After the shot? Turkey

[ghosthunter]

So you are hunting seven days in camp. Tents.

You kill your turkey. What’s your process?
I have a friend who hangs them after field dressing.

How long under ice can you keep them?

What’s everyone do.?

[MADMAX]

I fillet them out
Ziplock the meat on ice in a cooler
Take off spurs beard and popes nose with fan
Wrap the fan and beard with paper towel and put it n the cooler on top with my tag
Works for me

[ghosthunter]

I fillet them out
Ziplock the meat on ice in a cooler
Take off spurs beard and popes nose with fan
Wrap the fan and beard with paper towel and put it n the cooler on top with my tag
Works for me

What’s the longest you ever kept one in cooler?

[jrebel]

Just remember.....

• It is illegal to possess in the field or transport wild
turkey unless the fully feathered head and beard, if
present at harvest, are left attached to the carcass.

We take ours whole back to the house and or our second residence if within an hour of the hunting spot for processing.  Once at our residence / cabin, we breast them and cut the legs off and pack in gallon ziplock bags.  They go in the fridge or on ice till we can vacuum seal them and freeze them. 

We stopped at a game check station a couple years ago and had a turkey in the cooler.  It was processed and in ziplocks.  I kept the head, beard and wings in another bag.  We had pictures of the kill and explained it had been processed at our second residence / cabin.  The wardens looked stumped, gave it some thought, and said....."the rule really didn't address this aspect."  They said congrats on the kill and let me go about my day.  By the letter of the law....when in transport, it needs the fully feathered head and beard attached to the carcass. 

I guess in your case....with tents...I would breast it and leg it and keep the carcass in a separate bag.  I would put both on ice.  I would think it would last 7 days on ice without a problem.

[baldopepper]

They can get a little testy on transport if head and beard not still attached. Warden let my brother go but said not next time. He had the fan and beard separate and bird picked. I usually just process and freeze at the lake house, but have just cleaned them and kept in a cool spot on occasion. Have left for 4-5 days with no problem.
 

[MADMAX]

I fillet them out
Ziplock the meat on ice in a cooler
Take off spurs beard and popes nose with fan
Wrap the fan and beard with paper towel and put it n the cooler on top with my tag
Works for me

What’s the longest you ever kept one in cooler?

We usually eat them but Ive gone
3-4 days

[MADMAX]

Just remember.....

• It is illegal to possess in the field or transport wild
turkey unless the fully feathered head and beard, if
present at harvest, are left attached to the carcass.

We take ours whole back to the house and or our second residence if within an hour of the hunting spot for processing.  Once at our residence / cabin, we breast them and cut the legs off and pack in gallon ziplock bags.  They go in the fridge or on ice till we can vacuum seal them and freeze them. 

We stopped at a game check station a couple years ago and had a turkey in the cooler.  It was processed and in ziplocks.  I kept the head, beard and wings in another bag.  We had pictures of the kill and explained it had been processed at our second residence / cabin.  The wardens looked stumped, gave it some thought, and said....."the rule really didn't address this aspect."  They said congrats on the kill and let me go about my day.  By the letter of the law....when in transport, it needs the fully feathered head and beard attached to the carcass. 

I guess in your case....with tents...I would breast it and leg it and keep the carcass in a separate bag.  I would put both on ice.  I would think it would last 7 days on ice without a problem.

Good info

If smoking meth and shooting herion are ok to do in this state
Im personally not sweating a processed and tagged bird when driving home

[High Climber]

Just remember.....

• It is illegal to possess in the field or transport wild
turkey unless the fully feathered head and beard, if
present at harvest, are left attached to the carcass.

We take ours whole back to the house and or our second residence if within an hour of the hunting spot for processing.  Once at our residence / cabin, we breast them and cut the legs off and pack in gallon ziplock bags.  They go in the fridge or on ice till we can vacuum seal them and freeze them. 

We stopped at a game check station a couple years ago and had a turkey in the cooler.  It was processed and in ziplocks.  I kept the head, beard and wings in another bag.  We had pictures of the kill and explained it had been processed at our second residence / cabin.  The wardens looked stumped, gave it some thought, and said....."the rule really didn't address this aspect."  They said congrats on the kill and let me go about my day.  By the letter of the law....when in transport, it needs the fully feathered head and beard attached to the carcass. 

I guess in your case....with tents...I would breast it and leg it and keep the carcass in a separate bag.  I would put both on ice.  I would think it would last 7 days on ice without a problem.

Good info

If smoking meth and shooting herion are ok to do in this state
Im personally not sweating a processed and tagged bird when driving home

ain’t that the truth

[TheStovePipeKid]

If you have a good quality cooler the turkey would be fine on ice for the whole 7 day trip. Bare in mind that placing a freshly processed turkey into a cooler will raise the temperature of the cooler dramatically. I usually bring a yeti cooler with ice blocks and a regular cooler with store ice. I bring the turkey down to temp in the regular cooler and then place in the yeti for the rest of the trip. Or you could just eat it at camp like has been mentioned.

[duckmen1]

So my thought on the subject. Carcass is the specific word in the description. No where does it say in the regs for spring that the meat has to be left on the carcass. Just the feathered head and beard. So by taking the breast, leg/thigh, and wing meat if you choose and keep meat processed in the cooler with tag attached to the leg with spur on leg and keep the carcass in tact with the feathered head and beard in a cooler next to it for transport then all should be good. That is how I read the regs and feel is an appropriate method to transport. Along with harvest pics for reference. They can’t expect one to be on a week long trip and leave the meat inside the bird while tent camping. Just my thought. Correct me if I am wrong. But given not everyone owns a cabin near by and some may travel 6 plus hours to get to the hunting grounds. It just makes sense. Other option is eat your bird in camp. Great tasty camp meal. And great experience.

[birddogdad]

this happens frequently with my plans... i run a couple states together and it lasts over a week +. if you have cold weather, i gut / hang from tree in complete shade. This can be hit or miss. when its warm i pluck, pull wings and legs and leave head attached. legs and bodies then fit in a larger cooler on ice for duration of the trip keeping cooler drained. Giblets in ziplock. state harvest tags remain on legs. As cited, you have field processing requirements by state to follow until home or consumed. I have also skinned entire bird if i want that part for other purposes. i save all wings for calls, now looking into feather art projects too. my first trip this year i missed the mark on picking up ice during a relocation but tagged out ahead of schedule so i didnt have to run an hour back to town for more... hope this helps