pluck a turkey

who has ever plucked a Turkey? i am one that loves turkey skin but in all my life i have never plucked anything we usually skin our birds. but i will have to break the habit for my Turkey i get next month. but i need tips please
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Mark
They're actually pretty easy to pluck. There's not a lot of down like you see on ducks and geese.

With that said, I just fillet the breast meat now. These wild birds are nothing like the butterballs you buy in the store. They run and the drumsticks are tough. Really tough. And the wings are about the same. We're not going to eat the wings and drumsticks so why cook them?

I've even tried to save enough of the drumsticks to make soup or something, but by the time I get past all of the sinew there's not a lot of meat there. I know some guys like to eat them, but for us the breast meat is all we eat anymore.

Personal preference I suppose...
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Default Avatar
I skin my birds. I have not been able to pluck a turkey without tearing the skin.

As far as the drum sticks and wings go, I boil them and then add them to chilli made with 'Black Bear Darn Good chilli mix'. :thumb

In the past I have seen a plucking wheel that fits into a hand drill. Never saw one in action but would imagine that feathers would be flying every where.
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kinzysdad
Get a BIG pot of water boiling and dip em in. Feathers come off pretty easy. Quils and all.
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one hunting fool
"kinzysdad" wrote:Get a BIG pot of water boiling and dip em in. Feathers come off pretty easy. Quils and all.
 where ya suppose to get one that big?
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kinzysdad
Smith and Edwards. Use a 15-30 gallon metal drum. Just make dang sure you cook the glow in the dark hazmat "stuff" out first. Better yet, maybe if you leave it it will tenderize the wings and drumsticks. #-o

All kidding aside, when we were kids thats what my dad made us use for the turkeys he raised. We had one so big once, after it was cleaned and plucked we had to put it in a 55 gallon garbage bag to put him in the freezer. Those things were freakin mean.
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6x6 bull
We used to use a #2 washtub. It would sit on all four burners on the stove and when it was boiling we would take it outside and dip the bird in it. That was years ago. We just skin them now and slice them thin and bread them and fry them. Also without the skin on you can smoke them with bacon covering the meat. My Mom always said if deer tasted as good as fried wild turkey there wouldn't be one left in the woods.
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waynedevore
I sometimes roast the whole bird. Works good to boil the water then put it into a larger container like a tub, plastic or metal, dip the turkey, swish it around until the feathers are sloppy and it will pick pretty good.
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one hunting fool
Thanks guys these are all great ideas I will try them. Hey you all say that the drumsticks aren't any good on wild turkey but what about the thighs?
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kinzysdad
I'll be honest with you, I have never killed or eated a wild turkey. If I get lucky enough to try it, I'll cook the whole bird and see how good or bad the eating is for myself
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one hunting fool
that is what i am thinking. ohhhhhhhhh 24 more days and its blasting time I already tied mine up and started him on corn and wheat mix :-k :-$ :))
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79Ford
Butterball = pre-plucked
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kinzysdad
79r have you ever seen a butterball in the wild? Better be packing more than your XD. Mean I tell ya. lol
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79Ford
"kinzysdad" wrote:79r have you ever seen a butterball in the wild? Better be packing more than your XD. Mean I tell ya. lol
 I would think they'd be too dry to be very dangerous..... :-k
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one hunting fool
I saw Butterbean fight in Vegas and if he is any relation to the butterball then xd is not enough lol
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kinzysdad
"79Ford" wrote:
kinzysdad wrote:79r have you ever seen a butterball in the wild? Better be packing more than your XD. Mean I tell ya. lol
 I would think they'd be too dry to be very dangerous..... :-k
 So you've had my wifes cooking! :))
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79Ford
"kinzysdad" wrote:
79Ford wrote:
kinzysdad wrote:79r have you ever seen a butterball in the wild? Better be packing more than your XD. Mean I tell ya. lol
 I would think they'd be too dry to be very dangerous..... :-k
 So you've had my wifes cooking! :))
 lol
That any my mother in laws cooking...... Best way to cook a turkey is deep fried. Doesnt help with the plucking, but yeah.
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one hunting fool
don't have a deep fryer either :-(
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79Ford
I have one you can borrow. It just collects dust 364 days out of the year.
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