# Hunting > Game Bird Hunting >  When to harvest turkeys?

## hotbarrels

The cocky who's place we duck shoot on has asked us to deal to the turkey population.  He said that the numbers were getting a little our of hand due to the maze harvest.  When we went for a walk for some ducks on the drainage canals, we rounded his maze silage heap and about 50-60 turkeys sprinted off!  The majority of them were young 3/4 grown birds.  I was thinking 'tasty'.

I was trying to remember the 'rules' around when to and when not to harvest turkeys?  Something to do with months of the year that start with certain letters and never when they are eating crickets (or something like that)?

I have never eaten roasted wild turkey.  I've only ever used the breast meat in my wild game salami, but these younger birds look very attractive for the cast iron camp oven in the new pizza oven I am currently building.

So, when the best time of the year to harvest turkeys, and what's the favorite recipe and cooking method?

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## Chris

Every month with out an "R" in it .Same as pretty much every thing else if its for your own freezer.

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## tetawa

If there is crickets still around leave it another month.

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## stug

I've also heard, any month without an R so May, June, July, August.

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## SiB

Shoot one. Cook it. Taste it. Decide. Shoot more. Cook more. Eat more.

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## deadidick

Ive eaten them at anytime of year. Some do taste like arse in the summer though. I think once its been cold enough to kill the crickets and they have had a month to loose the cricket taste they are good.
We do our ones in an oven bag, they don't dry out that way, slow roast them at 150 C for 2 1/2 hrs. 

You could do one of those yankee things turducken or what ever it is they are called (not sure of the spelling but turd ucken dosnt sound that good). So you start with a mutton bird or a Quail or something, jamb it up the ducks arse, then you jamb the duck up the turkeys arse, drop it in a cray pot filled with boiling cooking oil and deep fry it.

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## Marty Henry

The r thing comes from the northern hemisphere, should probably be turned round for here. Best month's seem to be late oct, thru jan also possibly feb but depends on when cricket nos start to climb. Then may  june but after that they start getting a bit scrawny. Crickets which the seem to love make them stink and taste rancid. If you can get the bastards after theyve been in a orchard premo!

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## Rushy

I reckon now.  Go get them.  This big bugger and his mates skedaddled over the neighbours fence as I came home this afternoon.

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## Timmay

There are shed loads on the inlaws place, ive been meaning to go and tip one over for quite some time, I think I'll pay them a visit soon... I dont have a shot gun but I do have a .22lr - head shots are the way to go I assume?

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## stug

Nah mate, at night with a fence batton or similar. Find their roosting place, put a light on them. Heads go up, wack, one turkey. Don't do what I did and use a slasher. Not much resistance in a turkeys neck. Got several with one swing.

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## P38

Do what Stug said

Find the night roosts.

Turkeys are as Dumb as a Dumb thing when the spotlight is on them while they are Roosting at night.

We would staple a 12" piece of #8 wire to the end of the baton, one whack with the wire across their Neck will kill them clean as a clean thing ....... quite too!  :Have A Nice Day: 

Cheers
Pete

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## Timmay

haha cheers guys, I wonder if aliens say the same shit about us?

Alien 1: I'm after a human, got any ideas? I only have a stage 3 lazer
Alien 2: nah mate show up at night, flick your high beams on full on the Saucer, they just stand there staring at you like a dumb thing, then suck em up with your beam.
Alien 1: got it, Thanks.

 :Grin:

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## Pointer

I like those estwing claw hammers for turkeys. If you miss with the head the beveled shaft works wonders.

And Marty Henry it's definitely not a northern hemisphere thing, look at our game bird season

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## kiwishoota

i usually take ours in August, look for the young tom birds hanging around the back of the flock. I head shoot mine and prep them for the freezer, bring out for Xmas dinner. Very tasty, lots of meat and good flavor.  :Thumbsup:

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## Chris

Found when they roosted on a gate I just shine my torch a meter out ,when the stuck their heads out a wack my old wheel brass round the neck sorted them . 
If I had a mate along to hold the torch could smack 1/2 a dozen no problem.

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## Tommy

My mate swears by garden shears/hedge clippers. You know there's going to be no bruising and blood retention in the meat will be fairly low

EDIT.. He says: you shine the light on them, (say BOO if you like) and snip the head right off

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## Timmay

> My mate swears by garden shears/hedge clippers.


Why Have I wasted so much of my life hunting Sika when I could be hunting turkeys god damn garden shears, hilarious  :Thumbsup:

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## 223nut

Can just imagine the mess

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## Taff

I hunt mine with a bow, also tried some calling, amazed people don,t make more sport of them, anyone in northland I am always looking for more to hunt, LOL

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## mikee

> Nah mate, at night with a fence batton or similar. Find their roosting place, put a light on them. Heads go up, wack, one turkey. Don't do what I did and use a slasher. Not much resistance in a turkeys neck. Got several with one swing.


ooooooppppppppssssssssss  @stug

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## mikee

> Why Have I wasted so much of my life hunting Sika when I could be hunting turkeys god damn garden shears, hilarious


Shit, next thing there will be a thread on "lightweight shears" one on "target shears" and god forbid "short bladed suppressed shears"!!

personally I like Stugs style, fence battons and slashers have a certain style all their own!!

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## 223nut

@mikee dont forget long handled ones for that extra reach

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## stretch

> ... and god forbid "short bladed suppressed shears"!!


They're called secateurs.

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## mikee

> @mikee dont forget long handled ones for that extra reach


"Loppers" aye

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## gadgetman

> "Loppers" aye


And edge clippers for 'round the corner' jobs.

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## mikee

I guess Stug will now be making "carbon fibre fence batons"

even though I have really dragged this thread  way way way off course and must appoligise for that



                        I give you the "E Cat" Portable Cordless  Power Loppers"

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## Carpe Diem

Yup love all the comments on fence batons and clippers used them both over the years.

It's been a little too warm late this year so I'm waiting til June to take the next lot of turkeys from the South Waikato. Little black jumpy buggers are still out there when you cut the grass so let the little uns put a bit more condition on eh.

When de-breasting and legging I've found this method the best. http://youtu.be/6cgyCj_MbKE
Fold through the legs and snip off with a pair of secaturs. Simple as!!

Save the livers for Turkey pate made in the French method with cream and liqueurs - sublime!!!!

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## Rushy

> Yup love all the comments on fence batons and clippers used them both over the years.
> 
> It's been a little too warm late this year so I'm waiting til June to take the next lot of turkeys from the South Waikato. Little black jumpy buggers are still out there when you cut the grass so let the little uns put a bit more condition on eh.
> 
> When de-breasting and legging I've found this method the best. http://youtu.be/6cgyCj_MbKE
> Fold through the legs and snip off with a pair of secaturs. Simple as!!
> 
> Save the livers for Turkey pate made in the French method with cream and liqueurs - sublime!!!!


I will be up for that.

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## scotty

back in the old days when i worked in a bakery we used to harvest turkeys in may .....we used to wrap them in dough and put them thru a couple of bake cycles with the days bread when done you could break off the dough eat the bread and the turkey retained all its juices and tenderness and  wasnt toughas old boots like they can be..... nowdays the missus makes a mean as stuffing that seems to tenderise the meat really well

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## hotbarrels

> I guess Stug will now be making "carbon fibre fence batons"
> 
> even though I have really dragged this thread  way way way off course and must appoligise for that
> 
> 
> 
>                         I give you the "E Cat" Portable Cordless  Power Loppers"
> Attachment 49239



You guys a so full of excellent ideas. Gets a man thinking. 
My plan has always been to harvest them off the roost to maximize the number an minimize the meat damage.  I was planning on using the 3 iron out of the golf bag, but now .........
Anyone know how I can suppress my hedge trimmer??


If there are 50 in a row the Sthil might be the quickest answer. Might need to get a full face visor rather than the mesh one ..... could get messy!

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## Steve123

> back in the old days when i worked in a bakery we used to harvest turkeys in may .....we used to wrap them in dough and put them thru a couple of bake cycles with the days bread when done you could break off the dough eat the bread and the turkey retained all its juices and tenderness and  wasnt toughas old boots like they can be..... nowdays the missus makes a mean as stuffing that seems to tenderise the meat really well


Just normal bread dough? I'll have to try that with some peacock I have in the freezer. Beautiful tasting bird but can turn out a bit chewy.

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## mikee

> You guys a so full of excellent ideas. Gets a man thinking. 
> My plan has always been to harvest them off the roost to maximize the number an minimize the meat damage.  I was planning on using the 3 iron out of the golf bag, but now .........
> Anyone know how I can suppress my hedge trimmer??
> Attachment 49241
> 
> If there are 50 in a row the Sthil might be the quickest answer. Might need to get a full face visor rather than the mesh one ..... could get messy!


Hey that thing would be a "C cat" so I hope you store it with a vital part removed !!!!!  Whoooo hoooo get them turkeys

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## Maca49

I always found the shottie, did an awesome job removing the head and blew everything away from you, could shoot in a suit if you wanted to. Usually by the sixth bird #7 would fly into the dark, nerves shattered

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## Chris

Now having tried them cooked a few different ways am wondering if I bone one out ,mince & make burger patties how that would go.A matter of what herbs / seasoning to use?

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## Maca49

Chris use an axe head and boil for 3 days........ you know the rest!!

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## Chris

> Chris use an axe head and boil for 3 days........ you know the rest!!


Same recipe as for Pokakoe but thought it was a brick not a axe head.

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## scotty

> Just normal bread dough? I'll have to try that with some peacock I have in the freezer. Beautiful tasting bird but can turn out a bit chewy.


yea the same stuff we were making bread for aucklanders with. ... youdo need a decent size oven by the time its wrapped in dough

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## Steve123

> yea the same stuff we were making bread for aucklanders with. ... youdo need a decent size oven by the time its wrapped in dough


I'll try doing the breast, can't be bothered with plucking and cleaning them out

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## hotbarrels

> Hey that thing would be a "C cat" so I hope you store it with a vital part removed !!!!!  Whoooo hoooo get them turkeys


I'll just keep the tank empty until I reach the farm gate, but from there all bets are off!

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## Gapped axe

I made up a wooden machete out of Kwila, did the trick

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