Whether your success while spring gobbler hunting comes in the first week, or later in the season, you are a very fortunate hunter indeed! Spring turkey hunting can be rather frustrating, often making a hunter wonder if he is doing the right things and then realizing that the gobbler is the one in control and he will come to your calling when HE is ready! Most experienced turkey hunters would agree that Pennsylvania spring gobblers are just about the toughest bird to get, in great part due to the extreme hunting pressure that they are subjected to. These birds are usually the wariest you will pursue in any of the 49 states where they are found. It truly is no small feat to bag a Pennsylvania spring gobbler, so let’s show the bird some respect by presenting it to the family in the form of some delicious and nutritious meals.

First, it should be mentioned that how a wild turkey, or any game bird or animal for that matter, is handled in the field immediately after being taken is very important to the outcome of its flavor on the plate. If you are not going to take it to a taxidermist for mounting, then remove the entrails immediately after tagging the bird. This will expedite the cooling of the meat and help prevent any possible spoilage. If you have a lengthy drive until you return home, then have a cooler with ice in your vehicle and place a Ziploc bag of ice in the body cavity to aid in cooling down the meat even further.

Secondly – waste not want not. I am always amazed and disappointed when someone tells me they always “breast out” a wild turkey and discard the legs and thighs because they are too tough. That is both wasteful and disrespectful to the bird! I use both the leg and thigh meat and gladly accept any that my fellow hunters want to give me! Most often, I will place the accumulated legs and thighs in a large soup pot, cover the meat with water and bring it to a hard boil – then reduce the heat to yield a slow simmer and let it do its magic for an hour or more. After the long simmer, the meat will be “fall-off-the-bone” tender and can be used in soups, casseroles, salads or used in cold sandwiches or served hot with gravy over toast or waffles.

And, then there is the breast meat. The entire breast or one side of the breast will take on a wonderful flavor when slow cooked in a smoker. Be sure to have a bowl or tray of water in the cooker to help keep the meat moist. The occasional basting with butter (everything tastes better with butter!) will help as well.

Cooking in a cast iron fry pan or on the grill is best accomplished when the breast meat is sliced – usually a quarter to half inch thick, but thinner works well in the fry pan. If using a cast iron pan, coat the meat slices in a thin layer of flour with salt and pepper and cook in butter (of course!). If grilling, rub the surfaces with your favorite olive oil, or try Gazebo Room Dressing (my favorite) to aid in keeping the meat moist.

Cubing the breast, leg or thigh meat into one-half to inch size cubes will allow it to be used in soups, chili or in casseroles. Once the meat is cubed, it can also be ground into burger meat. The ground meat is excellent as turkey burgers, for use in chili or makes great sausage, either as loose sausage or stuffed into casing material and twisted into links.

There is also the option of preparing the entire bird in the oven and presenting it for the dinner table as a roast turkey, served with gravy, mashed potatoes, filling and a side or two of your favorite vegetables. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce!

However you decide to use the meat, it is great to know that it is “free-range” meat that so many folks are longing for and pay a high price for at the grocery store. Further, it is not pumped up with all of those government approved chemicals that make the domestic turkeys so plump and juicy!

If you haven’t done so before, I urge you to try using the leg and thigh meat as I mentioned – I think you will be pleasantly surprised.