Talking Turkey in October 2009

I don’t know if you have realized it or not but October 1^st marks the first day of turkey season in New York. In central New York State they will even let you take two turkeys, either sex from October 1 through November 20. (The Thanksgiving holiday this year falls on November 26^th.) Long Island is divided between a refuge and a last minute Thanksgiving turkey shoot with the shortest season from November 21 – 25. I guess they don’t want you shooting the turkeys unless you are really going to eat it for Thanksgiving, and then, you can only shoot them in Suffolk County.

Nassau County doesn’t really have an official season this year but I’ll bet that if you find a turkey in your back yard ten you can shoot it and make a nice holiday meal for the whole family. The Suffolk County shoot is more for those lazy Long Islanders that are obviously not going to the supermarket to buy a frozen turkey. If you follow the New York Department of Environmental Conservation schedule for turkey season then you’ll have absolutely nothing to worry about freezing your bird anyway. A wild turkey can take some time to dress, but it can sit in the refrigerator for three or four days until it is time to roast on Thanksgiving Day.

Turkeys are an easy bird to learn how to shoot with. Turkeys are generally pretty stupid so you can take a shot a turkey and miss, and then call the same turkey back to shoot at it again. This is why we have the term “turkey shoot” in English. After I learned how to shoot turkeys though I stopped wanting to hunt them because it was no fun. I also didn’t like turkey that much when I was younger, but now I have a greater appreciation for the bird. I figured out how to make turkey tacos and it was the end of the game. Now I eat turkey year round and I’m thinking about going home to shoot one so I can surprise momma. I might as well pick up some apples down at the orchard for a cobbler, too.