Maine's fall wild turkey season ends Monday, as families begin preparing for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner centered around the wild birds' domesticated brethren.
David Trahan, executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, says there are a lot of different recipes for serving the wild birds.
"I did them (up) as little chicken 'McNuggets' - fried them in Italian bread crumbs and they were delicious; and everyone I've served those 'McNuggets' to, they just love them," Trahan says. "Also I make soup of it - there's all kinds of different recipes you can do with wild turkey."
Trahan says the fall turkey hunt could use some more hunters. "Probably the fall turkey hunt is the most underutilized hunt in Maine," he says. "There are literally tens of thousands of turkeys throughout the state that would make a wonderful hunt for folks in the fall and not too many people are doing it."
Hunters who do pursue wild turkeys in Maine use shotguns and bows and arrows. The number of turkeys that hunters are allowed to bag depends on the part of the state where they are hunting. In wildlife management districts clustered mostly in southern and coastal Maine, the limit is two. In other parts of the state, the limit is one.
The fall turkey hunt was closed in most of Aroostook County.