Now that the wild turkey has been harvested, leg tag attached and photos taken, its time to prepare that Thanksgiving bird.

Each Thanksgiving droves of American hunters make a mass exodus from their favorite hunting haunts to participate in our nation's day of Thanksgiving.

There are some big differences in the look and taste of a wild and domesticated turkey.

Here's a couple of recipes provided by the National Wild Turkey Federation to make your holiday wild turkey meal memorable.

<i>Xtreme JAKES member Corey Slater of Mars, sent in this recipe for turkey pot pies, which is currently a featured recipe on the NWTF Web site: www.nwtf.org.</I><b>TurkeyDeep potSturdy knifeCelery (three stalks, cut into large chunks)Carrots (1 carrot per 4 pounds of meat)Onions (2 whole)Thyme (one handful, to taste)Whole pepper seeds (one handful, to taste)Potatoes (1 potato per 4 pounds of meat)Your favorite thickening agentPillsbury ready-to-bake dinner rollsWater </b>Once you harvest your turkey, take off the head, legs (at the joint above the spur), wings, and tail and gut the bird.After gutting the bird, peel all the skin off (you can just peel skin off with feathers still attached to save time).If you wish, cut the breast meat out and use it for another entree.Next, start quartering the bird: Separate the legs from the main bird and place in pot. Cut the bird in half in the middle of its back (from wing to wing not head to tail) and place all of it in a pot.Chop one carrot per four pounds of bird and place in pot with the bird.Place two whole onions in the pot with carrots and meat.Chop a stalk of celery in big chunks and place in the pot.Next, add a handful of whole black pepper seeds.Add a handful of thyme in the pot.Last, push everything down as packed in as you can get it and fill the pot up with water so it's roughly one inch above top of the bird.Allow this to cook at just below a boil until the water is an inch below the top of the bird.Let cool thoroughly.Once cooled, hand-pick the meat off the bone and place in container in bite size chunks.Throw away celery, onion and carrots.Chop up potatoes into bite size pieces (one potato per four pounds)Chop up three carrots into bite size pieces.Next, chop one or two sticks of celery into bite size pieces.Let that cook until vegetables get softened to your liking, then add the pulled meat.Let meat and vegetables cook for about 30 minutes, and remove from heat.The final part is to add your favorite thickening agent until you reach a good thickness.Place into individual portions or in containers and bake rolls and place on top.———Traditionalists say no turkey is fit for the table without its skin, so years ago, turkeys were plucked by hunters or camp cooks after a long day in the woods.Actually, the decision about whether to skin or pluck really depends on how you plan to cook the turkey. For methods that can dry out the meat, such as roasting, the skin should be left on to seal in moisture. Plucking, rather than skinning, also reduces the risk of freezer burn.But if skinless is your choice, consider deep-fried wild turkey; the meat will be moist and tender.

Follow these tips for deep-frying your wild turkey from the NWTF's Wild About Turkey & More cookbook:• Always thaw the turkey completely.• Clean the turkey the same way you would for roasting.• Do not stuff the turkey.• Inject the bird with liquid seasoning or rub dry seasoning inside and out. Examples include hot pepper sauce, black pepper, Italian dressing, Cajun seasoning and paprika.• To figure out how much oil to use in the deep fryer, fill the pot with water and submerge the turkey. (Water should cover the turkey without spilling over.) Remove the turkey then measure the amount of water left in the pot. Discard the water and fill the pot with oil.• Heat the oil to at least 375 degrees before adding the turkey.• Skinless turkey should be cooked for 3-3½ minutes per pound.• Let the turkey cool for at least 20 minutes before carving.———<i>This year, when hunters return to hunting camp, try taking some of the turkey leftovers back to camp.A couple of minutes, a few ingredients and a crock pot can stretch your extra turkey into a few days worth of meals, or an evening's meal that serves eight.</i>

<b>2 cans (10¾ ounces each) cream of mushroom soup2½ cups water2½ cups uncooked converted white rice1 cup sliced celery2 cups cubed cooked turkey2 cups peas and carrots, (sometimes you can scavenge from the veggie tray)1 teaspoon poultry seasoning2 tablespoons minced onion</b>Pour soup and water into slow cooker and mix. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cook 5 to 7 hours on Low or 2½ to 3½ hours on high. Check from time to time to make sure rice does not get mushy.

<b>1 tablespoon olive oil1 onion, chopped1 can chopped green chiles, drained (4 ounce)1 teaspoon chili powder1 tablespoon ground cumin1 garlic clove, minced½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper6 cups chicken stock1 can tomatoes, diced (10 ounce)2 cups cooked turkey breast, chopped1 cup frozen corn, thawed1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro1 1/3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheeseTortilla chips</b>Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook 4 minutes.Add green chilies, chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute.Stir in chicken stock and tomatoes with green chilies. Bring to a boil. Add turkey and simmer 3 minutes. Add corn and cilantro, simmer 15 minutes.Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with generous amount of cheese and chips.To stay on the lighter side, avoid the tortilla chips and cheese.