Field dressing your kills is one of those special skills that can only really be learned with ample practice and experience. However, there are many tips that you can review in order to get a better understanding of field dressing, even if you already have some experience with the practice. Field dressing is one of the most important parts of hunting, and it can make all the difference between edible meat that can be cooked and enjoyed, and meat that must be thrown out soon after the initial kill. Here are some tips for doing your best job at field dressing your turkey immediately after the kill.

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. If it is a cool day and you aren’t far from home, you can skip the field dressing step and wait until you are home before cleaning the bird.

Step 1 – Positioning the Turkey into the Proper Position

After a successful shot, make certain that the turkey is dead. Many turkeys will thrash around for several moments after being shot. Make sure that your turkey is done thrashing, and that it has been killed rather than injured or wounded. After you have made certain that the turkey is dead, lay the bird on its back. Locate the part of the body that you will be working with. In this case, you will want to follow the breast of the turkey down to the rear of the animal. Follow this area to the point where it narrows between the legs. This is the area you will be working on.

Step 2 – Making the First Cut

Cut the kill open by pulling up on the tip and making a shallow horizontal cut on the skin. You will be cutting between the tip of the bird breast all the way to the vent, which is the anus area. You may have to pull out a few feathers in this area so you can make the cut with greater ease. This incision will have to be large enough that you can insert your hand and pull out the dead bird’s entrails. When making the first gutting, make sure that you pull out the turkey’s heart and lungs.

Step 3 – Making the Careful Incisions

There are a number of very careful incisions to make. First, make sure to cut around the vent. You can do this by following the intestine back. Afterwards, make sure to cut around the exterior. This incision should be made with great care, as you want to avoid getting any of the intestine contents to get on the exterior of the turkey.

Step 4 – Removing the Crop of the Turkey

The crop is the sac-like organ that stores what the turkey has been eating. You remove this by making a cut on the neck of the turkey. Then you will want to reach down and remove the crop that is located on the breast.

Step 5 – Clean the Kill with Water

You will want to clean the kill well before delivering it to your taxidermist in order to be mounted. The best and easiest way to go about cleaning your kill is to use water to rinse out the turkey. Use paper towels to absorb any blood or bodily fluids. Use a large plastic bag or used panty hose to store the dead bird, making sure not to ruffle its large tail feathers. Use a cooler to keep the dead bird well preserved en route to the taxidermist.

So you have just gotten off a successful turkey hunt. What do you do next? Field dressing is often the most important and crucial part of a turkey hunting expedition. Here are some general guidelines for skinning and cutting up your trophy turkey prize.

Removing the Feathers from Your Fowl

The first step to preparing your turkey kill is to remove its feathers. Maybe you think you can hand-pluck the feathers from your turkey kill. Although theoretically this is possible, keep in mind that most wild fowl carry around nearly 5,000 feathers on them. Hand-plucking fowl feathers are often simply not an option. One of the easiest ways of getting rid of wild fowl is to dip the bird in hot water. Some people swear that dipping the bird in water at a temperature of 140 degrees is the most efficient way to loosen all of its plumage for easy removal. However, any level of boiling water will tend to work well in removal of the feathers. Removing your fowl’s feathers by dipping the bird in hot water also prevents the plumage from drifting around the room. Set up a large washtub where you can work by dipping the dead bird into the water.

Steps for Skinning Your Turkey Kill

Here are some general guidelines to get you through the process of skinning your turkey kill. First, make sure to remove the tail fan or cape of the turkey if you plan on saving them. This should be the first removal. Then you can remove the beard before starting to clean your kill. However, if you are not planning on saving the bird’s cap or tail, you can begin by laying the turkey on its back.

Beginning the Process of Cutting Your Turkey

One of the easiest ways to begin to cut your turkey is by starting with the removal of the breast filets. You will want to pluck some feathers from the middle of the breast area. You can do this by making a small incision through the turkey’s skin. Then you can work your fingers underneath the skin. Make sure to pull the skin back from the breast and peel them back toward the sides of the turkey.

Learn to Locate the Bones

Begin by learning to locate the breastbone. Make an incision down one side of the breastbone. Loosen the breast filet from the bone. This incision will be from the lower tip of the breast, along the breastbone and ending up along the wishbone and the area where the wing and shoulder are joined.

Tips for Removing the Breast Fillets

Here are some tips that can help you remove the breast filets. Begin by making an incision from the bottom tip of the breast and working it to the rear of the breast forward. Using a knife, filet off the breast. You can do this by pulling the fillet and using your knife to separate the breast. Take care with the crop that is located at the top of the breast. The crop is a sac, much like balloon, that occupies that space between the two halves of the breast in the neck. The last thing you want to do is to puncture the crop! Repeat this procedure for removal of the other breast.

Cutting the Leg and Thigh Areas

Flip the kill over so that is lying on the breastbone area. Skin the thigh and leg area thoroughly. After you are done skinning, you will want to make an incision through the thigh muscle. Help this process along by grabbing the leg and thigh area and bending them upwards toward the backbone. Allow the joints to pop loose. Keep cutting until you separate the drumstick.