Turkey Field Care
Like deer and most other game, the table quality of wild turkey is enhanced by field dressing the bird immediately after the kill.
An easy way to clean a bird is to make a cut beneath the tail
and around the anus of the bird, creating a hole large enough to
insert your hand into the body cavity and remove the entrails.
This opening can be propped with a stick to help cool the meat
faster. Now you are ready to proceed to the nearest check
station so data from your bird may be collected.
Remember that evidence of sex (one leg with foot) must remain
attached to the turkey and beared hens must remain intact until
they have reached their final destination.
From this point on taking care of harvested turkeys is a matter
of preference. Some hunter skin their birds. Others pluck them.
Some bone out the meat for frying while others like to roast
them whole. The liver and gizzard are edible just as with
domestic turkeys. Be sure to thoroughly clean and wash the bird
and giblets for freezing or cooking.
Recipes for wild turkey