Anyone wanna talk TURKEYS??

[dnovo]

I've got hopes for tomorrow. (Don't we always?). It poured rain here from 4 am til 5 this afternoon. I'm getting out tomorrow. It's supposed to be cool and sunny.  Come on gobblers. I've got my blind all set up.

[kennym]

I'm a bit late to this thread. Between my day job and shop, not to mention having 200 trees to plant, I wasn't sure I'd get to go this spring.

Things kinda came together today , rained too much to plant the trees (according to the internet) so put em in the spare refrigerator and got out my turkey medicine bow.  Turns out it shoots same arrows as my deer hunting bow so I'm in!

Roosted a bird a bit ago and stuff is in truck. No blind, just a swivel chair and a lightweight ghillie...

[kennym]

Turkeys 2 , me 0

Roosted bird had 3 hens with him , another was coming but got intercepted .

Gotta spray a couple plots so I'm back home ...

This was on lease, saw about 15 deer and a yote ...

[dnovo]

I heard 3 or 4 gobblers. Saw 2 hens come by my blind. I thought 1 gobbler was coming in but never showed.

[Will Telluteyrd]

My first Turkey hunt with a bow was in the early 70's. I have many Turkey stories but sad to say I never filled a Turkey tag using my traditional equipment. The last Turkey I shot with a Recurve was a nice Gobler I shot right through the chest. He went twenty yards and started to teetar and I shot at him two more times and he ran into a swamp and I never found him. I got discouraged and went on a Turkey killing spree using a shotgun. I'm back to hunting with my traditional bows.

In those long years hunting with longbows, recurves and self bows I called in over 100 Gobblers. Sounds like a lot but your talking over a 40 year span. If I could do it over I wouldn't change a thing.

[Friend]

Hang in there Will...

[Flingblade]

Since this is the turkey talk thread I thought I'd post a picture of how I take 'em apart.  Hope you don't mind Tim.  Over the years I've heard some hunters say, "I just breast 'em out and pitch the rest" and I always cringe when I hear that.  I've never heard a traditional bowhunter say that though; we work too hard for our birds to waste nearly half the meat.  I like to hang the bird by the legs to skin and gut and then I cut into pieces.

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I end up with the breast, back, hips, legs, wings, neck and heart.  All these pieces go into the Instant Pot except the breast and heart.  After 35 minutes the meat falls off the bone and is then used in many different recipes.  When done this way you realize turkeys do have backstraps!  And there are two nice size chunks of white meat on the hips that is some of my favorite.  After boning the bones go back in the broth to be simmered for 24-48 hours on low to make a delicious bone broth.  With the breast I like to bone it out, cut cross grain into 1 inch steaks, marinate and grill or bread and fry. 
Let's see; white and dark meat for all kinds of good eats, feathers for fletching, spurs for necklaces, dried legs and feet for back scratchers, tail fans and beards for wall décor and wing bones for calls!  What a game bird!  It's often said of pigs you use everything but the squeal.   I guess with turkeys it's everything but the gobble!
Best of luck to all those still hunting!  I'll be happily following along!

[wood carver 2]

How do you get the legs tender? One time at turkey camp, one of the guys cooked them in a pressure cooker and they came out as tough as tire treads. I have always ground the leg meat with half as much bacon and made burgers.
Dave.

[Flingblade]

Dave- I used to cook them for about 6-7 hours in a crock pot on low and that worked great but now 35 minutes in the Instant Pot does the same thing only much faster.  But the first thing I do after cutting the bird up is soak them in a brine or salt water for at least a day and sometimes two.  After brining and cooking the meat is tender and the large tendons in the legs just pull right out.  How do you get those large tendons out to grind the meat?
Does anyone pluck turkeys?  I've tried and found it to be way too much work.  I like to pluck pheasant and puddle ducks but geese and turkeys are too much work.   

[Friend]

The TimberGhost and I are going after them this morning.

[TIM B]

Nice post flingblade!
Good luck friend. 
I moved the blind for the upcoming weekend...
Tim B

[Herdbull]

I had a lot of trouble getting the Toms to come in and challenge my Jake decoy this year. Most mature Toms had live hens with them and always seemed to go the other way. Solo hens would come in and investigate my set up.

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[Herdbull]

Then I finally called in an entire flock. Three hens, four Jakes, and a mature Tom. When the Tom got close enough to get a good look at my decoy set up, he gobbled with outstretched neck and then charged straight in with all four Jakes in tow. He locked up in front of my Jake and started to circled. I drew and let fly the 2219 with 1 1/4 inch attached woodsman elite . The bird went 50 yards.  Mike
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[Herdbull]

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[ESP]

Envious of you guys and gals. This is a rough year with gobbling only on the roost. I'm trying to roost some as I am typing

[Yolla Bolly]

My brother's bird.

[TIM B]

Nice birds boys!!
Tim B

[wood carver 2]

Dave- I used to cook them for about 6-7 hours in a crock pot on low and that worked great but now 35 minutes in the Instant Pot does the same thing only much faster.  But the first thing I do after cutting the bird up is soak them in a brine or salt water for at least a day and sometimes two.  After brining and cooking the meat is tender and the large tendons in the legs just pull right out.  How do you get those large tendons out to grind the meat?
Does anyone pluck turkeys?  I've tried and found it to be way too much work.  I like to pluck pheasant and puddle ducks but geese and turkeys are too much work.   

I pull the tendons the hard way. It takes a good bit of time and I don't always use the drumsticks because there's more tendon than meat. Two thighs deboned and ground with half their weight in bacon makes about 8 good sized burgers.
Dave.

[Herdbull]

I posted scenes from last years turkey hunt that finished with a strutting hen. Mike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Ems-cSiqo

[Kopper1013]

Awesome guys! Y'all are haven a great time out there, Congratulations to all of ya