I am not a turkey hunter per se but today decided to try and put some meat on the table as the population here has grown tremendously in recent years. When I was young, there were no turkeys around -- period. Now, you can see them virtually everywhere.

I used my little 7mm Bullberry Contender carbine topped with a Diavari 3-9x36 for the shot, which was around 120 yards. A 140 grain C-T BST at modest velocity -- coupled with a carefully-placed shot -- resulted in virtually no meat being lost.

We'll be enjoying the fruits of my labor in the next few days.

Thanks for the very fine photo of the bird .Those body colors are irridescent rather than pigment and difficult to photo. Cook it properly regarding the lean meat and they'll tell you to hunt more !!

Thanks. The short walk took all the energy I could muster, and while I'd have loved to set up a different photo (and used a longer lens) instead of just taking this simple snapshot, what the brain wanted and what the body could do did not match.

Something I wanted to mention: Our 8-year-old twins had to do much of the work not only in getting the bird set for the photo but in taking care of the meat as well, but -- thanks to some teamwork -- we (they!) managed to get it all done. I actually offered them the opportunity to take this bird, but in this instance, the only available rest was flimsy, and both were hesitant to take the shot.

I am hoping to get them their first bird soon, though, as they deserve it. Without their help and devotion, today would not have even been possible.

good on ya' there BT

Best

GWB

It's been de-boned and will be marinated. I will then slice it fairly thin, sear it over med-high heat (cast iron skillet) in a little olive oil and select spices (primarily salt, garlic powder & a little cayenne) and then batter and deep fry them as small steaks. A close friend of the family sends us turkey pretty much every spring, and I have found that this way works best and leaves the meat quite moist. With iced tea, a little cream gravy and garlic bread, it is wonderful! When I have that combination, I don't even bother with any veggies LOL!

Oh, and with the gravy, a little chopped cilantro added for the last couple of minutes contributes a nice bit of zesty flavor.

Stunning photo. Hope its as enjoyable to eat.

Nice bird

I plan on shooting one next week but will have to get a lot closer shotgun only here

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
It's been de-boned and will be marinated. I will then slice it fairly thin, sear it over med-high heat (cast iron skillet) in a little olive oil and select spices (primarily salt, garlic powder & a little cayenne) and then batter and deep fry them as small steaks.

We do about the same thing.

First I take a couple bottles of Negra Modelo and a couple ounces of Teriyaki sauce for a soak. I put my Turkey fingers (from the breasts) in the soak for 30 minutes to an hour . I take some peppered Pioneer gravy mix, pour in a bowl (do not add liquid). Take some tortilla chips and use a rolling pin to crush them real fine. I add that to the gravy mix, then add Tony Chacheries Creole seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper and mix it all up real good.Then I put it in a gallon zip lock bag. When it's time to cook, take the chicken fingers from the soak and drop them individually in the bag and get them coated. Put 5 or six strips in the Fry Daddy and cook golden brown. Makes for some might fine eating for a deer camp meal, works good at home too. Add a baked potato and some ear corn. Good enough to make you want to slap yo' daddy down.




Best

GWB

You boys are killing me with these recipes! We have Merriams here in Oregon; the Rio Grandes didn't take.

I beautiful photo nonetheless! I wouldn't have thought it possible for any better.

Glad the kids enjoyed it. I'm not much of a shotgun person, and turkeys are so hard to bring inside 40 yards, so the use of a moderate rifle has great appeal to me.

Don't think Nebraska allows use of rifles though...

friar

friar-

Thanks! Here, it is split as to rifle/shotgun. For the wider-ranging Rios, rifles are OK.

But for the Easterns -- and part of this is likely due to hunter density on state/federal refuges in parts of Texas where these birds are primarily found -- it is a scattergun-only proposition as to firearms usage.

Geedubya-If I remember correctly, I arrived at the recipe we currently use based on your advice a few years ago. If so, a belated THANK YOU!

Bobby,

I agree with others who have commented on your turkey pic. That bird is posed beautifully. I don't think I've seen one like that before. Also that turkey recipe is making me hungry.

Mark

Congrats Bobby and kids!

Glenn, I'd love to be a guest in your camp someday. Mmmm!

quote:

Glenn, I'd love to be a guest in your camp someday. Mmmm!

Anne, we do eat good.

In fact deer or hog tenders don't make it much past bein' skint' before they're slathered with a little teriyaki, some Worchestershire, garlic powder and tossed on the grill over mesquite coals. Cook em a couple minutes on a side, grab em' put them on a cutting board, slice them up and scarf.

I'm a pedestrian cook. The son of one of the members our group is a chef. Now when he comes up there it's Katy bar the Door.

But you would be more than welcome, but I think you ought to wait till your knee gets better. Those old farts I hunt with are like me, "the older we get, the better we wuz", and as we don't have many females of opposite sex in our camp they'd be standin' in line and fallin' all over themselves to do some serious "two-steppin" with you to the tune of something like ol Don Walser........




Best

GWB

Bobby, Is that a Rio Grande? Never shot a turkey but that is a beautiful bird! Congrats!

24mileboy: Thanks, and yes, that is a Rio Grande. One of the distinguishing features is the light-colored (yellow to very light brown/tan) tips of the tail feathers.

From the NWTF site: "They are distinguished from the eastern and Florida subspecies by having tail feathers and tail/rump coverts tipped with yellowish-buff or tan color rather than medium
or dark brown. Although there has been more variation in the shade of buff/brown in the tail feathers among Rio specimens, the color is consistently lighter than in the eastern or
Florida birds and darker than the same feathers in the Merriam’s or Gould’s subspecies."

Bravo! Beautiful bird, and the pic honors that.

It's 8am here, but that plate o' camp food looks scrumptious nonetheless.

Booby,

You take a mighty good 110 picture

Wish Missouri would let me use a rifle...my 12 works good enough though