Then proceed to scald, pluck, and pop the turkey in the fridge for 3 days before cooking. If you have a long walk out, gut the bird with cooking to come in mind, especially on a warm spring afternoon. The freshly butchered turkey should age for a few days before eating or freezing to avoid toughness. i realize that you cant wait forever but just wondering if it is a bad thing to wait and find the deer does it ruin the meat the longer you wait? However long it was for the blood to come to a very slow drip. Planning to prepare tasty turkey for this Christmas party, you can definitely go through this article to gain more information on how to cook a turkey,how long to let turkey rest before carving and more. So is there really a time limit on gutting a deer? In some states it's illegal to only fillet the breast out, leaving the rest of the carcass behind. It is much easier for a taxidermist to replace or repair a shot-up head than to try and repair or replace tail and wing feathers.The distance should be around 25 to 30 yards which is a good distance to aim for any time you are hunting turkeys. Make a cut just along one side of the breastbone. How Long Can You Keep It? Did you roast an 18 pound turkey? Field Dressing Your Wild Turkey-- by Rob Ramsdale --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. I have researched this question only to find several different and often conflicting answers. Then, it's just a matter of working the skin off the breast halves, down the back and over each of the legs. If you cook it 3 hours, it should … I like the older turkeys, over a year for best flavor. Should you do it right in the field or is it OK to wait a while and bring it home? If you're in a pinch and don't have time for the long refrigerator thaw, you can submerge the whole turkey (still in the packaging) breast-side down in cold water. Take Care of the Bird. You can skin and fillet the turkey breasts and slice as much meat from the legs and wings as necessary. Maybe you roasted two smaller ones so you could have four drumsticks. You can freeze a water bottle or liter soda bottle (with water in it) and insert it in the cavity to cool the bird. You'll have a bad turkey or a maggot covered/pred stolen turkey by then. The freshly butchered turkey should … Fist time turkey hunter here, how soon, if at all, should you gut a turkey? Place these sections in a large crock pot with a large can of cream of mushroom soup, (no water) and cook for 5-6 hrs on med. Inevitably, most of us will have a whole lot of leftover turkey. Some say to field dress ASAP after the kill, while others say it is okay to hang birds with the guts intact at temperatures around 55 degrees Fahrenheit for days! 6. They can be butchered at 6 months old but they might not be the size you want or developed into a meaty juicy turkey. Leftover Turkey? How to Clean a Wild Turkey If you're a turkey hunter, you're used to making decisions. You can then package the bird however you like, whether a large zip-close bag, a heat-shrink bag, or vacuum sealer. Age. Always check your state's hunt regulations, and make sure … This Site Might Help You. Carry an iPhone tripod for this, or at least snap a few selfies with your turkey. How long to hang turkey « on: November 08, 2015, 04:00:50 pm » Two of my 3 turkeys are getting very large and I don't think they will make it to Christmas and still fit in the oven. I let mine bleed out for maybe 3 minutes? Still, there's no substitute for a handful in the place where you took the bird. If you cook a turkey for 5 minutes can you put it back in the refrigerator until you are ready cook it? I know this topic is about salt water fish, but if you catch a fresh water eel, you need to gut these immediately (at least within 2 hours) as the fish can become a bit toxic if the guts are left in too long. Depends on how long you intend to wait to cook it. What do you do with all of that leftover bird? You can then package the bird however you like, whether a large zip-close bag, a heat-shrink bag, or vacuum sealer.