How do you field dress a turkey

[bowhunt62]

How do you field dress a turkey

[hjohn429]

Whith a very sharp knife.

I suppose it's not really that much different than a deer, squirrel, etc.

[Beekeeper]

Lay the bird on it's back. Feel for the point of the breast. From the point of the breast make an incision down to and around the vent. Reach in and remove the internal organs by pulling them out through the incision. I usually don't worry about the crop.

[bonnier-admin_2]

with a ver sharp knife

[bonnier-admin_2]

with a very sharp knife

[shane]

With your nose plugged. Stinkiest game animal ever?

[blazer_ov-1d]

i have never field dressed a turkey.
step 1: kill turkey
step 2: pick up turkey
step 3: carry turkey with guts in
step 4: register and weigh turkey
step 5: take turkey home and pluck or skin and remove guts in the back yard or garage
you don't have to worry about field dressing it unless you are going to have a heart attack bring it out of the woods

[llzmanll]

Field dressing is essentially gutting the bird in the field while leaving the feathers on. Removing the guts or entrails is important to help allow the bird to cool faster and to keep the "juices" inside the bird from spoiling any meat. If it is a cool day and you aren't far from home, you can skip the field dressing step and wait until you are home before cleaning the bird.


Here are the steps for gutting or field dressing a wild turkey.


Lay the turkey on its back.


Follow the breast down to the rear of the bird until it narrows to a point between the legs.


Pull up on the tip and cut the bird open by making a shallow horizontal incision (through the skin only) between the tip of the breast and the vent (anus). It helps to pull out a few of the feathers in this spot so you can cut more easily.

Make the incision large enough to insert your hand and pull out the entrails, making sure to pull out the heart and lungs.


Cut around the vent (anus) by carefully following the intestine back and then cutting around its exterior. This is where you need to be careful since you don't want any of the intestine's contents getting on the turkey.


Remove the crop (sac-like thing filled with what the turkey's been eating) by making a cut on the neck of the turkey and reaching down and removing the crop located at the top of the breast.


Rinse out with water and wipe with paper towels if you have these available.

[mth21]

what if you want to take the bird to a taxidermist should you still field dress?

[matouse3]

I like to just breast out the bird- lay him on his back, rip the skin open, and slice the breast meat out on either side of the center bone. Its easy, gets you essentially all the meat (the legs are so tough, I never end up eating them), and there is no plucking involved.

[rudyglove27]

http://www.tnoutdoorsmen.com/ft.htm