With increasing numbers of people wanting to know the origins of their food, and some going so far as to describe themselves as “locavores,” it’s impossible to ignore the fact that hunters are champions of the field-to-table movement. If you’re interested in the ultimate field-to-table Thanksgiving — that is, killing your own wild turkey for the big feast — read on for David Draper’s four tips for harvesting your own holiday turkey.
By now, flocks will have moved into the forest where they spend the days feasting on nuts. In the Northeast and South, concentrate on stands of oak and beech trees; out West, pines are the place to find fall turkeys. Make your way through the woods at a snail’s pace while keeping an eye out for fresh sign in the form of scratchings and scat. But don’t watch the ground all the time or you’ll surely get busted. Use compact binocs to glass for birds feeding in the distance.
Photos: Arizona Game and Fish Department (top); Ron Lauber (above)
