wild turkeys?

[Lloyd Smale]

do you bone out the breasts or do you pluck them and cook with the skin on? Ive allways done the bone out the breast thing but cooking them like that leaves them a bit dry. just kind of wondering if the skin tastes as good as domestic turkeys and if there worth plucking? Do you just pull the feathers off or is there a short cut do plucking them?

[dale2242]

I`m following this thread.
I am taking my 12 year old great granddaughter on her first turkey hunt this fall....dale

[Tatume]

It depends on the size of the turkey. A nice, large bird is worth the trouble to pluck, singe, and cook whole. They're quite good.

[CastingFool]

I skin my birds, since I have a pot large to dip a whole turkey in hot water. Tried dry plucking once, it was not fun.

[rancher1913]

I have a plucking machine, scald and drop the bird in and in 15 seconds all the feathers are gone. hand plucking really sucks and leaving the skin on does seam to make the bird more juicy

[jdfoxinc]

Encase rothe entire bird in wet clay and either bury in a. Charcoal fire, or bake in your oven for the time necessary for the weight. Crack the baked clay off the feathers come off with it and the bird is moist.

[WebMonkey]

i skin and brine.
makes for juicy end product sans skin.
i take the legs/thighs same way.
'monkey

[DxieLandMan]

I got my 1st turkey this year and we're going to have it for Thanksgiving this year. Looking for good recipes.

[country gent]

I just crack the seal and pour

[KCSO]

Cook your wild turkey with the skin on if you can and cook it breast down in the roaster. Unless they are tiny birds we pluck.

[Time Killer]

I cut and fry my wild turkeys, so I skin them. Its a lot easier then plucking.

[toallmy]

I'm with country gent .

[woodbutcher]

[smilie=1: To country gent:I`ll take two fingers in the bottom of a No 10 wash tub:redneck:
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo.

[hockeynick39]

For, me it's skin and wrap in bacon. Do that with my geese too. Anything smaller gets breasted and wrapped in bacon. Bacon just goes with everything!!!!!!!!!!

[NyFirefighter357]

The best recipe for wild turkey is place whole un-plucked turkey in lg brown paper bag and toss in the nearest garbage! Wait until Thanksgiving when fresh turkeys are available at local market.

I prefer my wild turkey in a glass as well.

[Lloyd Smale]

Got to admit the way ive had them prepared in the past makes me agree with you. So much so that when we crop damage hunt ive got turkeys walking within 20 feet of my blind most nights and don't even bother to shoot them. I was thinking the other night though when two hens and about 20 babys came walking by if those little turkeys would be like eating Cornish game hens. They wouldn't even be much bother to pluck.
The best recipe for wild turkey is place whole un-plucked turkey in lg brown paper bag and toss in the nearest garbage! Wait until Thanksgiving when fresh turkeys are available at local market.

I prefer my wild turkey in a glass as well.

[Tripplebeards]

I plucked my first bird in 89'. I had it smoked. It was awesome! I looked like a picture when done. Took what it seemed hours to do and still wasn't perfect. After that I breasted them out only. I cut the breasts in strips and smoke them or pan fry with shore lunch or similar. I've tried the legs in the crock pot..yuck...dog food. The last couple of years I've cut the meat off the legs and grind it up in my electric grinder and made burgers or hamburger helper that turns out great. I've even used the leg meat in soups. I've ground the breast up as well and have used it in stuff.

That reminds me, I have a couple I shot last winter I'm going to pull the breast out and cut into strips and smoke. Wild turkey jerky is the best.

[KenH]

The best wild turkey I've ever ate (I've ate quite a few) was where Mama cut the breast meat into strips, battered 'n fried like chicken strips.

[gon2shoot]

Skinned, soaked in your choice of seasoning, smoked.

[MT Gianni]

I skin it and make turkey finger steaks, thighs as well. Our turkeys don't have much edible below the thigh.

[labradigger1]

Breast through a meat slicer sliced thin, cover with turkey gravely and bake.

[Shawlerbrook]

I have shot and ate dozens of Wild Turkeys over the years. Started out with the whole bird but now just filet out the breast in 2 pieces. Have cooked that various ways, but the best is cut into bite size pieces soak it in milk or buttermilk 12-24 hours and then dredge in your favorite recipe and fry.

[Lloyd Smale]

that's about what ive done with them for years. Makes a meal out of them but sure aint thanksgiving dinner.
I have shot and ate dozens of Wild Turkeys over the years. Started out with the whole bird but now just filet out the breast in 2 pieces. Have cooked that various ways, but the best is cut into bite size pieces soak it in milk or buttermilk 12-24 hours and then dredge in your favorite recipe and fry.

[Tom W.]

I haven't eaten a wild turkey in years, but when I did, I plucked it and baked it. It was better than any store bought bird.


Then a few years ago Lori got some Wild Turkey 101 to mix with some eggnog. It wasn't nearly as much trouble as cleaning a wild bird.....

[Hardcast416taylor]

Had 10 hens and this years chicks in my back yard this a.m. while I ate breakfast, about 150 yds from house. Have a group of Toms, 5 , that come through about 3 - 4 times a week. Some of those Toms have nice ground draggin` beards. I just enjoy seeing them, not shooting them.Robert

[MaryB]

They are stupid and stand in the middle of the road here...

[Wayne Smith]

They are stupid and stand in the middle of the road here...

Must be interbred with domestic turkeys, then!

[Duster340]

I pluck them, then separate the wings, back, thighs a legs from the breast. I inject the breast with my marinade/brine and let sit in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Then deep fry it. Crispy juicy and delicious! I simmer the remaining parts with spices, onion garlic etc until it starts falling off the bones. Then I remove all the meat and use to make barbacoa, sloppy Joes, burritos and tacos. The wing bones are made into calls. No waste;)

[DxieLandMan]

We were able to get the breasts out of them. Probably going to have them smoked.

[Tripplebeards]

I just made a batch of turkey jerky. I cut the breasts into 1-2" strips and marinated them fir a few days in a $5 jerky mix seasoning I bought at farm and fleet. I had the neighbor over to help me do some chores and paid my help in jerky. He I hailed it!!! I ended up with 3 pieces left out of three breasts! I guess it was good?��

[Lloyd Smale]

yup I kind of chuckle at guys up here that will dawn there camos and grease there face and sit hidden with a call. I sit out crop damage shooting and they walk 10 feet from the blind. Heck ive had them walk right by the truck out there. I remember one day at camp when my brother in law got all decked out to go turkey hunting and went and sat and called for hours and got nothing. I stayed at camp and saw over 30 of them 20 yards away from the kitchen window. They are much easier to sneak up on then any grouse ive hunted.
They are stupid and stand in the middle of the road here...

[lightman]

The best wild turkey I've ever ate (I've ate quite a few) was where Mama cut the breast meat into strips, battered 'n fried like chicken strips.

We breast them out, cut them into strips or bite size pieces and fry them. Some think soaking them in buttermilk for several hours takes out some of the wild taste. For batter, take your pick. Anything like flour works. You can add salt, pepper or Cajun seasoning as your taste desires.

[Sam Casey]

They walk out of the woods and thru my yard. Wife tosses out bread, popcorn, etc. Right now there are clusters of young ones in the groups. Could easily tag one with my .20 Beeman. Wife would never forgive.

[Boyscout]

I breasted out my last two birds. Clean the breast and cool them so they are firm. Place them on a cutting board, place the palm of your hand on them and cut them with the grain into uniform thickness about a 1/2" thick. I then season them with cayenne, black pepper and garlic powder and return to the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Lightly dust them with flour and saute them/pan fry them.When they are about 95% cooked through remove them to a separate pan and tent them with foil.

Then saute about 1/2 a medium onion or several shallots, and at least 8 oz of mushrooms, button or portabella. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of flour and cook until raw flour is incorporated and then add a can of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and then put about half of that into a bowl and add some heavy cream, blend it and put it back into the onion/mushroom mix and bring to a simmer again. Serve that over the turkey fillets for a pretty nice meal. By cutting the breast into even fillets the meat cooks very evenly and there are no over cooked dry ends. Some pound them flat but that just makes a mess.