Turkey down, now what?

[dmv9]

I'm hoping to go on a three day trip to get my first turkey.

So after the bird is down and tagged, do you put in on ice till you get back home?

Do you gut it back at the motel/camp? Or do you gut after you get home?

Thanks!

[asmith]

Well, the one I've kill I threw in the back of my truck then drove the 15 minutes home and took care of it.  This weekend, I plan to take care of it in the field.  The wife wasnt too happy with all the feathers at the house.  Remember, you must leave the feathered head attached until at home. 

[Russ McDonald]

If you get you bird and your not far from camp you can wait till you get back to camp.  If you staying at a hotel I would gut it in the field so you don't have the mess.  Here is part of the regs to:
 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.

[dmv9]

It's on private land, does that make a difference?

[asmith]

It's on private land, does that make a difference?

Not for leaving the head attached it doesn't.  If in field or transport, it must have the feathered head.

[turkeydancer]

I hunt both private and public and I always gut it in the field as soon as possible ... no way I'm leaving the guts in for any length of time especially if it's warm weather.  I then pull up to the dumpster at the motel or RV campsite at the earliest possible opportunity ... I feel it's best and easiest to pull the feathers while the birds still warm.  I then thoroughly wash it inside and out and put it on ice until I get home. Then the head comes off, final wash and preps, wrapped, and stored in the freezer ... or straight to the deep fryer.
 

[dmv9]

So do you breast the turkey out and leave the head on and put the breast in a plastic bag on ice?

[jennabug]

I'm glad to hear I won't be the only one out there this weekend!
If I succeed... I'm planning on gutting in the field (putting the waste into a secure bag), then placing a bag of ice in the body cavity to cool it.  I'll scald and pluck at home, outside with the turkey fryer.

[Bill W]

I believe you are required to save the meat from the legs also.

[The Gobble-stopper]

I believe you are required to save the meat from the legs also.

We were told by a warden in Asotin county that you do not have to keep the legs, because there is too many muscles to make it work. And to answer a question above. Yes even if you are on private property, you must have feathered head attached. We had only the breast and were going to get tickets. But we came up with enough evidence to prove with pics, and that they were being prepared to go in the pan. It was dicey for a little bit. I thought they were going to tell us the head had to remain while in the pan??? We thought we were going to get a ticket for throwing the carcass in the creek. But they said that was cool and it was acceptable, that the fish and aquatic animals would benefit from it.. They were cool by the time they left.

[buckcanyonlodge]

Millions of turkeys this fall.  Shoot two!! They usually go to water first thing in the morning so keep that in mind for an ambush.

[asmith]

Millions of turkeys this fall.  Shoot two!!

Or 3

[dmv9]

I was watching this field dressing:

And thought I could save the whole bird (on ice) and keep the carcass with the head in another bag with the tag.

Or should I just breast out the Rio (most likely) and keep the carcass in another bag?

Thoughts?

[Fshnpole]

I have found it easiest to just throw the whole thing in the truck then when I get home I just breast them.  The legs are full of tendons and difficult to debone but I do my best.  The best way I have found to eat them is take them to eggars (local butcher) and have them grind it and they add pork fat and make teriyaki sticks and they are awesome.

[turkeydancer]

NO MATTER WHAT THE HEAD IS LEFT ON UNTIL YOU'RE HOME.   I would still gut the bird and slip him into a kitchen garbage bag with the head tied outside the bag and the bird on ice whether he's plucked now or skinned for the thigh and breast at home. 

It always depends on how going to cook the bird how you prep it.  Usually I cook mine whole in a deep fat fryer after injecting 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of marinade per pound --- so if you are cooking them whole you want to leave the skin on by plucking the bird why it's still warm.   If you are going to cook it in pieces - turkey tenders, ground, pot pie, etc - then you can skin it (breast and thigh the bird out) when you get home.