain, making a bunch of really nice steaks (look a lot lot boneless pork chops). Dip in egg, then seasoned bread crumbs, and pan fry. If you want the finest taste on earth, pan fry in lard. Canola is healthier, but not quite as tasty.
Tidewater 196DC Yamaha F115 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pungo 120 |
 |
|
Topic  |
|