After the shot

[dmv9]

So the bird is on the ground, now what? You put the tag on it obviously.

But I'm trying to figure out when you can harvest the meat because the regs say you must transport the turkey with the feathered head.

"It is illegal to possess in the field or transport game birds unless a feathered head is left attached to each carcass, except falconry-caught birds."

So I have to take the bird home/camp before I can take out the meat?

[turkeydancer]

You can process it right away, but you need to leave the head attached until you get home (unless you are consuming it right away).  If you are going to use it whole (roast, smoke,deep fat fry, etc) you want to leave the skin on (ie - pluck the bird, then remove the entrails, and the crop/craw) .... you can pluck them fairly easy shortly after the harvest or use 140 degree temp water.   If you are going to cook it in pieces (turkey fingers, pot pit, soup, etc) then you can breast/thigh it out .... but since you are to leave the head on, I would remove the entrails and the crop and finish the processing at home (removing the head and breast/thigh out after you get home).

Go to NWTF website, click on Hunting, click on Tips & Techniques, and you'll find instruction on breasting/thighing and also plucking, etc.

[Tom Tamer]

I always do a happy Jig right after I tag it.

[RadSav]

I always do a happy Jig right after I tag it.

So is this you and your crew?
Harlem Shake Turkey Hunting Edition

[kevinlisa06]

Don't forget pictures to remember the hunt


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tom Tamer]

I always do a happy Jig right after I tag it.

So is this you and your crew?
Harlem Shake Turkey Hunting Edition

DAMN NSA and their drones found my hunting spot...ain't nothing sacred anymore!

[turkeydancer]

Sorry Tamer ... must have accidently sent them your coordinates ...   

[PA BEN]

I know the regs. say feathered head. That rule is from the field to where you process it. I do believe once you process the meat, ie; pluck, shin or bone out back at camp, motel, friends house, bag and put in cooler or freezer, that meat is processed. The tag has to stay w/the meat. If it is a general rule to transport why not ask to keep the beard attached to the carcass? So I have my turkey at home in my freezer and want to drive across the state for thanksgiving and provide the wild turkey for dinner I can't transport it w/out the feathered head?     

[dmv9]

I was hoping to carve the turkey in the field and not have to drag a whole turkey home. Sounds like I can. I check the regs again.

[RadSav]

Half of my birds have no head attached after I shoot them with the bow.  As the rules read I could get fined for that I guess.  Must be an awful lot of hens in Washington with full spurs, huh?

[PA BEN]

I think they just lumped the the feathered head rule for game birds in the reg.s w/out much thought. Most if not all toms don't have a feathered head.
Page 1, spring turkey pamphlet. You can only take.
Restrictions
Gobblers and
Turkeys with visible
beards ONLY

[turkeydancer]

About 4 or 5 years ago, I had two game wardens stop my buddy (a county sheriff officer) and I and checked our license and tags ... I showed them my gobbler and he brought up the leaving the head on thing.  I pulled my spring regulations and it wasn't in the regs.  I think he wanted to cite me, but he knew a couple of game warden friends of mine and it wasn't in the spring regs .... but guess what, the next year it was now there ..... 
 
If you have a question on this, I would suggest talking with a warden or two and see what they say as to how they will apply this reg.  To me, it's not that big of a thing to wait until I get home to remove the head ... better than being cited and maybe losing any prvileges. 
  

[baldopepper]

Two years ago I breasted out a bird with the intention of cooking at my cabin that night.  Decided not to cook that night and went home the next day with the breasts in my cooler.  got stopped at a checking station (Miles Creston Rd and Hwy 2).  Warden asked me about it  and I was very truthful about it.  I still had the fan and the beard so he just warned me about the regulations and didn't cite me.  He was a very pleasant guy and made it clear that if I had not been up front about telling him that I had taken a bird and given him the story he would have cited me.  I'll make sure I either cook and eat or leave the head on now.  (there's almost always a checking station at that location on the opening weekend of both turkey's and deer)

[turkeydancer]

    That may have also saved me since I still had the beard and fan .... but not taking the chance again either.   

[tonymiller7]

I always follow tagging the bird with high fives and a swig of wild turkey myself.