Where to find a wild turkey?

[OrganicLife]

Short of traveling upstate and hunting, where can I find a fresh wild turkey? I'm having a lrge dinner party in a few weeks as a good bye to winter so I want to make a thanksgiving-ish meal with root veggies, fresh breads, and a nice big turkey. I'd really prefer fresh over frozen.

I'll travel a bit if I have to.

Thanks!

[mir777]

Quattro's has wonderful wild and domestic fresh turkeys (you should pre-order at the USQ greenmarket although they often have extras). I've cooked them for years. Although they do run smaller than the other turkeys, and do have very little breast meat, they do not shrink in the over. Since they are less fatty, you need to add fat (butter on the skin is nice) and provide your own broth to baste with and to deglaze the pan for gravy. I rub the turkey with butter, stuff herbs in the cavity along with a cut up apple, onion and orange, and baste.

[Fred19]

You may be able to get live, but not wild, turkeys from Miloski's Poultry Farm in Calverton, NY.

http://www.edibleeastend.com/pages/ar...

[Fozzie_Bear]

My parents live in northern Westchester, and they have wild turkeys strutting around on their property all the time. I don't know where you live relative to them or whether feral turkeys are as plentiful on your property, but have you considered bagging a specimen yourself?

[OrganicLife]

I'm finding it interesting that wild turkeys are considered less tasty than domestic. My family and I used to eat wild turkey constantly when we dined with some friends who were hunters. They have sinced moved away but I really remember how fresh and delicious the turkey was. Domestic turkey tastes bland to me.

Anyhow, I'm a big baby and could never hunt my own turkey. We have a family of 40 that live on our upstate property and have become "pets" so to speak so I'd have a hard time picking one off.

[fancyfood]

To be honest you don't really want a wild turkey. you can only eat the breast because they are so active they have no other good meat. If you really want one ask around for anyone that is a hunter. Trust me there are a ton but people won't come out and say they are because they sometimes get a bad rep for it. If you ask around, and can wait until after May 1st (Openig day for turkey season) they you'll have yourself a wild turkey. Or just get one off 684 near Bedford. :P

[bevoray]

along the Merritt Pkwy- lol

[nbermas]

I just located a farm in Mt. Kisco NY: Cabbage Hill Farm 914-241-2658, they have a website check it out!

[serveitforth]

I think perhaps what your looking for is heirloom or heritage breed turkey. Wild turkey is tough and scrawny. Try Jack's Meats and Deli in new Paltz. They ship.

[OrganicLife]

Thanks for all of the help!!!

[chesapeake72000]

A bit of an oxymoron, but I've ordered these domestically raised "wild" turkeys (https://www.exoticmeats.com/store/ind...) and they are excellent, but very pricey, especially with shipping. The first time I got one, it came with a large slab of wild boar bacon used to keep the breast meat moist -- it's a great combo. The last time the bacon was extra, but I called them up to order and they included the bacon free when I mentioned that they had before. Good luck.

[CindyK]

I believe that "market hunting" is illegal, so any "wild" turkey you get will be farm raised...

[feelinpeckish]

I believe you are correct. Game animals are just that. If you buy something labeled as a "wild" turkey it should have an asterisk to indicate it is a ficticious ID. What is hunted can not be sold in commerce.

[MommaJ]

On the right day, in my backyard in Stamford. No need to head upstate! But they sure are scrawny looking fellas.

[lucyis]

LOL MommaJ! This is just what I was gonna say. They came to feast on the bird seed in my yard and you're right they are not anything Butterball would be interested in.

[puss58]

You could try Quattro's in Pleasant Valley, NY. They are also at the Union Square greenmarket.

[nixienox]

In NYC, there's Ottomanelli's http://www.wildgamemeatsrus.com/index...
Perhaps the butcher department of your regular grocer can order one for you. Are you close to a Wegman's?

[njeggy1]

Where are you coming from?

[OrganicLife]

I'm in Rye Brook. There used to be a farm in CT that raised wild turkeys but they closed about 6-7 years ago. The taste of wild turkey has ruined the flavor of domestic turkeys for me. I never found them to be lacking in breast meat though. We have some toms roaming our country property upstate that are as big as...well...let's just say I douby I'd have a pan large enough to roast them in. lol I just can't bring myself to hunt one of them.

[JMF]

Quattro's Game Farm definitely has them in season and sometimes at other times of the year. They also have all kinds of poultry and game. Whenever I go camping I stop by there store and pick up some interesting things to cook like pheasant, rabbit, venison, etc.

They do some of the Westchester and NYC farm markets and have a store on Rt. 44 in Pleasant Valley which is off the Taconic Parkway. [phone]

Here's a list of places that have fresh farm turkeys and some may have farm raised wild turkeys.
http://www.nyfarms.info/turkeys2005.html

[bob gaj]

i picked up some frozen squab from there last week (after having it at wd-50 in the city a couple weeks earlier and loving the taste). now i just have to learn the best way to cook it.

quattro's also has a ton of spices, as well as game. and things to kill the game with, and fresh mozz (which i haven't tried yet)...

[ChiliDude]

Did you try Google for a source? Texas may be a source. I've seen them there on CBS Sunday Morning a while ago.

[rruben1]

You'll have trouble finding a "nice big" wild turkey. For one thing, wild turkeys have very little breast meat, as compared to the domestically produced product. When you do find them, they tend to be on the smallish side, with far less fat.
Good luck!