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GUIDE TO CLEAN A WILD TURKEY | Hunting comes in various forms, but after that, what next? Say you hunt for wild turkeys; how do you intend to clean, care for, and cook the game afterward? It can be a difficult call to make, especially if you are starting out as a turkey hunter.
Turkey hunting always requires proper decision-making because it often determines the ultimate result. First, you need the right gear. Following that is the hunt, and finally, the butchering which must be done neatly.
Some people pluck the feathers and remove the giblets, i.e., gizzard, liver, and heart. However, experience hunters prefer to go the quick and easy way which is always neater.
How to Butcher a Neat Turkey?
Here is how to clean a wild turkey.
Pluck
One of the oldest yet effective ways of butchering a turkey for a neat outcome is plucking the feathers. It would be best if you plucked the feathers to prepare the turkey for smoking, roasting, or deep-frying, or any cooking method you’d like.
Besides, removing the feathers makes the turkey edible. That way, the skin is preserved. Plucking also ensures that it can retain moisture when cooking. There are different ways to achieve this, but boiling water seems to be the most conventional way.
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Skin
Another way of preparing or butchering a wild turkey is skinning. It is quite easy to do compared to plucking. By skinning the turkey, it means you want to cook different pieces of the meat.
So, what you have to do is cut down to different pieces and remove the giblets. You can cut the breasts down to two different halves to make it easier for you to cook.
Quarter
The next part is quartering. It is the most important part because it involves cleaning, which ultimately determines edibility. If you do the quartering well, you should be done in no time.
- Lay the turkey on its back and expose the skin completely
- Remove the breast fillets and cut the skin open
- Make an incision from the breastbone downwards and remove all filets
- Cut down the thigh and leg at the muscles
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Field Dress
Another incredible way of cleaning a wild turkey is field dressing. It involves settling the turkey and removing all filets and entrails such as heart, liver, lungs, windpipe, etc., from various parts. If the dressing is done in hot weather, cooling the chest using ice is great.
What Do You Need to Take for Turkey Hunting?
Packing the right gear for bird hunting is important. Whatever you take along, ensure it includes your gun, prepping gear, and other essentials. Blockers are useful so that you can maintain a quiet hunt.
You can also take the best 1-6x scope since it is useful in bird sighting/turkey hunting.
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Conclusion
Hunting for birds like turkeys is simple, but you need to make sure to have the proper prepping gear because the edibility of your game is dependent on it. If you clean a wild turkey properly, you’ll definitely enjoy the meat.
More importantly, don’t hesitate to check the best scope for 300 blackout if that is the gun you plan to use.
