Wild Turkey Numbers.........

[Bass Addict]

Just thought I would throw out some numbers of wild turkeys in the Ottawa and surrounding area's

There's an estimation of between 13000 to 15000 turkeys

[Andy_L]

thats a lotta white meat

[Jimmy_1]

Yes,

Until the last week of April. Then it'll be 1,496 for certain in the area.


0 of them on my buddy's farm right now. 4-5 of them well over 20+lbs!!!
I'll be there this season for a whck for sure! Same with H&S!!!

Here's to a grrrrreeaaatttt year!!!

[Buck Fever]

Come on April 27th!!!

[hook&shoot]

Gobble Gobble ..... BANG
H&S

[LeGrand]

Hopefully, I can reduced these numbers in 2009 by 3 (2 in the Spring, and one in the Fall). Don't want to strain myself.

[Bass Addict]

From you experienced guys ,, are they good eating , like domesticated ones are

[bradford2]

Yep, they are GREAT eating.

The last two birds I did though I just skinned and cut out the meat. Ended up doing the breasts on the bbq and the dark meat in the crockpot. It's a lot of work to pluck one.......


I'm not even sure I'm going to hunt turkeys this year. Don't get me wrong, I love doing it and have been pretty lucky with them..... but with the new boat this year I think I'm going to want to be fishing instead

[Jimmy_1]

From you experienced guys ,, are they good eating , like domesticated ones are

BA,

They are pretty good. I find they have a nuttier flavour. They do taste different than a domesticated bird (at least to me). I actually much prefer wild turkeys. They taste how a turkey is supposed to taste.

Domesticated ones are fed, and fed, and fed until they are soooooo fat that they lose alot of natural flavor. By that I mean a domestic turkey doesn't have as varied a diet (which affects taste) and also doesn't develop as much muscle (dark meat). The breast meat from the wild turkeys I have shot have all had white meat, with the dark meat being behind the breast and mostly on the leg and thigh.

But I will say this much, it is much EASIER and CHEAPER to buy a turkey. I think if you work it out per pound a wild elk hunt (guided) is cheaper!!

By that I mean take the birds weight and divide it by all the $$$ spent for turkey hunting. Including time scouting etc.

Then take the weight of the average elk and divide it by the cost of your plane fair, guide, tag, and accomodations.

I know my hunting partner and I have alot invested in gear. I personally buy new calls every year. (Same as fishermen buy new tackle).

Scounting time and feeding time soon eh partner????

Gobble, gobble......BANG!

Hopefully NO birds gobbling for an hour straight this year! I'll never forget your comment when I shot it! "Thank God you shot it! It wouldn't shut up!"

Wifey and I still chuckle over it!

[Tip-up]

I totally stand by those numbers As a matter of fact, Katch Moore clipped one the other night lol, right into the trunk Heck, I see these birds almost everyday

[gorfman007]

yes I see a lot of them also but yet have to harvest one. just have to be patient and wait my turn. It's nice to be out there in the fresh air.

[Doug]

From personal observation, there are LOTS more than 15 thousand turkeys in and around Oddawa. Many of them are employed at Parliament Hill, lots more in the federal bureaucracy................

Doug

[LeGrand]

From personal observation, there are LOTS more than 15 thousand turkeys in and around Oddawa. Many of them are employed at Parliament Hill, lots more in the federal bureaucracy................

Doug

OUCH! That's a cheap shot towards Buck Fever.

[Doug]

back to LeGrand.........

Do you know how many civil servants work in Ottawa?

About ten percent of them..........

Nah, seriously, the majority of our civil service folks are dedicated, hard-working people. But it is our patriotic duty to make fun of them!

Doug

[Jimmy_1]

Read the paper lately?

Civil Servants were involved in uncovering a massive bid-rigging circle by PRIVATE COMPANIES!!!!!

Their collusion adds to more of your tax $$ being spent due to unfair competition.

In Canada it's illegal.