Chris gets his first Wild Turkey

Well we have been planning on a wild turkey for Thanksgiving but time has been scarce around here so we had to leave it up to Chris. Today he and our friend Brandon (a fellow Fire Fighter) left at about 1600 to go turkey hunting and about 2 hours later while we were feeding the cattle we hear horns beeping and some hooting and hollering so we beat feet back to the barn yard.

What do you know, Chris and Brandon both got a turkey within 40 minutes of the start of the hunt and we have a Thanksgiving feast in the making. If you have never had a wild turkey they taste nothing like store bought and to me its more akin to pheasant. A delicious gamey flavor and all dark meat. Of course we saved the gizzards for the dressing and Chris will have the tail, beard and feet for a wall display. We are proud of him but now that we know he can bring in the game, it takes some of the burden off me and we have high expectations for future freezer fills!

Not bad for 40 minutes work eh?

Turns out it was a bearded female and just big enough for a good Thanksgiving dinner.

Your first turkey is always a thrill. The tail feathers, the beard and the feet will be mounted in a frame with a red felt background so he can have it to remember in his room.

Brandon is a good old Ozark boy who knows how to hunt but they were both surprized and happy the hunt went so quick and so well. It was 80 degrees today and we were wondering how it would go.

Chris learned how to clean them and the only thing he forgot was to clean out the crop......leave the dirty work to dear old dad.

The cats and dogs hung around for a few treats but he did a great job and we have one whole turkey and the carcass and gizzards of what Brandon didnt want now in the freezer waiting for Thanksgiving day. We use everything of the game we get, gizzards, bones, and all the meat. The feathers are kept for crafts, the tail, feet and beard for conversation, and the pictures to remember.

It was a good feeling to have this success, the abundance of this area is hard to describe but I truly cant see how you would starve around here.

Brandons turkey was butchered for the breasts and we took the rest....I can already taste it and we almost dont want to wait for Thanksgiving. All in all it was a good day.