Thanksgiving Dinner: It doesn’t get more free range than wild turkey. Bag your holiday groceries in the outdoors by going turkey hunting. Locavores know game meat is lean, healthy, sustainable and always comes with a bonus–a fun outdoors experience! When to hunt l Once you’ve located a flock Fall turkey season runs of turkeys, scatter them–by Oct. 15-Dec. 31 in most of running toward them and western Oregon and you can yelling, for example. take up to two turkeys of either l Set up against a tree or sex (hens or toms). And don’t stump (one with a high forget the statewide spring back to offer protection and turkey hunting season April cover) or in a blind. Then 15-May 31. See the current use a turkey call to bring Oregon Game Bird Regulations birds back and wait to take a for more information. safe and legal shot. Where to hunt See ODFW’s turkey hunting Safety page for a map of where l Never wear red, white, blue turkeys are most abundant. or black when turkey hunting. Use ODFW’s map (www.oregonhuntingmap.com) You could be mistaken for a turkey. to locate wildlife areas and private properties open l If you see or hear another hunter, talk loudly in a to hunting. Talk to friends with turkey on their clear voice to alert them to your presence. Never property or contact your local ODFW field office use a turkey call if other hunters don’t know your to see if they know private landowners who allow whereabouts. hunting. Turkeys are sometimes found on national forest and other public land, but they tend to favor Equipment lower-elevation oak woodlands, which are mostly l Wear camouflage clothing while hunting as turkeys found on private land in western Oregon. Guided have excellent eyesight. But wear blaze orange to turkey hunts are also an option. and from your hunting position so other hunters Fall turkey hunting techniques can see you. l l Find the food and you will find the bird. Turkeys Use a shotgun no larger than 10 gauge or smaller will eat any seed, fruit, nut or insect. Look for than 20 gauge and shot sizes no larger than No. 2. hawthorne, dogwood, crab apple, oak and other Best shot sizes are 4, 5 or 6. trees that drop seeds and mast. l A variety of turkey calls are available at your local sporting goods store. l Explore the woods. Turkeys will range over a large area looking for food so prepare to cover some ground to find them. DressingDressing your your turkey turkey GoldenGolden Roasted Roasted Turkey Turkey First, First,decide decide if you ifwant you to want skin toor skinpluck or your pluck bird. your RecipeRecipe from from Whole Whole Foods Foods Market Market Pluckingbird. is Pluckingconsidered is theconsidered traditional the style traditional of preparing style a of 1 (14-1 (14-to 15- to pound)15- pound) plucked plucked turkey turkey wild turkey.preparing Though a wild it doesturkey. take Though more time it does and takeproduces more SaltSalt more timeof a messand producesthan skinning, more it of will a messhelp keepthan yourskinning, turkey it 1 teaspoon1 teaspoon dried dried thyme thyme moistwill and help prepare keep it yourto be turkeyroasted, moist smoked and or prepare whole it to be 2 carrots,2 carrots, roughly roughly chopped chopped deep roasted,fried. smoked or whole deep fried. 2 stalks2 stalks celery, celery, roughly roughly chopped chopped 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped To pluck, first dip the bird in hot water—some 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped To pluck, first dip the bird in hot water—some people 2 cups chicken broth (gluten-free broth available) people use boiling but others say 140-degree water 2 cups chicken broth (gluten-free broth available) use boiling but others say 140-degree water is optimal for 1/2 cup white wine is optimal for plucking a bird. Then pluck off the 1/2 cup white wine plucking a bird. Then pluck off the feathers. If possible, 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted feathers. Plucking can be done before or after dressing 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted pluck the turkey before you dress it (remove the entrails) to Pepper to taste (removing entrails) of the turkey but if possible, pluck Pepper to taste keep water from going inside the bird’s body cavity. Rinse the turkey well and pat it dry. Preheat oven to the turkey before you dress it (to keep water from Typically, you will want to dress the turkey soon after Rinse350°F. the turkey well and pat it dry. Preheat oven harvest,going especially inside inthe warmer bird’s weatherbody cavity). when meat will spoil to 350°F. Mix thyme, carrots, celery and onions together in more Typically,quickly. If youyou willare just want a coupleto dress hours the turkeyfrom home soon after Mix thyme, carrots, celery and onions together in a small a small bowl. Stuff turkey cavity with the vegetable and theharvest, weather especially is cool, waitingin warmer until weather you get whenhome shouldmeat will bowl. Stuff turkey cavity with the vegetable mixture and mixture and scatter any remaining vegetables around be fine.spoil more quickly. If you are just a couple hours from scatter any remaining vegetables around the bottom of the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour broth and wine home and the weather is cool, waiting until you get a roasting pan. Pour broth and wine over vegetables in To dress, place the turkey on its back; then find the bottom over vegetables in roasting pan with cover. of thehome breast should plate and be insertfine. your knife, making a cut to roasting pan with cover. Arrange a rack over the vegetables in the pan and the analTo vent.dress, Remove place the the turkey entrails on from its back; this opening find the and bottom Arrange a rack over the vegetables in the pan and arrange arrange the turkey on top of it, breast side down. (You then reachof the into breast the platecavity and to sever insert the your windpipe, knife, makingheart a the turkey on top of it, breast side down. (You may use may use either a flat rack or a V-rack). Brush half of and lungs.cut to Cut the off anal the vent. wings Remove and feet. the Cool entrails the cavity from by this either a flat rack or a V-rack). Brush half of the melted the melted butter all over the turkey, then season placingopening ice inside and the then chest. reach into the cavity to sever the butter all over the turkey, then season with pepper. Reserve with pepper. Reserve remaining butter for later use. To skinwindpipe, your turkey, heart make and a lungs. cut just Cut along off one the sidewings of andthe feet. remaining butter for later use. breastboneCool theand cavitywork theby placingskin off icethe insidebreast halves,the chest. down Put Putturkey turkey in roasting in roasting pan andpan cover—an and cover—an important important step step with wild turkey as they are leaner and can dry the backTo skinand overyour each turkey, of the make legs. a cut just along one side with wild turkey as they are leaner and can dry out more out more easily. (Wrapping wild turkey in bacon of the breastbone and work the skin off the breast easily. (Wrapping wild turkey in bacon during cooking Remember regulations require that you leave the turkey’s during cooking is another recommended way to keep halves, down the back and over each of the legs. is another recommended way to keep it moist, or put in head on with completed tag attached to carcass until you it moist, or put in oven bag if you are using a recipe get home. See National Wild Turkey Federation Web oven bag if you are using a recipe where this would work.) Remember regulations require that you leave the Roastwhere turkey this for would two hours, work.) breast Roast side turkey down, for basting two hours, site (nwtf.org)turkey’s headfor more on withtips and completed images of tag a turkeyattached being to breast side down, basting once. Remove from oven dressed. once. Remove from oven and turn turkey breast side up, carcass until you get home. See National Wild Turkey beingand careful turn notturkey to pierce breast the side skin. up, Brush being turkey careful with not the to Note:Federation Please return Web your site turkey’s (nwtf.org) crop for (the more thin, tips and remainingpierce thebutter skin. and Brush season turkey again withwith pepper.the remaining transparentimages sackof a atturkey the base being of thedressed. turkey’s neck) to butter and season again with pepper. ODFW for a research project looking at the food habits Return turkey to oven and continue roasting until a thermometerReturn turkey inserted to ovenin the and thickest continue part ofroasting the thigh until of turkeys.Cooking See yourODFW turkey web site for details. reachesa thermometer 165°F, about inserted two hours in more.the thickest Set turkey part aside of the to let No matter how you cook your turkey, a long brine rest thighfor 30 reaches minutes, 165°F, then carveabout and 2 hours serve, more.drizzled Set with turkey the soak first will make it better. Cooking your turkey panaside drippings. to let rest for 30 minutes, then carve and serve, No matter1 cup how light you brown cook sugaryour turkey,(dark brown a long brinesugar soakis fine too) drizzled with the pan drippings. first will1 cup make regular it better. salt Thanks to the National Wild Turkey Federation 1 gallon water Thanks to the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) 1 cup light brown sugar and(NWTF) Whole Foods and WholeMarket Foodsfor contributing Market for to contributingthis brochure. 1 cupA regular large stocksalt pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic For tomore this recipes brochure. and tips,For morevisit ODFW’s recipes andWeb tips, site visit 1 gallonbucket water would make excellent containers. Whatever (www.dfw.state.or.us)ODFW’s Web site nwtf.org. (www.dfw.state.or.us) or container you choose, the turkey needs to have See nwft.org.the current See Oregon the current Game Bird Oregon Regulations Game Bird Regulations A large stock pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic bucket for season dates, bag limits, and other information. make enoughexcellent room containers. to be turned.Whatever container you choose, for season dates, bag limits, and the turkeyPut the needs water to havein a enoughlarge pan room and to add be sugarturned. and salt. other information. Put theStir water and inheat a large until pan sugar and and add saltsugar are and dissolved. salt. Stir Cool and heatto room until temperature.sugar and salt Putare dissolved.turkey breast Cool in to brine, room cover temperature.and soak Put overnight, turkey breast approximately in brine, cover 10 toand 12 soak hours. overnight, approximately 10 to 12 hours.

OREGONOREGON DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT OF OF FISH FISH AND AND WILDLIFE WILDLIFE