After the turkey is down

[High plains drifter]

Right after you shoot bird, gut bird right away. Then go to nearest water, and flush out body cavity, and get all that stuff out of there. Then take bird to large cooler full of good ice.Stuff body cavity with ice, place bird breast down, on top of ice.Be careful not to bend, or crimp fan.

[varmint101]

Y'all are crazy wasting that meat.  I just slip the knife blade just under the skin and slide it on up.  That skin peels right off feathers and all.  Take out the breasts, thighs, and legs.  I also always take the liver and gizzard.  Good stuff!  I slow cook the legs in turkey broth and a diced apple and make wild turkey BBQ out of them.  I like it. I also like to look in the crop and see what it's been feeding on. 

[Happy]

Personally I using every bit of meat I can get from a turkey. The legs are a bit of a pain to clean but prepared correctly they are delicious. If it's worth killing the bird then it deserves to be used, not just trashed because someone is to lazy to clean it.

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[TrackeySauresRex]

After my turkey is down.... I dance over to him
And Tag him..
Field dress..
hang by feet..
Skin..
fillet Brest and thighs
In da cooler he goes.. Ice

Good luck on your first. Post the pictures.

[High plains drifter]

I roast turkeys just like a domestic bird.Then make soup out of the left overs, and carcass.I don't waste anything.Those fans? I'm going to try the sneak attack.

[MK M GOBL]

I save the breast and thighs, the breasts I cook a number of ways but this last season I took and sliced the breast into 1/4" slabs put a layer of pepper jack cheese on them then rolled them seasoned and wrapped in bacon and put them on the grill YUP!! Way good right there

The thighs I tend to grind into "turkey burger", but liking the sounds of the pulled BBQ

MK M GOBL

[Yoder409]

i love turkey legs and eat them many times at thanksgiving or at fairs etc. Is the meat different from the wild turkey vs the turkey legs I eat from a fair or thanksgiving??

Wild turkey legs are made for allowing a 20 pound bird to run 25 mph.  Butterball turkey legs are made to hold a 20 pound bird in an upright position while he awaits the axe.............

I boned the meat off a wild turkey's legs once.

Once.........................

[Kylongspur88]

I like to take a small cooler with me and process at the truck after I check it in. I cut off the beard and spurs for keeps. They  are easy to breast out with a sharp knife and that goes in the cooler with the thighs and some cold packs. I don't save the tail unless I know someone who wants it. When I get home I usually cut part of the breast up into nuggets and save the rest for slow cooking in either the crock pot or oven. Let the thighs sit in the fridge for a few days and stick them in the crock pot and pull the meat off for soup or samwhiches.

[Cottonmouth]

I do fried nuggets with the breast and I cook the legs and thighs in a crock pot just like beef roast with potatoes and carrots. A pan of biscuits and you are set.

[trkehunr93]

If you are not mounting the whole bird hang him up by his feet. Take your time and skin him out. There is a lot of meat to be had. Especially if you like turkey burger. Give the turkey the respect he deserves.

Agreed!  I personally think every turkey hunter should pluck at least one turkey in your life.  If time allows I pluck, if not I breast them out and take of the thigh/legs and cut of the wings for wingbone calls or to eat.  Use as much of the bird as possible and if you like the giblets then save those too.  Usually I'll give those to my dog as a treat, he loves some heart, liver and gizzard.


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[stinkpickle]

...I personally think every turkey hunter should pluck at least one turkey in your life...

Exactly!  Believe me, once will be enough to find out if you like plucking them, or not. 

[2gbl]

The legs and thighs slow cooked and pick make awesome turkey salad.

Half dozen ramps or Scallions if you don't have ramps
Pinch of course salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 Mrs Claus pickle spears diced
Picked turkey legs and thighs
Mayo or Ranch dressing to get the consistency
Pulse in food processor until you are happy with the consistency.

You won't throw the legs or thighs away again

2gbl

[WNCTracker]

I hang the bird upside down with the feet each having their own rope. While still warm I pluck the breast and legs pulling towards the ground. Takes 5 mins. Then I breast it with a filet knife. Disarticulate the hip and take the thighs. I am all for using what you kill but the "drumstick meat" is really only good for soup or stock with all the tendons. The thighs are easy to bone out and taste delicious. Cut the breast across the grain when eating it or making stir fry/fajitas (think steak) or after you grill it and it's delicious. Or grind it 2:1 with skin on thighs to add fat and make breakfast sausages.


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[joey46]

I try and do it this way.  Takes a little time but worth it.  This one was cooked fresh Thursday.  Bird killed Tuesday and kept on ice.  We add two store bought legs to go with the two natural legs which are often way too tough.  Wild birds roast a whole lot faster than Butterballs so use a thermometer and believe it.

Yes - I usually take a picture of the bird on the way to the oven.  Post like this come up every year on this forum or others

[turkeyfeathers]

I breast him out with a Rapala fillet knife. Tried the legs once, meh.
I usually soak a breast overnight in Italian dressing and some OJ. Next day I'll pat the breast dry, light dash or two of crushed red pepper, toothpick breast in bacon and smoke over apple wood chips. Homerun !

Now a friend tried my venison bite recipe with a wild turkey and said it was fabulous. Cut bird breast or venison depending what your doing into bite sized pieces, little dash of dryrub, dallop of cream cheese and wrap with 1/3 piece of bacon and toothpick it. Can smoke these or do in oven >Either way it's done when bacon is done