I have a question for the long road trip turkey hunters. I usually hunt 4 states each spring. I have access to freezers in those states through buddies I've met over the years so meat spoilage is a non issue.
This year I will retire from my job and intend
to spend a lot more time next spring hunting new places far from home.
My question is how to keep turkey meat from spoiling. I spent 20 nights in my toyota tundra this spring and camp comfortably. Meat spoilage is my dilemma. Any thoughts?
I heard those 12 volt coolers work pretty good....
Fortunately I bounce from place to place where I can keep in in the freeze.
Eat a lot of turkey meat :TooFunny:
On a serious note Get you a good ice chest if you don't have one already. I keep my turkey rinsed off with fresh water every few days so it doesn't sour and keep it on plenty of ice so it stays cold and it will keep for a couple weeks no problem.
Quote from: Dtrkyman on May 18, 2024, 03:49:40 PMFortunately I bounce from place to place where I can keep in in the freeze.
That's how I currently roll.
I've done a trip or 2 where we ate the meat or gave it away.
Just looking for a better solution.
Quote from: Bottomland OG on May 18, 2024, 03:53:55 PMEat a lot of turkey meat :TooFunny:
On a serious note Get you a good ice chest if you don't have one already. I keep my turkey rinsed off with fresh water every few days so it doesn't sour and keep it on plenty of ice so it stays cold and it will keep for a couple weeks no problem.
Interesting.
I have a couple rtic rotomolded coolers but it seems my ice melts in them just as fast as my $30 coleman.
Quote from: Brian Fahs on May 18, 2024, 04:00:57 PMQuote from: Bottomland OG on May 18, 2024, 03:53:55 PMEat a lot of turkey meat :TooFunny:
On a serious note Get you a good ice chest if you don't have one already. I keep my turkey rinsed off with fresh water every few days so it doesn't sour and keep it on plenty of ice so it stays cold and it will keep for a couple weeks no problem.
Interesting.
I have a couple rtic rotomolded coolers but it seems my ice melts in them just as fast as my $30 coleman.
To be honest I have both also but I have had 2 100qt Colman xtreme that keeps ice better than anything I've tried so that's what I keep my turkey in. They are around $100 bucks I think.
You can put the meat in one of those Styrofoam shipping coolers with some dry ice and overnight it to your house or nearby family or friend to put in the freezer.
Yes it will be expensive, likely $75-$100. But none of us turkey hunt bc it's an economical way to put meat on the table.
Quote from: 2flyfish4 on May 18, 2024, 04:22:01 PMYou can put the meat in one of those Styrofoam shipping coolers with some dry ice and overnight it to your house or nearby family or friend to put in the freezer.
Yes it will be expensive, likely $75-$100. But none of us turkey hunt bc it's an economical way to put meat on the table.
Nice thought but not happening. Thanks for your response.
Quote from: Tom007 on May 18, 2024, 03:45:56 PMI heard those 12 volt coolers work pretty good....
Me too.
I also keep a bag cooler inside a larger cooler, keeps stuff cold a long time.
I have been making turkey salad with the legs wings and thighs, beats PBJ for pack lunch.
I stopped off at my sisters this year as usual and jammed her freezer full while I hunted a couple more states!
Maybe hit up a local taxidermist and rent some freezer space?
Any time I've ever traveled and stayed on the road I've taken my vacuum sealer with me and sealed as I went. Once sealed I just keep everything as cold as I can keep it with fresh ice.
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I looked at a plug in cooler at Costco and it was very nice, albeit expensive.
https://www.costco.com/.product.4000233439.html
I have a big Igloo cooler not sure size but could put two or three full turkeys in it. Anyway I freeze ahead of time about fifteen or so one quart orange juice jugs and stand them upright on bottom of cooler. Enough to cover entire floor and that will last me a few weeks at a time. I just breast things out take legs and thighs pull out a few jugs from center and put meat in between and good to go. Never no extra water in cooler and jugs don't melt that fast. The only other thing I do is because it sits on the back end of my truck in the hot sun. Then I have and old white bed comforter I put over cooler to help keep heat from the cooler.
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Gotta say, I'm not so confident on keeping something on ice for weeks and eating it.
It needs to be frozen as far as food safety is concerned.
I would think it more of a paletabilty issue than a safety issue if your cooking the meat properly.
Lots of great responses guys. I appreciate the feedback.
I travel to hunt deer every fall and my neighboring state of Maryland where I do most of my deer hunting accepts donations of deer to feed the hungry. I have done this on trips to the Midwest and in marylands urban deer zones. I never heard of a program for turkey but think it would be cool. I have never had anyone turn down fresh turkey meat that I offered it to.
Bucket of acetone and some dry ice, flash freeze :turkey2:
If I'm not going to be home in the next few days, ill give it to a local.
Drive home and freeze what you shoot before going to the next destination. Break up your trips.
Quote from: ruination on May 19, 2024, 12:27:51 PMGotta say, I'm not so confident on keeping something on ice for weeks and eating it.
It needs to be frozen as far as food safety is concerned.
A couple days maybe
A couple weeks and the cats get it ...
I've killed 8 gobblers this season I only kept the 2 from Louisiana to eat. I never had any trouble finding someone that will take the meat. Keeps me from having to miss hunting time looking for ice machines etc. The meat is very low on my list of reasons I hunt turkeys. I'd never waste the meat from one but I'm not going to extreme measures to bring 2 pounds of meat home when I can find someone that will use it locally.
Quote from: lalongbeard75 on May 20, 2024, 08:58:35 PMI've killed 8 gobblers this season I only kept the 2 from Louisiana to eat. I never had any trouble finding someone that will take the meat. Keeps me from having to miss hunting time looking for ice machines etc. The meat is very low on my list of reasons I hunt turkeys. I'd never waste the meat from one but I'm not going to extreme measures to bring 2 pounds of meat home when I can find someone that will use it locally.
Dang, you kill small turkeys
12v cooler is the way to go. I've got one for freezing meat and a smaller one for grocery's I ran them for 4 days without moving my truck and had no issue cranking it. Could always get a solar charger for your battery if you're sitting in one spot for a long time.
Dry ice works great too or just using ice for a week.
Done both but after using the 12v cooler it's way better. No ice, no watered down food, no mess.
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I buy a cheap $40 cooler from the dollar store. Use it to keep food and turkey breast in during the hunt. Of course the breast goes in a 1 gallon zip lock. Before we fly out the last morning move the meat into my gun case between the foam that protects the guns and fly it home right there. I got home last week about 12 hours after moving it over to the gun case and it was still almost cold to the touch.
Quote from: ruination on May 21, 2024, 11:15:21 AMQuote from: lalongbeard75 on May 20, 2024, 08:58:35 PMI've killed 8 gobblers this season I only kept the 2 from Louisiana to eat. I never had any trouble finding someone that will take the meat. Keeps me from having to miss hunting time looking for ice machines etc. The meat is very low on my list of reasons I hunt turkeys. I'd never waste the meat from one but I'm not going to extreme measures to bring 2 pounds of meat home when I can find someone that will use it locally.
Dang, you kill small turkeys
How much does one Turkey breast weigh where you hunt?
Quote from: lalongbeard75 on May 23, 2024, 12:21:05 PMQuote from: ruination on May 21, 2024, 11:15:21 AMQuote from: lalongbeard75 on May 20, 2024, 08:58:35 PMI've killed 8 gobblers this season I only kept the 2 from Louisiana to eat. I never had any trouble finding someone that will take the meat. Keeps me from having to miss hunting time looking for ice machines etc. The meat is very low on my list of reasons I hunt turkeys. I'd never waste the meat from one but I'm not going to extreme measures to bring 2 pounds of meat home when I can find someone that will use it locally.
Dang, you kill small turkeys
How much does one Turkey breast weigh where you hunt?
2-4 lbs. would be my guess. Little less if I trim it up a bunch.
Never had one the size of a chicken breast though.
Lol. You say 2-4 pounds I say 2 pounds and I'm hunting chickens. You must be a Yankee?
Quote from: Old Swamper on May 23, 2024, 04:36:02 PMCould never even fathom the thought of hunting and killing turkeys that were not going to be eaten by myself and family. I am not cool enough to be a traveling turkey hunter, however I do take up to 10 day trips locally. What ever does not get ate in camp comes home. I respect turkeys more than most people I know, and enjoy eating them in many different meals. To me, it would be disrespectful to give a hard earned gobbler away. Unfortunately with most today, numbers and states are more important than respecting the Turkey. This is just my opinion. To each their own.
Well you called him up and shot him so I don't think the Gobbler really cares who eats him. I have every single gobbler fan and spurs I've killed all the way back to the first one at age 12. The meat is eaten and there's no more the gobblers I kill the fan beards and spurs will be preserved forever or at least as long as I'm alive. That's about as much respect as you could give something you killed. After all if you really want to make the gobblers day just take his picture and yell boo lol. That way the gobbler lives another day and won't be likely to go to another hen yelping.
Quote from: Old Swamper on May 23, 2024, 06:06:47 PMQuote from: lalongbeard75 on May 23, 2024, 05:21:09 PMQuote from: Old Swamper on May 23, 2024, 04:36:02 PMCould never even fathom the thought of hunting and killing turkeys that were not going to be eaten by myself and family. I am not cool enough to be a traveling turkey hunter, however I do take up to 10 day trips locally. What ever does not get ate in camp comes home. I respect turkeys more than most people I know, and enjoy eating them in many different meals. To me, it would be disrespectful to give a hard earned gobbler away. Unfortunately with most today, numbers and states are more important than respecting the Turkey. This is just my opinion. To each their own.
Well you called him up and shot him so I don't think the Gobbler really cares who eats him. I have every single gobbler fan and spurs I've killed all the way back to the first one at age 12. The meat is eaten and there's no more the gobblers I kill the fan beards and spurs will be preserved forever or at least as long as I'm alive. That's about as much respect as you could give something you killed. After all if you really want to make the gobblers day just take his picture and yell boo lol. That way the gobbler lives another day and won't be likely to go to another hen yelping.
I care who eats 'em, and thats all that matters to me ;) I've always made it a point to only kill what "I" can eat. Again, to each their own. This is just my opinion.
Agree completely, I've never harvested anything that didn't end up in my freezer.
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Quote from: lalongbeard75 on May 23, 2024, 02:24:11 PMLol. You say 2-4 pounds I say 2 pounds and I'm hunting chickens. You must be a Yankee?
You said 2 lbs I'm saying 4-8. You asked how much 1 breast weighs. So yes, if you turkey breast weighs a pound each, that's a chicken. But I'm think you just ditch the whole bird at this point.
Quote from: ruination on May 23, 2024, 07:03:23 PMQuote from: lalongbeard75 on May 23, 2024, 02:24:11 PMLol. You say 2-4 pounds I say 2 pounds and I'm hunting chickens. You must be a Yankee?
You said 2lbs I'm saying 4-8. You asked how much 1 breast weighs. So yes, if you turkey breast weighs a pound each, that's a chicken. But I'm think you just ditch the whole bird at this point.
No you said 2-4 it was in your post I quoted lol. You also said you guess?
The first gobbler I killed in La for example was quite a bit bigger than the second that was a 2 year old. I ended up weighing the Turkey Breast from this bird on a food scale so I'd know how much seasoning to add for a new recipe I had. 2 lbs thats what the weight was. This was from a deep swamp public land gobbler that has probably never seen a piece of corn. Crop field birds killed by guys in pop up blinds and a flock of decoys probably do weigh quite a bit more.
Really matters not to my point. Unless it's the last day of my season and I'm headed home I'm not wallering 2 pounds or 10 pounds of Turkey breast and chasing down ice everyday when I can give the meat to someone who appreciates it. In my travels there is never a shortage of Turkey hunters I meet who eat tags for supper lol.
Quote from: lalongbeard75 on May 23, 2024, 12:21:05 PMQuote from: ruination on May 21, 2024, 11:15:21 AMQuote from: lalongbeard75 on May 20, 2024, 08:58:35 PMI've killed 8 gobblers this season I only kept the 2 from Louisiana to eat. I never had any trouble finding someone that will take the meat. Keeps me from having to miss hunting time looking for ice machines etc. The meat is very low on my list of reasons I hunt turkeys. I'd never waste the meat from one but I'm not going to extreme measures to bring 2 pounds of meat home when I can find someone that will use it locally.
Dang, you kill small turkeys
How much does one Turkey breast weigh where you hunt?
One. Turkey. Breast. Like you said turkeys come in different sizes. It's a joke, not a dick, don't take it so hard. Lol.
You said 2 lbs when you meant 12.
Quote from: ruination on May 23, 2024, 08:22:46 PMQuote from: lalongbeard75 on May 23, 2024, 12:21:05 PMQuote from: ruination on May 21, 2024, 11:15:21 AMQuote from: lalongbeard75 on May 20, 2024, 08:58:35 PMI've killed 8 gobblers this season I only kept the 2 from Louisiana to eat. I never had any trouble finding someone that will take the meat. Keeps me from having to miss hunting time looking for ice machines etc. The meat is very low on my list of reasons I hunt turkeys. I'd never waste the meat from one but I'm not going to extreme measures to bring 2 pounds of meat home when I can find someone that will use it locally.
Dang, you kill small turkeys
How much does one Turkey breast weigh where you hunt?
One. Turkey. Breast. Like you said turkeys come in different sizes. It's a joke, not a dick, don't take it so hard. Lol.
You said 2 lbs when you meant 12.
I said 2 lbs. because that's what it weighed.
As for as di@ks Im sure you know more about them than what a Turkey breast weighs.
For my own years long curiosity, I just weighed a sample "Easy to get to in freezer" of turkey meat from this spring.
2 breast still in a zip lock unfrozen from Maine:
3# 9.2oz.
All others are single breast weights:
1# 13.6oz
2# 1.6oz Biggest I sampled
1# 15.9oz
1# 6.7oz
1# 13.9oz
2 leg/thigh quarters in one bag
3# 2oz
Since these were easy to get to I would assume the samples were from WV, VA, two could have been from a western state.
I can weigh more but don't see the point, have killed hundreds of them and this is the size of the breast. Unless you kill an above average weighted turkey. I have had a few of the party breasts as I like to referred to them as. All turkeys weighed were a minimum of two years old. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240527/49c61684ba29efcaebc69e4f60514e94.jpg)
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Sorry cut myself short,
Two more:
2# even
1# 14.6oz