In fact rigor mortis and aging also apply to gamebirds...
Good point.. I've heard far too many say they hated the taste/texture of game birds.
Most of the guys I know clean birds, from grouse to turkeys, at the end of the day (or end of the morning.) "Cleaning" them usually means breasting them out and throwing the rest away "because they're too tough." I gut my birds right off, then hang them till they come out of rigor. Spring turkeys, warm weather, I hang them in the garage, out of the sun, with a plastic grocery bag full of ice cubes in the body cavity, the handles of the bag pulled up through the gullet and hung around the bird's neck. When the legs wiggle freely again, I pluck them. I'll brine them overnight, then smoke roast them in the Weber charcoal grill. People can't believe it's wild turkey.
