Field Care

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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