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 huntFall turkey season runs Oct. 15-Dec. 31 in most of western Oregon and you can take up to two turkeys of either sex (hens or toms). And don’t forget the statewide spring turkey hunting season April 15-May 31. See the current Oregon Game Bird Regulations for more information.

Where to huntSee ODFW’s turkey hunting page for a map of where turkeys are most abundant. Use ODFW’s map (www.oregonhuntingmap.com) to locate wildlife areas and private properties open to hunting. Talk to friends with turkey on their property or contact your local ODFW field office to see if they know private landowners who allow hunting. Turkeys are sometimes found on national forest and other public land, but they tend to favor lower-elevation oak woodlands, which are mostly found on private land in western Oregon. Guided turkey hunts are also an option.

Fall turkey hunting techniquesl Find the food and you will find the bird. Turkeys

will eat any seed, fruit, nut or insect. Look for hawthorne, dogwood, crab apple, oak and other trees that drop seeds and mast.

l Explore the woods. Turkeys will range over a large area looking for food so prepare to cover some ground to find them.

l Once you’ve located a flock of turkeys, scatter them–by running toward them and yelling, for example.

l Set up against a tree or stump (one with a high back to offer protection and cover) or in a blind. Then use a turkey call to bring birds back and wait to take a safe and legal shot.

Safetyl Never wear red, white, blue or black when turkey hunting.

You could be mistaken for a turkey.l If you see or hear another hunter, talk loudly in a

clear voice to alert them to your presence. Never use a turkey call if other hunters don’t know your whereabouts.

Equipmentl Wear camouflage clothing while hunting as turkeys

have excellent eyesight. But wear blaze orange to and from your hunting position so other hunters can see you.

l Use a shotgun no larger than 10 gauge or smaller than 20 gauge and shot sizes no larger than No. 2 nor smaller than No. 6. Best shot sizes are 4, 5

or 6.l A variety of turkey calls are available at your local

sporting goods store.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

Dressing your turkeyFirst, decide if you want to skin or pluck your bird. Plucking is considered the traditional style of preparing a wild turkey. Though it does take more time and produces more of a mess than skinning, it will help keep your turkey moist and prepare it to be roasted, smoked or whole deep fried.

To pluck, first dip the bird in hot water—some people use boiling but others say 140-degree water is optimal for plucking a bird. Then pluck off the feathers. If possible, pluck the turkey before you dress it (remove the entrails) to keep water from going inside the bird’s body cavity.

Typically, you will want to dress the turkey soon after harvest, especially in warmer weather when meat will spoil more quickly. If you are just a couple hours from home and the weather is cool, waiting until you get home should be fine.

To dress, place the turkey on its back; then find the bottom of the breast plate and insert your knife, making a cut to the anal vent. Remove the entrails from this opening and then reach into the cavity to sever the windpipe, heart and lungs. Cut off the wings and feet. Cool the cavity by placing ice inside the chest.

To skin your turkey, make a cut just along one side of the breastbone and work the skin off the breast halves, down the back and over each of the legs.

Remember regulations require that you leave the turkey’s head on with completed tag attached to carcass until you get home. See National Wild Turkey Federation Web site (nwtf.org) for more tips and images of a turkey being dressed.

Note: Please return your turkey’s crop (the thin, transparent sack at the base of the turkey’s neck) to ODFW for a research project looking at the food habits of turkeys. See ODFW web site for details.

Cooking your turkeyNo matter how you cook your turkey, a long brine soak first will make it better.

1 cup light brown sugar1 cup regular salt1 gallon water

A large stock pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic bucket make excellent containers. Whatever container you choose, the turkey needs to have enough room to be turned.Put the water in a large pan and add sugar and salt. Stir and heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Put turkey breast in brine, cover and soak overnight, approximately 10 to 12 hours.

Golden Roasted TurkeyRecipe from Whole Foods Market1 (14- to 15- pound) plucked turkeySalt1 teaspoon dried thyme2 carrots, roughly chopped2 stalks celery, roughly chopped2 yellow onions, roughly chopped2 cups chicken broth (gluten-free broth available)1/2 cup white wine4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, meltedPepper to taste

Rinse the turkey well and pat it dry. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix thyme, carrots, celery and onions together in a small bowl. Stuff turkey cavity with the vegetable mixture and scatter any remaining vegetables around the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour broth and wine over vegetables in roasting pan with cover.

Arrange a rack over the vegetables in the pan and arrange the turkey on top of it, breast side down. (You may use either a flat rack or a V-rack). Brush half of the melted butter all over the turkey, then season with pepper. Reserve remaining butter for later use.

Put turkey in roasting pan and cover—an important step with wild turkey as they are leaner and can dry out more easily. (Wrapping wild turkey in bacon during cooking is another recommended way to keep it moist, or put in oven bag if you are using a recipe where this would work.) Roast turkey for two hours, breast side down, basting once. Remove from oven and turn turkey breast side up, being careful not to pierce the skin. Brush turkey with the remaining butter and season again with pepper.

Return turkey to oven and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about two hours more. Set turkey aside to let rest for 30 minutes, then carve and serve, drizzled with the pan drippings.

Thanks to the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and Whole Foods Market for contributing to this brochure. For more recipes and tips, visit ODFW’s Web site (www.dfw.state.or.us) ornwft.org. See the current Oregon Game Bird Regulations for season dates, bag limits, and other information.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

Dressing your turkeyFirst, decide if you want to skin or pluck your bird. Plucking is considered the traditional style of preparing a wild turkey. Though it does take more time and produces more of a mess than skinning, it will help keep your turkey moist and prepare it to be roasted, smoked or whole deep fried.

To pluck, first dip the bird in hot water—some people use boiling but others say 140-degree water is optimal for plucking a bird. Then pluck off the feathers. Plucking can be done before or after dressing (removing entrails) of the turkey but if possible, pluck the turkey before you dress it (to keep water from going inside the bird’s body cavity).

Typically, you will want to dress the turkey soon after harvest, especially in warmer weather when meat will spoil more quickly. If you are just a couple hours from home and the weather is cool, waiting until you get home should be fine.

To dress, place the turkey on its back; find the bottom of the breast plate and insert your knife, making a cut to the anal vent. Remove the entrails from this opening and then reach into the cavity to sever the windpipe, heart and lungs. Cut off the wings and feet. Cool the cavity by placing ice inside the chest.

To skin your turkey, make a cut just along one side of the breastbone and work the skin off the breast halves, down the back and over each of the legs.

Remember regulations require that you leave the turkey’s head on with completed tag attached to carcass until you get home. See National Wild Turkey Federation Web site (nwtf.org) for more tips and images of a turkey being dressed.

Cooking your turkey No matter how you cook your turkey, a long brine soak first will make it better.

1 cup light brown sugar (dark brown sugar is fine too)1 cup regular salt1 gallon water

A large stock pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic bucket would make excellent containers. Whatever container you choose, the turkey needs to have enough room to be turned.

Put the water in a large pan and add sugar and salt. Stir and heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Put turkey breast in brine, cover and soak overnight, approximately 10 to 12 hours.

Golden Roasted Turkey Recipe from Whole Foods Market1 (14- to 15- pound) plucked turkey Salt 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 carrots, roughly chopped 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped 2 cups chicken broth (gluten-free broth available) 1/2 cup white wine 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted Pepper to tasteRinse the turkey well and pat it dry. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix thyme, carrots, celery and onions together in a small bowl. Stuff turkey cavity with the vegetable mixture and scatter any remaining vegetables around the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour broth and wine over vegetables in roasting pan with cover.

Arrange a rack over the vegetables in the pan and arrange the turkey on top of it, breast side down. (You may use either a flat rack or a V-rack). Brush half of the melted butter all over the turkey, then season with pepper. Reserve remaining butter for later use.

Put turkey in roasting pan and cover—an important step with wild turkey as they are leaner and can dry out more easily. (Wrapping wild turkey in bacon during cooking is another recommended way to keep it moist, or put in oven bag if you are using a recipe where this would work.) Roast turkey for two hours, breast side down, basting once. Remove from oven and turn turkey breast side up, being careful not to pierce the skin. Brush turkey with the remaining butter and season again with pepper.

Return turkey to oven and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 2 hours more. Set turkey aside to let rest for 30 minutes, then carve and serve, drizzled with the pan drippings.

Thanks to the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and Whole Foods Market for contributing to this brochure. For more recipes and tips, visit ODFW’s Web site (www.dfw.state.or.us) or nwft.org. See the current Oregon Game Bird Regulations for season dates, bag limits, and other information.