Over-run with wild turkeys

[Mica_Hiebert]

In idaho there is a spring and fall turkey season and you are allowed 2 tags.

[DiverJay]

Hate to say it but them things are now your pets. Enjoy.

[smoked turkey]

The above post about predators that also think wild turkeys are good to eat will take care of your turkey problem in a while. We used to have lots of turkey here with exceptionally large flocks. Now that is just a memory. We have a few pass through the yard here from time to time. My observation is they gorge on insects, seeds, and seem to even like acorns at times. I don't view them at all as a nuisance bird. I enjoy watching them, hunting them during season, and having deep fried turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. Enjoy them while you have them.

[megasupermagnum]

If they walk right up to you the odds are somebody probably hatched them from an egg or raised them from polts and their tame. I don’t know if you still can but about 10 to 15 years ago you could buy them right here at Farm and Fleet or eggs on line and raise them. I bought some eggs right off of eBay and patch them in my incubator. I raised a dozen or two of them for my buddy and I don’t remember what breed they were but they looked exactly like wild turkeys. They used to walk up full strut and knock his kids over while they would wait for the school bus every morning. He gave them to a farmer after that. What you have there are probably some tame, extremely large chickens.lol

Huh, now that you say that, I notice they look just like the eastern turkeys we have here. Looking up pictures of Merriam's, I don't think that's what those are. I didn't think they had eastern turkeys west of the Dakota's. We raised broad breasted bronze turkeys a few times, and they do look a lot like an eastern wild turkey.

[Tripplebeards]

Well it makes perfect sense if you’re out in the yard shooting your gun and they’re still standing there staring at you. I would assume they are tame and raised. I believe you can buy Eastern turkey eggs as well to hatch. Turkeys here in Wisconsin run and fly if they see you a 100 yards away. I forgot I did buy some eastern eggs and hatched them as well. I’ve also done the same with ringneck pheasant.

Yep, just google...

http://southernfarmhatchery.com/Wild-Turkey.php

http://www.avbirds.com/turkeys/eastern-wild-turkey/



If their tame and you can walk right up to them you might as well pen them up before someone else shoots your pets.lol. We could walk up to ours and pick them up or walk within a few feet and then they would walk faster in front of us because they didn’t want to get picked up...that would be a good way to test them.

[rking22]

I suspect they will still taste good

[MT Gianni]

You need tags and there is a season.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/turkey-...s-september-15

762

The article from the Idaho State journal quoted some problems with turkeys in a specific area near Pocatello that is what the OP has listed as an address. There is no season in that drainage and IFG hauled 12 problem turkeys out of the flock then killed them and gave the meat away to charities. Some residents were mad the birds will killed rather than relocated, other were ticked they didn't take enough. Out of respect for the OP's address and privacy I won't post the article but it is not yet an open season or a landowner depredation in all areas.

[megasupermagnum]

Well it makes perfect sense if you’re out in the yard shooting your gun and they’re still standing there staring at you. I would assume they are tame and raised. I believe you can buy Eastern turkey eggs as well to hatch. Turkeys here in Wisconsin run and fly if they see you a 100 yards away. I forgot I did buy some eastern eggs and hatched them as well. I’ve also done the same with ringneck pheasant.

Yep, just google...

http://southernfarmhatchery.com/Wild-Turkey.php

http://www.avbirds.com/turkeys/eastern-wild-turkey/



If their tame and you can walk right up to them you might as well pen them up before someone else shoots your pets.lol. We could walk up to ours and pick them up or walk within a few feet and then they would walk faster in front of us because they didn’t want to get picked up...that would be a good way to test them.

I'm not sure that follows if you have food in the yard. Turkeys are skittish and bold at the same time, as odd as that sounds. For the past 2 years we have had a flock of turkeys roost high above our rifle backstop at our shooting range. Just last week I was shooting the muzzleloader while a hen just walking around on top of the hill. 2 hours later I could still hear her cluck not far off.

[Deadeye Bly]

Here in Virginia I eat the whole turkey. Picking them is easy if you do it right. You need a 5 gal bucket and lots of hot water about 180-200 Deg. For every pot of boiling water add 1 qt of hot tap water for the right temp. You need to cut the legs off at the mid joint or they won't fit in the bucket. Dip head first until scalded then hold by the head and dip the back end. This loosens the feathers and makes them easy to pull off. Be sure to remove the crop or food pouch in front of the breast.
We always cook them whole. You must cook them in a roasting bag to keep them from drying out. The meat is darker than store bought turkeys but tastes as good or better. You can be sure they weren't fed antibiotics or growth hormones. I like to eat the legs. They have lots of tendons but are very tasty. I love to chew on one for breakfast.

[rockrat]

Guy I know, down by Ridgeway started putting feed out for the birds, not expecting such large birds!! He said they congregate near the side of the house with the kitchen and raise a fuss when they see someone at the kitchen window in the morning, wanting breakfast.

Kind of like the magpies around here, they just wait for me to feed the cats, then come in for leftovers.

[chaos]

I don't know how they are out in Idaho, but here in MN wild turkey tastes like a sweet version of store bought. I pluck them, and bake them just like you would any other turkey. It's right up there with some of the best meat I've ever had, but I love turkey.

That must be nice. I taxidermy waterfowl for fun. The Rios that we have here in Texas are NASTY beasts. They literally make me puke. I wont shoot them, much less eat them.

[Texas by God]

The whole bird, plucked, stuffed with sliced apples and onions, smoked over mesquite wood. It takes all day but is so good. Cajun spice injected and deep fried in peanut oil is amazing. Buttermilk battered chicken fried breast strips is quick and good.
If I see one TODAY- it’s in big trouble! Run them over here, Chaos- we’ll take your quota of those nasty birds.

[chaos]

The whole bird, plucked, stuffed with sliced apples and onions, smoked over mesquite wood. It takes all day but is so good. Cajun spice injected and deep fried in peanut oil is amazing. Buttermilk battered chicken fried breast strips is quick and good.
If I see one TODAY- it’s in big trouble! Run them over here, Chaos- we’ll take your quota of those nasty birds.

If it was legal to give away tags, you could have mine.

Ground BUZZARDS is all they are.

[rbuck351]

I live in NW MT for the last three years and we have more wild turkeys than anyone here knows what to do with. Lincoln county has a three bird limit but I haven't shot one yet. Last year there was an article in the paper talking about the problem of all the turkeys hanging out on the school playground and making a mess. Apparently some folks feed them as they will come running to me when they see me step out of the house. They won't come much closer than 10 feet or so but bagging one should be pretty easy. Getting about time to fire up the turkey fryer.

[Tripplebeards]

They taste better than any store-bought turkey on the planet. I cut the breasts up in the strips and smoke them and make turkey jerky out of them. The legs I cut all the meat off which takes a lot of time and then I grind it up in my grinder and make burgers or use it in chili which I just did last week or the old classic cheesy hash brown hamburger helper of course. I’ve also batter fried the Breast chunks like nuggets. I even plucked my first one from head to toe back in 89 and took it in to the local meat plant and had it completely smoked with the skin on. That was the coolest thing on gods green earth when I got it back it looked like something from a classic Christmas show turkey. I’ve got a bunch of them on my property they were making noises all morning long while I was deer hunting.

[superior]

That must be nice. I taxidermy waterfowl for fun. The Rios that we have here in Texas are NASTY beasts. They literally make me puke. I wont shoot them, much less eat them.

These Turks are meriams and riograndes.. they look identical except for coloring.

[Wolfer]

I don’t care for domestic turkey but love wild turkey. Ive given up on the legs and wings and only keep the breast. Sliced thin across the grain and smacked a few times with a meat hammer. Rolled in flour and fried like chicken strips. It’s pretty easy to over cook them. Ive also chunked the breast up and deep fried it. Barbecue on the grill and smoked in the smoker. It’s one of my favorite meats.

[LenH]

That must be nice. I taxidermy waterfowl for fun. The Rios that we have here in Texas are NASTY beasts. They literally make me puke. I wont shoot them, much less eat them.

A turkey hunting friend of mine says that a freshly shot wild turkey smells spoiled when cleaned. But the Wiled turkey breast that he gave me were very tasty.

[Cary Gunn]

Hey Superior,

I'm anything but an expert on wild turkey genetics, but doesn't the wild, western Merriams' strain have a white border on the tail?

The birds in your photo seem to have a light-brown or bronze tail border, more like that of the Eastern Wild Turkey, or maybe some of the domestic strains.

But -- no matter what the color on the edges of their tails -- they'll be mighty tasty if properly dressed and cooked. And, the younger birds will be lot more tender than the wise, old Toms and crabby, old hens.

Shoot a small one, with just the start of a stubby beard on this breast. Then pluck rather than skin him, and he'll taste better than any store-bought bird. His legs, however, may still be dry and tough.

Happy trails, and fine eatin' to ya,

-- Cary Gunn --

[dale2242]

We have had 25 feeding through the yard most every evening.
I guess they don`t know it`s turkey season....dale