# After you kill your turkey



## marn1186 (Dec 27, 2009)

After you down your bird what exactly do you do with it? Yes, I'm looking for the details. 


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

tag it, put an orange vest on it, when I get it home take pictures and then remove beard, tail, and legs. I then remove the beast from the bone and the legs and thighs, and soak them in salt water over night.


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## Garrettsdad (Dec 28, 2010)

What does salt water do?


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

Garrettsdad said:


> What does salt water do?
> 
> 
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 I always do it with fish and birds it removes some of the blood and removes anything else that gets on it when cleaning, I rinse it off the next day. Just something I always have done.


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## downrange (Dec 25, 2010)

I do it too. Red meat also. My grandma told me that it pulls the blood out. She's the best cook i know, so thats why i do it! 


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## Bowhunt (Jul 27, 2010)

Yes, it helps draw some of the blood out. You do not need heavy salt to be effective.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

I just breast them now and either eat or food saver them.. Used to pluck um.. Alot of folks believe wild turkey is tough.. But it is not.. Alot of the prep for great turkey takes place just before cooking removing the tougher whitish "skin" layers from the breast.. Properly prepared wild turkey is my favorite game other than maybe grouse.. 

I normally toss beards or fans in the garbage or throw them on a shelf in the garage to get infested with bugs same for spurs unless they are 1 1/4 or better. If I remember I clip the wing feathers for a buddies dad for arrows.


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## mi duckdown (Jul 1, 2006)

Take a pic and Pluck them a soon a posible within a couple hours, if your want a complete turkey for the table. If not, remove the complete breast with bone as soon as possible and put on ice. or freeze imediatlly.(SP)


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## protectionisamust (Nov 9, 2010)

After I take pics, I hang it upside down, slice the neck to bleed it out, then toss on a table and start plucking (dry feathers). Tried dipping it in hot water once and it seems to make more of a mess.

once plucked, I gut, cut the legs off, cut the head off and then take to the wash tub for a complete rinse out.

After thats complete, off to the apple cider / Orange peel brine bath.

24-36 hours later I fire up the deepfryer

while thats heating up, head up to the store and grab a 6 pack. 

Get home, open one

yep, deep fryer is heated so I dry the turkey off (very important :yikes

drop it in and 3-4 min. per pound its done :woohoo1:

I like to enjoy with lumpy mashed potatoes, real cranberry sauce and the wifes homemade stuffing with sausage :corkysm55


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## 79gmcjimmy (Dec 20, 2009)

Tag it hang it in a tree and start plucking it. The feathers come out in hand fulls. If u do it while its still warm.

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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

I used to pluck them dry but found they pluck easier if I scald them first. I cut off the outer two segments of the wings, tail, head and beard before I stick the bird in a 5 gal bucket of boiling water. Slosh it around so the water gets to all the feathers, especially the ones on the lower leg and under the wings.

After scalding them the feathers simply wipe right off. I am not that worried about getting out all the in feathers as I take the skin off after roasting.

Now for the nasty part. After gutting make sure you get all the stuff out of the cavity. This can take longer than plucking as there is stuff between the rib and spine that can make for nasty juices after roasting. 

Do not forget to get the crop out of the neck area. I do not take out the breast sponge on a spring tom. I read some where over the years that it is not harmful to leave it in as it adds moisture to the meat when roasting.

Edit I should have added that I keep the skin on as I feel that it helps to keep the moisture in the meat!!! Never have had a dry turkey
I double wrap the bird in an unsented kitchen bag prior to wrapping it in freezer paper, which is a pain but it can be done.

As far as roasting I put it in a roasting bag an roast it as per directions for the bags. Just remember that a wild turkey takes less roasting time as they do not have the big breast that domestics have. The last wild one I did was so moist you could squeeze the juices out of the meat. I roast the day before I plan on serving. I carve the bird after it has cooled some and put it in a covered casserole dish. I also pour in a little of the juice from the bag to keep the the meat moist when reheating.

I have never had a complaints on my wild turkey doing it this way. Fact is it will be gone while the domestic Thanksgiving turkey plate is being ignored. It turns out tender doing it this way.

I take the carcus and boil it to get the rest of the meat off the bone and make turkey vegtable soup out of it.

EDIT I should have added that I keep the skin on as I feel that it holds the moisture in the meat. I have never had a dry turkey since doing it this way


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## huntoct1 (Feb 5, 2002)

All good info . But you have all forgot about the Thank you Lord , celebratory high fives and dance immediately after the kill.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Skin em, debreast em, and smok em.


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## jinxedone (Jan 23, 2013)

de skin it, and cook on a bbq grill, with an hour of good hardwood smoke. hands down the best turkey i have ever ate, maybe because i killed it, then cooked it. but the flavor is undeniably awesome


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## UncleNorby (Mar 11, 2013)

I dunk in hot water, pluck, remove the guts, etc., and leave the skin on. Then put it in a seasoned brine over night. Then smoke the next day.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

And also get it on ice in a cooler (should be an icefilled cooler in the vehicle) ASAP. Do not hesitate. Treat a turkey, or any other game like you would fish, even if the weather is "cool", if it is above 40 degrees, the bird must be chilled ASAP. Ya gotta take good care of your meat......


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

itchn2fish said:


> And also get it on ice in a cooler (should be an icefilled cooler in the vehicle) ASAP. Do not hesitate. Treat a turkey, or any other game like you would fish, even if the weather is "cool", if it is above 40 degrees, the bird must be chilled ASAP. Ya gotta take good care of your meat......


 X2 great tip!!


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## starky (Jun 19, 2006)

I vent them in the field right away and then get them home or to camp.


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## lodge lounger (Sep 16, 2005)

Especially on an older tom, I take the meat off the legs and thighs and grind it. It grills up into some of the best burgers ever. What's left on the bones goes into the pot for stock.


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

huntoct1 said:


> All good info . But you have all forgot about the Thank you Lord , celebratory high fives and dance immediately after the kill.




"You must find your own way. Unless you find it yourself, it will not be your own way and will take you nowhere." 

Sri Nisargadatta


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