Feral Pigeon hunting

[greybeard]

A guy that I used to hunt with at his place upstate,  told me that he and a relative did some pigeon hunting .. They'd get permission from farmers and put out decoys in a field and did really well. He told me that you can burn up a whole lot of shotgun shells, and get a lot of birds. He said that pigeons up there, as opposed to city pigeons, were good to eat. I think that he said dark meat. I remember a poultry store on LI used to sell pigeons to eat.. They called them squab, but sure looked like pigeons to me.

My fiend drove me around and showed me some farms and how many pigeons were around, there were loads of them. I never got to do it with him because our lives changed.

 

I forgot about it, but today I was looking for crows and in some areas and  saw a number of pigeons, and made me think of it.

 

I don't know how you can tell feral from domestic pigeons, like the one that race, but I guess if they're hangin' around farms they are wild

 

We may never get a dove season, but I guess it could be like dove hunting .

 

Does anyone pigeon hunt ?

[jjb4900]

A guy that I used to hunt with at his place upstate,  told me that he and a relative did some pigeon hunting .. They'd get permission from farmers and put out decoys in a field and did really well. He told me that you can burn up a whole lot of shotgun shells, and get a lot of birds. He said that pigeons up there, as opposed to city pigeons, were good to eat. I think that he said dark meat. I remember a poultry store on LI used to sell pigeons to eat.. They called them squab, but sure looked like pigeons to me.

My fiend drove me around and showed me some farms and how many pigeons were around, there were loads of them. I never got to do it with him because our lives changed.

 

I forgot about it, but today I was looking for crows and in some areas and  saw a number of pigeons, and made me think of it.

 

I don't know how you can tell feral from domestic pigeons, like the one that race, but I guess if they're hangin' around farms they are wild

 

We may never get a dove season, but I guess it could be like dove hunting .

 

Does anyone pigeon hunt ?

I know it's illegal to take any with leg bands......other than that I'm not too familiar with it, but have seen the type you're talking about in the same general area

[Pygmy]

Heck yes, Greybeard...I've shot hundreds of them over the years..They are very good eating..Dark meat, similar to wild duck..The only thing is, the older birds tend to be somewhat tough, so you need to use a slow, moist method of cooking, like braising, slow roasting, pressure cooking, or crockpot.

The meat is all in the breast..I simply skin and cut the breast away and discard the rest...

In the crockpot, put a layer of pigeon breasts, a layer of onions, another layer of breasts, etc. salt, pepper and then add some red wine and cook all day on low ..Good stuff.

They also provide some very challenging wingshooting..

I have a local dairy farmer that lets me come down once or twice a year and shoot pigeons..He has dozens of them hanging around his corncribs and silos.

It's a great way to spend a winter afternoon and burn up a few dozen shotshells. Field loads of #6 or 7 1/2 shot do the job just fine.

[Woodjr55]

I hunt them at at dairy farm have a few guys surround a silo then my brother will shoot a low powered BB gun to spook them and then we open up on them. Once they disperse we wait for a good group to come back and repeat. It's a lot of fun. They are tasty in a stew. Best to do this on the coldest days

[greybeard]

 Thanks ...It sounds really good.  I never heard about it until my friend told me..

 

Do you guys ever use decoys?

 

 

 

[Pygmy]

I have had them come in to crow decoys and field duck decoys many times..

I remember a magazine article years ago where a guy used crumpled up newspapers as pigeon decoys..Obviously, that would not work well if there was any WIND to deal with...<<grin>>...

I suspect that plastic beverage bottles dabbed with blotches of white and dark paint would work as well as anything..

Of course, like waterfowl hunting, they would work best in an area where the birds are accostomed to coming in to feed.

[greybeard]

Thanks Pygmy..I like that plastic bottle idea...Now I gotta find some spots...

 

I have some old duck decoys, maybe I'll paint them. BUT of course I gotta find them.

I have 2 spots in mind.( One spot, I saw today)....

, I need to scout...

 

I appreciate the info from you guys.

 

[Lawdwaz]

Here's a few pigeons that made it to the dove dinner..........

 

Edited December 21, 2013 by Lawdwaz

[greybeard]

 Lawdwaz.. nice photo, I hadn't thought about a retriever, but it makes sense....good lookin' dog !

 

How do you hunt them ?

 

Do they taste the same as doves ?

 

I have to learn about this. I may never be too successful at it, but I'll have a good time trying, and finding spots down here.

 

[Five Seasons]

This thread reminds me of home alone 2

[greybeard]

 It went over my head because I never saw Home Alone 2, so I just checked it on line, and saw the pigeon attack..I had a good laugh.. Thanks

 

 

[Lawdwaz]

 Lawdwaz.. nice photo, I hadn't thought about a retriever, but it makes sense....good lookin' dog !

 

How do you hunt them ?

 

Do they taste the same as doves ?

 

I have to learn about this. I may never be too successful at it, but I'll have a good time trying, and finding spots down here.

 

The dog is the BEST part!  You really shouldn't hunt doves where I did without a dog, IMO.  They blend in withe everything, especially dirt, cow dung etc.  Honestly you could loose one on a mowed lawn.......

 

We shoot them while dove hunting in PA.  The doves we just shot while pass shooting around water, gravel/stone or the right field.  Pigeons were just gravy................... 

 

[greybeard]

Lawdwaz...The dog makes sense. I never dove hunted, but have lost quail in fields.

 

 

[Lawdwaz]

 It went over my head because I never saw Home Alone 2, so I just checked it on line, and saw the pigeon attack..I had a good laugh.. Thanks

 

Ya, I was confused too.  With Belo, you never know what  to expect.  <grin>

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification!!

[Terry]

I have had pigeon breast wrapped in bacon and topped with a jalapeno slice...very tasty!

[greybeard]

I think that the last movie that I went to was Dances with wolves, when it came out,and I guess that I don't watch enough t.v

 

But that clip of Home Alone was really funny, so maybe I need to watch more variety.

I'm glad that he responded, I got a good laugh.

[Pygmy]

 

I have had pigeon breast wrapped in bacon and topped with a jalapeno slice...very tasty!

Yeah....Everytime I eat pigeon I wonder why I don't hunt them more often.

Fun to shoot..Easy to clean and DELICIOUS !

[greybeard]

I wasn't gonna ask about pigeons, but now I'm sure glad I did.. Thank you all..

 

I went down to the beach today(saw a snowy owl) and on the way there I  passed  some areas that I waterfowl hunt in the bay.. There were flocks of pigeons near a spot I can paddle to in good weather.. They just have to fly a little  bit past the spot that I saw them to get to where I like to hunt..

 

I have a whole new outlook on them,now...... breasted and.wrapped in bacon with jalapeno.. sounds like that's for me..I'll probably find them near waterfowl areas so I have to get smaller steel shot.

 

 

[breethwithme]

I shoot them with a bb gun under bridges they do taste good reminds me of rock corrnish hens lol

[greybeard]

I see them under bridges, and underpasses, but I can't shoot there.

I've seen guys shoot them with pellet guns on you tube.

Are they tough to kill with a bb. ? Head shots ?

 

[breethwithme]

A bb gun with a field point pellet in it lol should have been more specific

[greybeard]

breeth.. It's my personality, I sometimes just have to know everything.

[breethwithme]

I will b more specific from now on. I've never shot one with a bb but I'm sure it would kill one if a close enough range was possible. I used to climb under the steel gurters of the bridges so I could get closer to them and my old man would pick them up when they fell. Cause there not very smart lol

Sent from my LGL75C using Tapatalk 2

[greybeard]

It sure sounded good though.. I liked the thought of it..

 

I'm glad that they are not smart, because  I'm not either.

[Csk21]

We used to shoot them on the farm when we were kids.

Never bothered with decoys at all. Used to walk out back shoot 3 or 4 and thr flock would disperse...then we would just leave the dead ones where they dropped and wait. Decoys are nice but nothing like the real thing. 5 or 10 minutes later the flock would come back and we'd open up again....