TOPIC: Turkey Hunting

I know it isnt ginseng, but I got my turkey this morning. They were finally gobbeling good, that weather front came through last night and I guess that helped? 20 pounds and a 9 inch beard. Fried turkey breast and morel mushrooms for supper.Yum.

Lenno

lenno

20 lbs! That a NICE BIRD for sure!!! Was that FUN or what?

Congrats!!!

classicfur

Nice bird Lenno. Congrats! I love my turkey hunting too. I'm tagged out now and am looking to get out and find some morrels now myself. They are just really getting started around here. I've found a few blacks, but nothing else yet, but haven't really looked that hard yet either. Still haven't seen a single seng plant yet, but they should really be poppin up by the end of this week I'd imagine.

Classicfur, 5prong, Thanks! I get to start hunting for my second bird tomorrow,as you can only kill one the first week. We have found more morels than we can eat this spring and have been giving some to our friends. Our ginseng is up really good now and have already found some nice patches to go back to this fall.

Thanks, Lenno

Nice Tom Lenno....

Have you ever tried taking one with bow & arrow.

I have done that a few times.

I used to be a National Staff Shooter for High Country Archery back in the 1988-1992 timeframe. Killed nearly 200 deer with bow and arrow and a few turkeys too.

Now that is a real challenge to get a tom with a bow.

Back when I was doing it we did not have those nice pop up blinds & decoys like they have today - so it would actually be quite a bit easier today.

If you bow hunt, you should give that a try sometime.

Good Luck !

TNhunter

Nice bird! Is that 20 lb.s before or after being dressed out? do you clean them yourself?

I deerhunt a lot, and process/butcher them myself. Even with my longtime experience with this, I can't imagine plucking a big bird....

Tnhunter,

I would be wasting my time with a bow, thats for sure. Turkey hunting is pretty challenging for me with a shotgun.

Whitjr,

Thats before it is dressed out. I too process/take care of my deer and turkey.
Thanks, Lenno

Whitjr,

I have not found much use for any of the meat on a wild turkey except the breast.

The turkey leg's (drumsticks) I have never seen them cooked in such a way that they turned out good. The breast meat is a treasure though.

You can just split open skin over the breast meat and filet the brest meat off. You end up with two nice breast filets and can then slice them up across the grain and they cook up real nice and tender that way.

I usually cut them up in 1/4 in thick slices and my wife fries it up like chicken strips.

Turkey is one wild game meat that my kids will eat like crazy and my wife likes it too.

They don't care much for deer or other wild game but they will sure eat the turkey up.

Lenno - I have not attempted em with a bow in 10 years or more, but back when I was big into archery - it was sure fun (a real challenge) to take one with the bow.

I went for about 15 years there and hunted with nothing but bow and arrow. Even in rifle season I used a bow.

I am not near as into most hunting now days as I was back then.

I still hunt turkey, ginseng and do some fishing, but the deer don't have to worry about me anymore. I think I may have killed too many of them and got burned out on it.

TNhunter

Spring turkey season and digging season are my favorite times of the year. I got this one first day at 6:30 in the morning. 21 lbs., 12 inch beard(if you count the longest feather), and 7/8\" spurs. Can't beat spring turkey season, but i haven't had anymore success since the first day. They've all turned hush lipped. Anyway,....good luck to all of the bird hunters out there.

Those are some nice Toms, you have to try smoking them even the grand kids like it.
This year here in Ontario we will have elk hunting again after 30 years or so. The hunt is only in select areas. Turns out one area is where we live. What do I do?, I know some of you guys elk hunt, any tips?

Now tops is bear huntin with a bow, it'll get that heart a pumpin, bring extra shorts.

guy