Hunting and Fishing in NJ - A forum for NJ Hunters and NJ Anglers

I have a question (or two) when it comes to field dressing a turkey.

I have read that if you are going to breast them out then you don't need to clean out the insides, what are thoughts on this?

Also, when it comes to field dressing anyone have any tips, howtos..etc?

This is not just my first year turkey hunting, this is my first time hunting!

Thanks!

No one I know field dresses (guts) their turkey unless they are aging the meat. But I guess some people like to try and cook the bird whole (which I'm too lazy to try ). If that's what you want, then you'll need to remove all of the entrails and flush and wipe the inside of the bird clean and dry. Pluck feathers, cut off head, clean skin, tie up legs (before rigor mortis, etc...) Seems like Lots of Work to me...

IMO The most reasonable thing to do is to just take your bird home and butcher it as soon as possible. Some people just cut out the breasts and toss the rest of the bird - which I think is a mistake. I take out the breastmeat and the legs. The thighs are tender and the drumstick (lower leg) is good for soup - when slow/pressure cooked. The wings in my opinion are useless.

MY STEPS
1. Rip out all of the feathers, a few at a time, from the breast, pulling up against the "grain".
2. Push down on both legs breaking the leg/hip bones. The idea here is to get the legs to lie flat with the bird on it's back. This will expose the breasts and legs so you can cut them out more easily.
3. Skin out the breast and thighs - start with a shallow cut, just through the skin at the bottom of the brestbone and work all the skin neatly off of the breasts and thighs (you'll need a very sharp knife to do it well).
4. Cut out the breast meat following the bones and diaphram closely (take your time it'll explain itself).
5. Cut off the legs all the way up at the top of the muscle and through the hip joint (look for the joint and you wont need to hack at it).
6. Cut the feet off of the legs, with lopping shears/meat cleaver.
Brine bath meat overnight, cook and enjoy!

P.S. - I think that gutting a deer makes less of a mess (and with a deer it dosen't look like theirs a pile of snot in there either)...

I never field dress my bird's....... Go check them in, then get home and pluck them asap.... Never had a problem....

I always field dress my bird, and any animal I shoot as soon as possible. I also don't pluck the bird, I skinned them out.

Just insert the knife in the anus an cut about four inches to the left and same for the right. Open it up like a wallet and reach inside and pull it all out. If you like giblets, then put them in a plastic zip bag. Boiled them with onion, celery, garlic some salt there are very tasty.

To skin the bird just use your fingers. Right from the anus cut just slide your fingers between the skin and meat and work the feather and skin off like a sweater, cut the wings at the joint and do them separate.

thanks guys! much appreciated!