How long can you wait to gut a deer I have seen on hunting shows on TV sometimes they will shoot a deer close to dark and then go and find it in the morning. Did you roast an 18 pound turkey? Age. In some states it's illegal to only fillet the breast out, leaving the rest of the carcass behind. This Site Might Help You. They can be butchered at 6 months old but they might not be the size you want or developed into a meaty juicy turkey. The freshly butchered turkey should age for a few days before eating or freezing to avoid toughness. The same goes for a turkey that you re planning to defrost in the microwave. What do you do with all of that leftover bird? Maybe you roasted two smaller ones so you could have four drumsticks. So is there really a time limit on gutting a deer? I have heard mixed advice on how long you should let a turkey rest after cooking. Last year my wife and I watched a Thanksgiving cooking show with Gordon Ramsey and he said you should let the turkey rest for as long as you cooked it. How to Clean a Wild Turkey If you're a turkey hunter, you're used to making decisions. How Long Can You Keep It? Always check your state's hunt regulations, and make sure … You'll have a bad turkey or a maggot covered/pred stolen turkey by then. If you cook a turkey for 5 minutes can you put it back in the refrigerator until you are ready cook it? Age. Disclaimer: This is one of my “Not for the Faint of Heart” posts. i realize that you cant wait forever but just wondering if it is a bad thing to wait and find the deer does it ruin the meat the longer you wait? Field Dressing Your Wild Turkey-- by Rob Ramsdale --Field dressing is essentially gutting the bird in the field while leaving the feathers on. If I have extra toms, I might butcher them at 9 months. You can then package the bird however you like, whether a large zip-close bag, a heat-shrink bag, or vacuum sealer. Treat it like you would any other type of poultry with regard to spoilage. Still, there's no substitute for a handful in the place where you took the bird. Carry an iPhone tripod for this, or at least snap a few selfies with your turkey. I would gut it and leave the skin and feathers on for the family to see. 6. It depends on how you re thawing it. Some turkey hunters will wait until they get back at camp or home to take photos. Depends on how long you intend to wait to cook it. ***** Since it is turkey season, and since I found myself with two turkeys to haul off the field not too long ago, I thought I’d show anyone venturing out this spring how I field dress and butcher a turkey. I let mine bleed out for maybe 3 minutes? An hour sure, two weeks - no way. If you re defrosting the turkey in the fridge, you can safely keep it refrigerated for an additional one to two days once it s fully thawed.On the other hand, if you re planning to thaw the turkey in cold water (see here for details on how to do this), the USDA advises that you cook it immediately. If you have a long walk out, gut the bird with cooking to come in mind, especially on a warm spring afternoon. You can skin and fillet the turkey breasts and slice as much meat from the legs and wings as necessary. heat. For those of you that only take the breast meat, you are throwing away the best part of the turkey, ie, the leg and thigh dark meat. I like the older turkeys, over a year for best flavor. Then, it's just a matter of working the skin off the breast halves, down the back and over each of the legs. Place these sections in a large crock pot with a large can of cream of mushroom soup, (no water) and cook for 5-6 hrs on med. 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 you're in a pinch and don't have time for the long refrigerator thaw, you can submerge the whole turkey (still in the packaging) breast-side down in cold water. If you cook it 3 hours, it should … It is much easier for a taxidermist to replace or repair a shot-up head than to try and repair or replace tail and wing feathers.The distance should be around 25 to 30 yards which is a good distance to aim for any time you are hunting turkeys. I know this topic is about salt water fish, but if you catch a fresh water eel, you need to gut these immediately (at least within 2 hours) as the fish can become a bit toxic if the guts are left in too long. Fist time turkey hunter here, how soon, if at all, should you gut a turkey? Take Care of the Bird. If you re defrosting the turkey in the fridge, you can safely keep it refrigerated for an additional one to two days once it s fully thawed.On the other hand, if you re planning to thaw the turkey in cold water (see here for details on how to do this), the USDA advises that you cook it immediately. After chilling for at least 30 minutes (preferably an hour), remove the turkey and pat dry. Some say to field dress ASAP after the kill, while others say it is okay to hang birds with the guts intact at temperatures around 55 degrees Fahrenheit for days! The meat should almost fall of the bones and the tendons can be easily picked out. Planning to prepare tasty turkey for this Christmas party, you can definitely go through this article to gain more information on how to cook a turkey,how long to let turkey rest before carving and more. Inevitably, most of us will have a whole lot of leftover turkey. (I know UK anglers don't target eels but on the continent people like to eat them smoked).