[Crusader]

I've read some posts from some folks about how they just prefer to save only the turkey's breasts, and I am thinking that may be the way to go instead of hassling with plucking or skinning the whole bird. Can some of you more experienced hunters tell me the best way to do that, where to cut, etc.?

 

[Hannibal]

sure can. first cut off the tail and beard if you want to keep them. lay the bird on his back and take your sharp knife and cut a small 3 or 4 inch slit on along the breast bone. then get a hold of the skin and just peal it down to the ground on each side, you can peal it down around the thighs and legs also. then from that same breast bone cut straight down as close to the bone as possible and work down till you have all the breast free, the real fatty, goooooey part in the front.....just cut it off. for the thigh push it down till the bone pops then cut it off at the joint. after both breast and thighs are removed go in for the liver and gizzard and heart......if you dont like them fried up they are great catfish bait. hope this helps.

 

[Grumpy]

Here's a site with pics. http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Hunting/turkey/cleaning.htm

I keep the legs and thighs on the smaller/younger turkeys but I don't on the larger/older birds. If you ever try to cook the legs and thighs off a 25 lb thrkey you will see why.

 

[Roscoe Dog]

Its probably not a good idea to say you only keep the breast since its a violation to toss the rest of the bird away. I skin the whole bird and use all the portions of the bird. Legs, wings and back get made into turkey noodle soup. I have plucked a couple and it will take awhile but for smoking them thats the way to go.

 

[Hannibal]

i always keep the legs and thighs and wings ,,,simmer em a long time and use em in gumbo or noodle soup etc.

 

[r2ahunter]

Dont forget to work with it down wind there's a reason they are referred to as fowl.:fart:

 

[Mark Twain]

Originally posted by Hannibal
i always keep the legs and thighs and wings ,,,simmer em a long time and use em in gumbo or noodle soup etc.

You bet. That's what I use em for. :wave:

 

[Roscoe Dog]

With homemade egg noodles.

 

[riverbottomhunter]

Originally posted by r2ahunter
:fart:

That reminds me of something from friday night. You might need some new underwear if you can fart outside of a building in 20 mile per hour winds, step inside 5 minutes later and make everyone gag.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

 

[rat]

Originally posted by riverbottomhunter

Originally posted by r2ahunter
:fart:

That reminds me of something from friday night. You might need some new underwear if you can fart outside of a building in 20 mile per hour winds, step inside 5 minutes later and make everyone gag.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

This effect is amplified 20X inside the camper rbh!!

Glad we didnt make those baked beans after all.. no wonder r2 makes the best beans around!! :fart:

 

[riverbottomhunter]

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: I can only imagine what that camper was like that night.

 

[Poor Valley]

I use a technique similat to Hannibal except instead of lying the bird on the ground I hang it head up on a nail in a tree and pull its wings back around the tree and tie them together to get them out of the way.

 

[mrclean]

I pull the breasts and legs on 'em for the most part, but every now and then I scald the whole bird and pluck & keep the whole thing.