Merriam's Spring Turkey Hunt - Steve Schumacher

 

I drove 1,200 miles from Ohio to hunt Merriam Turkeys in Nebraska with Scott Croner.  The trip proved to be one of the best hunting decision I ever made.  

I was able to arrive at Uncle Buck's Lodge by noon on the day before my scheduled three day hunt.  Since the previous hunters had already tagged out and the weather forecast for the next few days wasn't good,  Scott told me to grab my gear and off we went.   An hour later I had my trophy Merriam.  Fortunately I have a good heart as this bird was taken at 6 yards.    The next day, in a snow blizzard and 30 mile per hour winds we navigated a long stalk on a trophy Rio Grand Turkey which I harvested at 35 yards.

Scott Croner is second to none, when it comes to turkey hunting.   If you listen to what he tells you in preparing for and during the hunt, you will kill birds.  Croner enhances the hunt with his knowledge and enthusiasm for turkey hunting.  He understands and shares in the excitement and the importance of your hunt.  

With the pending bad weather, I  was pleased to be tagged out on the first scheduled day of my hunt by 11:00 am, with two trophy birds. 

Not only was it a great hunt, but the accommodations and hospitality at Uncle Bucks Lodge was first class.   The food was fabulous and I even got to check and feed cattle with (Walt) the owner of the ranch.

Not regrets on this trip!   I highly recommended this hunt.

Go prepared and be ready!   It can be fast and furious.

Steve Schumacher

Francis McLaughlin On HIs Way To A Grand Slam With A Merriam's Gobbler

I would like to thank the Nebraska Hunting Company for his help in getting me a Merriam's turkey.  Scott is totally committed to getting you a turkey.  He is focused on hunting and will put you on birds.  For me this is the third leg of a Grand slam, now only needing the Osceola.  Another group hunting while I was in Nebraska completed 3 grand slams!  One needed a Merriam's, the other two needed a Merriam's and a Rio!

Thanks to Nebraska Hunting Company for my Merriam's and awesome hunting memories.  Thanks to Marilyn and Walt for the hospitality and wonderful accommodations at Uncle Buck's Lodge.

Frank McLaughlin
4/23/2013

Spring Turkey Hunting Tips - Merriam's Turkey Hunting

Tips From A Turkey Guide

1) Don’t get too close. Set up a couple hundred yards from a gobbling turkey so you don’t risk spooking him.

2) Don’t call much. Use soft yelps and clucks to let the bird know where you are and then quit calling. If the bird gobbles then answer him with some soft yelps, purrs and clucks and go silent again.

3) Be ready. Have your shotgun shouldered and pointed in the direction of the last gobble. Once the bird is in sight you need to have your head down on the gun, safety off and be pointed in the right direction. Any movement at this point on your part is suspect to getting you busted by the bird’s amazing eyesight.

4) Let the turkey find you. If the tom is heading in your direction don’t call. Let him come find you.

5) Be Patient. Don’t be in a hurry to get up if your bird doesn’t gobble. Wait him out. If he ends up gobbling away from you and doesn’t come back after 40 minutes to an hour, pickup and move.

6) Listen. When you move to a new spot in the morning, listen for 5 to 10 minutes before calling. Many times if a hot bird is in the area he’ll gobble and you can pinpoint his location without announcing your presence.
If you’d like to gain an education in turkey hunting, then I highly recommend you spend three days with Terry Knight or any of the guides at Lifetime Hunts. For more information or to book your next hunt, visit www.merriamsturkey.com or call (402) 304-1192

Barbecued Wild Turkey

Ingredients

One stick (1/2 cup) margarine
1/2 cup chopped green onions or chives
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. thyme and savory, mixed
1 cup broth
3 Tbsp. parsley

Directions.



Cut turkey into pieces across the grain. Cook onions until tender in butter, add other ingredients. Bring to a full boil. Cover each piece of turkey with this mixture. Baste often on grill. Cook 45 to 55 minutes or until done.


Guided Merriam's Turkey Hunts - Nebraska Hunting Company

Wild Turkey - Making a Turkey Cape

Making a Turkey Cape

Although there are several ways to display your trophy tom, one of the easiest and least-expensive ways is by caping your turkey.

Caping is inexpensive, easy to do, and extremely satisfying. Simply skinning your turkey from head to tail, cleaning and boraxing the skin and pinning it to a flat piece of cardboard is all that's involved.

Follow the simple instructions below for a good looking and simple way to capture the memory of a special hunt:

•To begin, hang your tom by the head.

•With a sharp knife, cut the skin where the feathers on the neck meet the skin of the head.

•Continuing down the center of the back and toward the tail, remove the skin in an approximate two-inch wide strip. You will notice that the feathers attach to the skin in rows and the narrow strip of skin actually holds a much wider angular blanket of feathers.

•Remove the skin to and including the tail skin.

•With knife and spoon, remove the fat and flesh.

•Cover wet skin in Borax.

•Lay Borax covered skin on large piece of flat corrugated cardboard.

•With straight pins, pin the head end to cardboard.

•Fan tail, spread to the desired width and pin each feather in place.

•With a pocket knife, lay each feather in place.

•Let dry three to four weeks.

•Remove pins, shake loose Borax and hang.

•You may wish to mount the cape on a piece of wood cut to fit the cape.

Cleaning Your Wild Turkey

If you're a turkey hunter, you're used to making decisions. And, after choosing the right turkey loads, camouflage, decoys and calls before entering the spring woods, it's a relief when the final decision of the hunt is how to care for and cook your bird. Cleaning your turkey is the first step, and regardless of whether you plan to skin, pluck or breast out and cut up your bird, doing it properly is both quick and easy. Just follow these simple steps.

1. If you don't plan to cook your bird whole, start by laying the turkey on it's back. Remove just enough breast feathers so as to expose the skin.

2. To remove the breast filets, pull or cut the skin back from the breast. Make cuts along each side of the breastbone as well as on the inside of both wings or the clavicle. To save the wings, peel the skin back and remove the wings from the cavity by cutting through the joint.

3. Find the breastbone and make an incision down each side of the breastbone to loosen the breast filet from the bone. Work from the rear of the breast forward, fileting off the breast by pulling the filet and using the knife as needed. Repeat this for the other side of the breast.

4. To remove the thigh and leg, cut through the thigh muscle where it attaches to the back. Then grab the thigh or leg and pull up until you can feel the joint pop loose. Keep cutting through the thigh until it comes free from the turkey's body.

Considered the traditional style of cleaning a wild turkey, plucking is a perfect way to prepare your bird to be roasted, smoked or whole deep-fried. Before you remove the entrails or field dress the turkey pluck the turkey's feathers to help keep the moisture in the turkey while cooking it whole. Remove the feathers after dipping the bird in hot water. Some people use boiling water but it has been said that 140-degree water is optimal for plucking a bird. Plucking does take time and produces more of a mess than does skinning; however, the taste of deep-fried or roasted turkey skin is worth the effort.


Plucking vs. Skinning

Many of today's turkey hunters prefer skinning to plucking. Skinning a turkey allows you to cook the bird by frying or grilling the pieces of meat. You can skin and fillet the turkey breasts, and slice as much meat from the legs and wings as necessary. Make a cut just along one side of the breastbone. Then, it's just a matter of working the skin off the breast halves, down the back and over each of the legs. In some states it's illegal to only fillet the breast out, leaving the rest of the carcass behind. Always check your state's hunt regulations, and make sure your turkey is properly tagged for transportation.

Field Dressing

In hot weather hunting conditions, field dressing your bird is a good idea before you clean it for the table. If you decide to field dress your bird, start by placing 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. Cool the cavity by placing ice inside the chest.

Cleaning & Preping Your Wild Turkey

Cleaning Your Wild Turkey If you're a turkey hunter, you're used to making decisions. And, after choosing the right turkey loads, camouflage, decoys and calls before entering the spring woods, it's a relief when the final decision of the hunt is how to care for and cook your bird. Cleaning your turkey is the first step, and regardless of whether you plan to skin, pluck or breast out and cut up your bird, doing it properly is both quick and easy. Just follow these simple steps. 1. If you don't plan to cook your bird whole, start by laying the turkey on it's back. Remove just enough breast feathers so as to expose the skin.