How to field dress/ clean a turkey?

[Lt.Dan]

I've only ever shot one turkey. Knew some people who were regular turkey hunters. They said they always just breasted the turkey. So, the one i got, that's what I did. It felt like a huge waste. That's why I've not bothered to shoot another. But im getting the itch to get into the turkey hunting for something different to do.

Here is my question: What does everyone do as far as cleaning and keeping the bird?

 

[knightrider]

Breast them and cube wrap in bacon and fry, and take the legs for crockpot barbq

 

[Cannonball1]

Breast them and cube wrap in bacon and fry, and take the legs for crockpot barbq

This is what I do except for the bacon, I need to try that. The legs, thighs and wings are so tough you can't chew them unless you use a crock pot or pressure cooker. I typically kill my limit every year and most of the time only use the breast.

 

[megalomaniac]

99% of the birds I kill I skin.

Slit down the breastbone, pull the hide off exposing the breasts, remove them. Slit the skin over the knee of each leg and pull the skin off. Hyper extend the hip until the socket pops, then cut off the entire leg quarter from the carcass. Pop the knee joint and separate the thigh. Pop the ankle and remove the foot,/lower leg from the drumstick. I prefer the taste of the legs/ thighs over the taste of the breast meat. Make pot roast out of the legs/ thighs.

1% of the time I pluck the whole bird (for Thanksgiving or special occasion). Boil water, dunk the bird in the large pot of very hot water a few times, then use latex gloves to wipe the feathers off. Gut the bird and chop off the head/ neck/ crop. Remove the feet.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Please don't waste the legs and thighs. Boil in saltwater until the meat easily comes off the bones/"spindles" in the lower leg. Salt, pepper, flour and fry. Tastes just like rabbit to me...just delicious.

 

[Madbowh]

I shoot Jake's/small Tom's completely pluck them, hatchet their head, no glove(in not a doctor) hand up the rear pull it all out and they are in the oven before they even cool down.... they cook faster that way lol. I eat everything on them. The older bigger birds I don't think taste as good.

 

[Derek]

I like to pluck them. I save the drumsticks and thighs. They have a lot of meat. Crock pot or smoke them. They make great taco meat. Also, the turkey heart might be the best tasting part of the whole bird. I cube them and sauté in butter. They remind me of sautéed mushrooms.

 

[Soft Talker]

I eat every last bit of meat on one, and don't have any respect at all, for anyone who wastes it.

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

I've only ever shot one turkey. Knew some people who were regular turkey hunters. They said they always just breasted the turkey. So, the one i got, that's what I did. It felt like a huge waste. That's why I've not bothered to shoot another. But im getting the itch to get into the turkey hunting for something different to do.

Here is my question: What does everyone do as far as cleaning and keeping the bird?

I use to pluck the feathers but for several years I've done it this way.

 

[Lt.Dan]

I use to pluck the feathers but for several years I've done it this way.

Yup, that's about what I did. He was smoother with the process but I'm sure that was experience. So hearing him say he just keeps the breast, as my friends have said it, I guess I'm good with it. Thanks.

 

[MickThompson]

I cut out the breast, legs, thighs, and strip the wings. You throw out half the meat just taking the breast.

 

[Huntaholic]

I aint dressed a turkey since 1989. I can have the breast, legs and thighs out in less than 10 minutes without gutting them. NOTHING stinks worse than turkey guts! You cant wash that smell off with gasoline!

 

[david k.]

I take the breast, legs and thighs. The breasts are either fried using a Chik Fila' recipe we found on the internet or cut into strips and grilled...the legs and thighs go into a crock pot until the meat falls off the bone...shred the meat and add BBQ sauce and its amazing.

 

[AT Hiker]

Those wobbly bits, neck and carcass make a heck of a stock.
I haven't tossed those dinosaur feet in the pot yet but I've considered it…

 

[MidTennFisher]

The leg/thigh meat is excellent and I think it's wasteful and disrespectful to the animal to kill it and waste so much of the meat. You will have to slow cook it in broth and it is well worth that effort.

Breasts get used for smoking or making schnitzel.

Heart, liver, and gizzard get used for making dirty rice.

Carcass and neck gets used for making stock. We got 6 quarts of stock from the turkey I killed this year.

I make wingbone calls with the wings occasionally.

 

[Remington700]

I use to skin them out like a Thanksgiving turkey many years ago. Now days I breast them out and cut out the legs. Fry the breast in little chunks breaded. Kids say it tastes like Chick-Fil-A. Put the legs in the crockpot all day and shred the meat off for pot pie, enchiladas, etc.

 

[Lt.Dan]

The leg/thigh meat is excellent and I think it's wasteful and disrespectful to the animal to kill it and waste so much of the meat. You will have to slow cook it in broth and it is well worth that effort.

Breasts get used for smoking or making schnitzel.

Heart, liver, and gizzard get used for making dirty rice.

Carcass and neck gets used for making stock. We got 6 quarts of stock from the turkey I killed this year.

I make wingbone calls with the wings occasionally.

I keep the hearts of every animal I take. Best eating part for me.

 

[AT Hiker]

Speaking of hearts.
Contract with your duck hunting buddies and secure those hearts. Stack them on some skewers and roast them over open flames.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Speaking of hearts.
Contract with your duck hunting buddies and secure those hearts. Stack them on some skewers and roast them over open flames.

Now that sounds delicious