I am getting into turkey hunting and am wondering what all i need and where the best place to get the toms is.

ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR POCKET BOOK. YOU NEED A GOOD SHOTGUN WITH FULL OR EXTRA FULL CHOKE AND CAMO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. ON YOU. CAMO GUN IS OPTIONAL' THERE ARE ALOT OF PLACES TO HUNT DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD. I LIKE WEST TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY. ALSO GET A BOX CALL AND MAYBE A SLATE CALL TO START WITH. WATCH THE VIDEOS AND TV SHOWS TO GET A IDEA OF HOW TO USE THE CALLS. I HAVE TAKEN ABOUT 20 TOMS WICH DONT MAKE ME AN EXPERT BUT IM NOT A ROOKIE EITHER. ONE THING FOR SURE WHEN YOU GET THAT FIRST BIRD YOU WILL BE HOOKED" IF YOU NEED ANY INFO LET ME KNOW ON THIS FORUM AND I WILL GIVE YOU ANY HELP I CAN AND GOOD LUCK""""

thanks for the info H

I have a question what is the best way to clean without skinning

DAVIDC I USUALLY JUST BREAST EM OUT BUT IF YOU WANT THE SKIN ON YOU WILL HAVE TO PLUCK EM. ALSO AS SOON AS I GET EM BACK AND GET PICTURES I CUT HOLE AROUND THE VENT AND REACH IN GUT EM TO COOL EM DOWN WHEN TEMP IS HIGH LIKE IN TEXAS. ONE OTHER THING; WHEN YOU GET THE BIRD PLUCKED TAKE A PROPANE TORCH AND SINGE ALL THE HAIRS OFF.

Thanks for the info before you pluck them do you have to boil them?

Davidc I usually dont but i have heard that it helps to dip them in hot water to help get the feathers off.

I wouldn't do anything but breasting 'em out brother. The rest of the meat is as tough as shoe leather.

How about some quick instructions on how to "breast out" a turkey. That seems to be what many, if not most, hunters do.

I too, am new to turkey hunting and would like some quick tips on how to do it right.

Thanks in advance.

Hope this helps. Make sure you have a sharp knife, and try to keep as much of the breast meat intact as possible. As for cooking it, I like the breast grilled or cut into strips and fried.
If you are saving the tail fan or cape from the turkey, remove them first. I also always remove the beard before starting to clean the bird. If you are not saving the bird's cape or tail you can leave them on and start by laying the turkey on it's back.

To begin removing the breast filets, pluck some feathers from the middle of the breast and make a small cut through the skin. Then work your fingers underneath the skin and pull the skin back from the breast down to the sides of the turkey.

Find the breast bone and start by cutting down one side of the breast bone to loosen the breast filet from the bone. This cut will run from the lower tip of the breast all of the way along the breast bone and eventually up along the wishbone and to the shoulder / wing joint..

Start at the bottom tip of the breast and work your way from the rear of the breast forward, fileting off the breast by pulling the filet and using the knife to help separate the breast where needed. Be careful of the crop when you get to the top of the breast. (The crop is the balloon-like sac up between the two halves of the breast by the neck). It is full of some nasty stuff and you don't want to puncture it.

Repeat this for the other side of the breast.

Thanks for that information. Your instructions are clear and I can picture the process in my mind. I will just take my time and try to get it right with as little waste as possible.
I hope to get a chance to try it out over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Thanks again.