Field to Table: Shoot the Bird, Prep
the Bird You’ve spent months practicing your turkey calls, weeks scouting
and hours waiting: All for a few moments of nervous energy when that tom struts
in front of you.
Finally, he’s in range and you squeeze the trigger. Within
seconds you’re off the ground, admiring his plumage, spurs and fan. You
pick him up, throw him over your shoulder and notice he’s a bit heavier
than you expected. As you walk back to your truck, it hits you—now what?
You spent all this time preparing to shoot a gobbler, but now you have no idea
what to do with him.
There are a number of options you have once you shoot your bird, including
cleaning him for eating, making a cape or getting him ready for the taxidermist.
“The instructions and tips we’ve collected will help you whether
you’re preparing your turkey for the trophy room or the table,” said
Rob Keck, CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Preparing Your Bird for the Table
Field Dressing In hot weather hunting conditions, it’s a good idea to field dress your
bird before bringing it home for cleaning and cooking preparations. Start by placing
the turkey on its back. Find the bottom of the breastplate and insert your knife,
making a cut to the anal vent. Remove the entrails from this opening and then
reach into the cavity to sever the windpipe, heart and lungs. If possible, cool
the cavity by placing ice inside the chest.
Plucking Considered the traditional style of cleaning a wild turkey, plucking is a perfect
way to prepare your bird to roast, smoke or whole deep-fry. There are two main
methods: wet or dry plucking. Regardless of which method you choose, keep the
skin intact as this will help keep moisture in while cooking.
If a source of hot water is available, wet plucking is the most effective.
The first thing to do is dunk the bird headfirst into the water, submerging it
to where the feathers end on the thighs. Swish the bird in the bath for 10 seconds
and remove. Then hang the bird from its head and start plucking. Pliers may have
to be used for the larger wing feathers.
If there is no water available, hang the bird head-up and sever the outer wing
bones at the joint with a knife. Pull the larger feathers out with a pair of pliers
and pluck the rest by hand. Next, remove the entrails and wash the body cavity
with water.
The last step, with either dry or wet plucking, is to remove the small, hair-like
feathers, or down. This is best done with a flame from either a small propane
torch or a torch made from tightly rolled newspaper. The bird's skin should be
dry before this process. Lightly run the flame over the bird, being careful not
to burn the skin.
Plucking does take time and produces more of a mess than skinning; however,
the taste of deep-fried or roasted turkey skin is worth the effort.
Skinning Many of today’s turkey hunters prefer skinning to plucking. Skinning a wild
turkey is easy and, with practice, can take less than three minutes per bird.
This method of preparation also reduces the amount of fat and cholesterol that
gather in the skin. Skinning a turkey allows you to cook the bird by frying or
grilling the pieces of meat.
The first step to skinning a wild turkey is to hang it from the head and cut
off the wings at the first joint. Then, remove the beard by pulling gently and
cutting the loose skin at the base. The next step is to remove the lower legs
by cutting around the joint where the feathers meet the scaly part of the leg.
Remove the cape next by inserting a knife into the neck skin where the feathers
start on the back of a gobbler's neck. Continue the cut down the neck and back
following the subtle division between the back and breast feathers. Continue the
cuts down to the base of the tail feathers and sever the fan by cutting the base
of the tail. The cape and fan can then be put aside for mounting until the job
of butchering is completed.
The remainder of the turkey's skin is removed by pulling and trimming with
a knife where needed. The skin is removed from the legs by rolling it down as
far as possible, that then it is severed with a circular cut of the knife.
Next, remove the upper wings and legs. Starting at the base of the neck, strip
the skin from the carcass. The entrails can now be removed by cutting from the
tail to the tip of the breastbone and cutting around the anus. Using your hand,
reach in and pull out the viscera, trying not to tear them.
Filleting Your Bird To remove the breast filets, pull or cut the skin back from the breast.
Make cuts along each side of the breastbone as well as on the inside of both wings
or the clavicle. To save the wings, peel the skin back and remove the wings from
the cavity by cutting through the joint.
Find the breastbone and make an incision down each side to loosen the breast
filet from the bone. Work from the rear of
the breast forward, filleting off the breast by pulling the filet and using the
knife as needed.
Repeat this for the other
side of the breast. In some states, it’s illegal to only filet the breast
out, leaving the rest of the carcass behind.
NOTE: Always check your state’s hunting regulations,
and make sure your turkey is properly tagged for transportation.
Drumsticks Anyone? To remove the thigh and leg, cut through the thigh muscle where it attaches to
the back. Grab the thigh or leg and pull up until you can feel the joint pop loose.
Keep cutting through the thigh until it comes free from the turkey’s body.
Turkey legs and thighs have a reputation for being the toughest part of a bird,
but with easy prep work and slow cooking (like a crock pot), turkey drumsticks
can be turned into a nice meal.
