Visit YouTube and search “butchering a wild turkey” and the results will keep you busy for hours. But you don’t have to — because the 12-minute video below from the National Wild Turkey Federation channel is the best one. Period.
The host is my longtime friend Josh Dahlke, who is VP of content for HuntStand Media. Yes, that’s the same HuntStand that helps outdoorsmen and women navigate properties from coast to coast with its hunting and land management app.
Dahlke enjoys all types of hunting, but nothing causes his flame to burn hotter than wild turkeys. Every spring he pursues birds from the Deep South to the Upper Midwest. He’s also a wild game foodie, so he takes the job of butchering wild turkeys VERY SERIOUSLY. (FYI: The gobbler he cleans in this video is an Osceola subspecies, which he shot in South Florida.)
As I stated previously, you won’t find a better and more thorough video showing how to properly butcher a wild turkey — yes, he saves the legs, too. Dahkle also demonstrates the best way for removing the beard, tail fan and spurs for later mounting. He even includes a unique tip for removing dirt from the tail fan — his advice will surprise you!
Class is officially in session. Watch and learn.
