Question for turkey hunters

[Steve Nuckels]

My question is after the hunt to prep the bird for cooking do you Pluck or Skin?  Also do you just keep the breast or cook the whole bird?

Good luck this year to all!

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IN GOD WE TRUST

[swp]

Depends on how much work you want to do. Usually a jake will pluck better than an older bird. Ben Lee used to have a saying, "fry the breast and stew the rest." I usually breast out the bird and either fry or grill it. The thighs get ground into turkey burger. The drumsticks I usually don't mess with.

[adeeden]

I skin, the breast gets grilled the rest gets ground.

[RightTrailWrongTime]

Preference really, myself I usually skin them. There's not much meat on the back and the legs I have tried and tried to prepare but they always have come out a little tough and lots of tendon, free range birds use their legs much more than the store bought pen raised birds. I try to use as much of the bird as possible but must admit I have breasted a few out. As far as plucking goes, if I am lucky enough to get a good one for thanksgiving I will pluck one but only one! The goose hunting trick works good, just boil water on a turkey fryer pot and carefully submerge the bird in boiling water not long and the plucking is much easier. Good Luck!!

[sputterman]

Steve i always breast out the bird and make turkey fingers.I do a milk and egg wash,dredge in weisenberger fish batter.then deep fry.

umm!umm!good!!!


   

[Horner]

IMO, scalding and plucking takes a lot of time.  Here is how I like to do it.  Cut the head off, then get a small saw and cut the wings off.  Turn the turk breast up, get a small knife and make a slit around the neck.  Then get your fingers under the slit and start working your way down the bird pulling the skin back to the fan.  After you get it back to the drum sticks and fan.  Cut off the fan with your saw and then the feet at the joint.  Then the rest of the skin will come off.  Make a  small slit at the front and rear of the bird and take the entrails out.  Take it to the sink and wash it inside and out.  Refrigerate and let dry, then its ready to bake or freeze.  I always bake the whole turk, I do give the drum sticks to the dog depending on the age of him.  The age of the turkey not the dog.
Hope this might help you out,
Horner

[straitera]

Use the feathers after plucking to make rests and arrows. Slow smoked wild turkey is extra good. Any leftovers go into turkey chili. Properly seasoned deep fried whole turkey is as good as it gets. The skin holds in moisture.

[Peachey]

It makes excellent jerky too. Grind it first then run it through the jerky gun with cracked pepper and garlic seasoning. Or as others have said its very good fried too.

[La. bowhunter]

I save the legs and thighs and when I get several sets put them in a crock pot with some gravy and spices of your choosing then slow cook them for about 8 hours. After that you can grab the ends of the bones and shake the meat out of the tendons and off of the bones, serve this over rice yum yum. The breast gets cut into strips, seasoned, battered, and fried.

[Don Stokes]

I skin the bird and fillet out the breast to be smoked, roasted, or cut up into nuggets for frying. The thighs and legs go into a crock pot with some barbecue sauce. A crock pot will tenderize anything, and the dark meat makes great barbecue once it's deboned and cleaned. There's more tendon and connective tissue in the legs than meat, I think, but it separates easily after crocking.

[GrnMtnTradNut]

I lay the bird on it's back with the wings apart, stand on both wings, grab the bird by the feel and pull hard, hens and jakes come apart easier than a big tom. no skinning, gutting. I use only the breast, I cook it in a baking bag with a coice of spices and veggies, marinate it in taryaki and grill thin strips on low or make nuggets for the kids.

[jimmerc]

I skin them out, then 5 to 7 hours on the smoker depending on weight!!

[Shakes.602]

I Saw a "HOW TO" Cape, Skin that IF,  BIG IF , I should get One! Keep the "Breasticles" and The Tail, Spurs,Beard, ALL that PROUD FIRST TIME HITTER STUFF!!