Spring Turkey

Nice jake, I don't pass them up anymore. Better eating! The quicker I can kill one the quicker I can get to fishing! But the minute things start greening until I get one or season ends, It's all I can think about.
 
Dude, You have Turkey fever...I don't have it this year. Gardening is my focus. Got to get a good start on it. Turned my beds over again yesterday. Put in horse manure, etc. I am trying a new tomato this year Mortgage Lifter, supposed to grow to 9' tall and have 1-2 pound tomatoes...
 
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Munster927 said:
Not sure why that is Gim. I've cooked a lot of wild turkey and they usually turn out really well. A couple go to recipes for me is making jalapeno turkey poppers with them (like i do with pheasant), making a turkey schnitzel. Which is basically pounding a piece of breast meat flat, coat it in flour and fry it in oil. Cutting them into pieces or strips and frying them in shorelunch beer batter. And grilling a whole breast, wrapped in foil, with sliced onions, apples and sweet and sour sauce.

I usually brine and marinade for awhile but not always.
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I roast the turkey in a baking bag, with water and flour in the bag. You have to keep it from drying out. That's the key.Plus not over cooking it.
 
Turkey schnitzel is a go to. My uncle told me about a meat market that makes excellent jerky from wild turkey so I might try that if I get one this year. Believe it or not, my buddy finally figured out the legs from the last turkey I shot. He braised them, then slow cooked and shredded. We had turkey tacos and they were top notch.
 
Goosemaster said:
I could cook a wild turkey, and a butterball, and blind fold you, and you wouldn't be able to tell difference.
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Is that turkey a merriams? Are there easterns out there? I know in NE SD it's a lot of hybrids. I hunted out there two years but the turkey got away both times and one night in the restaurant a drunk guy in a cowboy hat knocked me in the back of the head and I haven't been back. True story. Sisseton.
 
Bob Peters said:
Is that turkey a merriams? Are there easterns out there? I know in NE SD it's a lot of hybrids. I hunted out there two years but the turkey got away both times and one night in the restaurant a drunk guy in a cowboy hat knocked me in the back of the head and I haven't been back. True story. Sisseton.
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Yes Merriam turkey. There is a learning curve in turkey hunting, just like pheasant hunting,and waterfowl hunting. It takes years to get good at it, but when you master it,you will get lots of birds in spurts.Some years will be better than others. Scouting, knocking on doors, talking to people, looking at maps,all are important. Learn to be proficient with calls.That is important.
 
Goosemaster said:
I could cook a wild turkey, and a butterball, and blind fold you, and you wouldn't be able to tell difference.
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This bird was a mature gobbler.22 pounds. Probably a 4 year old, or older.The jakes are better eating.Im going to use my bow on my next one.I have shot a few turkeys with my dog along. My dog gets really mad,when I leave her at home. If I could post a video, I would.
 
Birdman2 said:
Dude, You have Turkey fever...I don't have it this year. Gardening is my focus. Got to get a good start on it. Turned my beds over again yesterday. Put in horse manure, etc. I am trying a new tomato this year Mortgage Lifter, supposed to grow to 9' tall and have 1-2 pound tomatoes...
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Gardening? Come on man.
 
Kismet said:
I've gotten 9 or 10 turkeys over the course of living in the country. Of these, only two have been palatable, the others were as tough as dried rind. I've tried cooking bags, apples and oranges in the chest cavity, even canned turkey gravy in the cooking bags. No joy for me, so I've virtually stopped hunting them.

Aside from grinding the meat, is there a technique for cooking a wild bird that will end up with tender meat?

Thanks.
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I usually use a baking bag with chicken broth in the bag, and flour.Younger birds are the best eating.
 
Lefty76 said:
I cut the breasts into strips, bread lightly, and fry them quick and hot. The boys like it cooked that way. I have a friend who slices semi frozen breasts on a meat slicer, marinates in Franks hot sauce, then throws them on the dehydrator. It makes a decent snack.

I haven't found a great way to utilize the legs/thighs. I've tried slow cooking them several different ways, then pulling the meat for stew, I've never had it turn out decent. Just not much meat there. I might try to sous vide the next one we get.
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You can make turkey soup out of the carcass and legs.
 
Goosemaster said:
Gardening? Come on man.
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Goose, I have really got into it. I raise some of the best damn tomatoes you have ever tasted. Romaine,broccoli, lettuce,chives, Yukon gold potatoes, okra, zucchini,cucumbers. Once you raise your own stuff, you realize most stuff bought at store is half-ass, lol. There is nothing like picking a vegetable at it's peak and eating right then. Yes I still like to kill shit with honor, lol
 
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Lefty76 said:
I cut the breasts into strips, bread lightly, and fry them quick and hot. The boys like it cooked that way. I have a friend who slices semi frozen breasts on a meat slicer, marinates in Franks hot sauce, then throws them on the dehydrator. It makes a decent snack.

I haven't found a great way to utilize the legs/thighs. I've tried slow cooking them several different ways, then pulling the meat for stew, I've never had it turn out decent. Just not much meat there. I might try to sous vide the next one we get.
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You can make turkey soup out of the carcass and legs
Roy B said:
View attachment 5513
Got this guy opening morning in Iowa.
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Looks like a good bird. Well done.
 
Bob Peters said:
Is that turkey a merriams? Are there easterns out there? I know in NE SD it's a lot of hybrids. I hunted out there two years but the turkey got away both times and one night in the restaurant a drunk guy in a cowboy hat knocked me in the back of the head and I haven't been back. True story. Sisseton.
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The black hills have Merriam pure breds. Eastern South Dakota has hybrids.Nebraski has hybrids.I think Iowa has eastern turkeys.
 
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