This June we will have been out here 12 years. In that time we've had all manner of critter stroll through the back, from fox to ermine, pheasant, porcupine, deer, eagles, bear, coyote, wolf and moose.

Just no turkey. Until last night. And though I've seen a lot of hens in my travels, never in my life do I remember seeing a tom...

https://youtu.be/rI9DTFpANUY

I didn't know they were so colorful, and this one was big. He must be a youngun', didn't have much of a beard....

Carl, was it you who said you had a great recipe for wild turkey breast?

Turkeys are weird.  Never saw one for 10 years or more we were here, then out of the blue a flock showed up after we had raised some domestic ones for a couple years, after we butchered ours, they came back for a couple years,  one hen came back alone for 4 or 5 years, and now we have not seen them again for 4 years or so, although the neighbors have had them in their yard. 

Yes sir, wild turkey breasts, cut into strips like chicken strips, soak in buttermilk for a couple of hours.  Then dredge them in seasoned flour( flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper) then fry.  Make you some gravy and some mashed taters, and you can hurt yourself!

That sounds yummy, Carl! Do you use the rest of the bird to get drippings for that gravy?

Gonna save that recipe for "just in case"  Thanks man!

Not much else to a wild turkey after the breast are removed, but you can boil the rest and make great soup stock.  Another recipe for the breast... cut them into 1" cubes, soak in Frank Red Hot sauce overnight, pull out and dredge in seasoned flour, then deep fry!  Turkey balls are a great appetizer, serve with ranch dressing for dipping.

The only wild turkey I have consumed, was back in high school.  I don't remember much that night but I sure felt like the flu for a couple days 

Must have been bad bird.   

And our bear is back. This is the 3rd visit this Spring, that we know of. At least she (yep, confirmed a sow, there is a cub out there too somewhere) doesn't seem to like the thistle seed out for the finches...

Again last night. Heck, we were still up, I even went out with a flashlight @ 10, saw nothing. Yogi came & went before then...

https://youtu.be/Jbjr42utkK8

Probably just wants a hug

The old animal was put down on Saturday by a neighbor with a Rem semi auto 30-06. He asked me to come by this afternoon to help him pack it out of the briar. I'll try to get a pic, if anyone's interested.

Yeah, be curious to see to scale.

I underestimated weight. We think 6-700 lbs., maybe a bit more.

https://youtu.be/Awo2u7MWoU8

After two days the stench was bad, REAL bad. I wanted to grab a paw for comparison but couldn't talk myself into touching him.

Thats a shame you couldn't get him and out and salvage some of him.  Dead bear is not pleasant even when fresh. What a big beggar.

Heh, an Indian friend told the guy who shot the critter that the gall bladder was worth $30,000 in China if went through the right "channels". He declined to dig the monster up...

BTW, the bear above isn't the bear from our back yard. She pranced through last night. So we still have a bear problem...