2022-23 Crows and Pigeons

[GreenDrake]

Now that deer season is all but over, we will start hunting winter crows and pigeons. Scouted a couple good flyways and crow feeds and the numbers look good. The calls and decoys are ready and we will hit them the 26th.  This nasty weather is great crow calling weather and usually sends big numbers of pigeons to the corn and silage bunkers. 

[knehrke]

I trained one of my first dogs over pigeons years ago, nearly 600 of them hit the ground between May and September. When the first goose dropped, the dog hit it like a freight train, then stood there like, "now what?" before dragging it by the head to us. For the next ten years. whenever a flight of pigeons would go over the house, the dog would get crazy. What a great way to introduce a young dog to the game! The fact that they decoy just like ducks made it even sweeter.

[GreenDrake]

Nephew and I killed 36 crows Sunday morning. Had we been able to start shooting before legal sunrise we could have doubled that. Then we went to a dairy and climbed on top if the corn bunker.  Killed 30 pigeons and 6 more crows. All morning crows killed with new custom hand calls my wife bought me for Christmas. Never turned in the Foxpro. 
 

 

[GreenDrake]

Slow the last 2 weeks. Since there is no snow, the crows are not hitting a specific feed and are breaking up after flying off roost. We managed to kill 15 last weekend and another 20 this past weekend. My nephew killed a banded bird this past weekend, to add to the banded crow I shot last winter. This past Sunday we did set up on a morning flyway of perhaps a thousand birds, but since legal shooting doesn't start until Sunrise, we had to watch them fly on by. That was NOT an easy thing to do.

[First-light]

I have to say after spending so much time in the woods this year those crows have some unique vocalization. So many different cool sounds. Too many of them have at it boys! lol

[GreenDrake]

Decent pigeon shoot this morin high wind. Killed 61 and 4 crows. Crows came in really heavy before legal shooting light. We managed 4 incidentals while shooting pigeons. 

[New York Hillbilly]

7 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

Decent pigeon shoot this morin high wind. Killed 61 and 4 crows. Crows came in really heavy before legal shooting light. We managed 4 incidentals while shooting pigeons. 

Wow...impressive number of pigeons. Do you eat them? 

[airedale]

20 hours ago, New York Hillbilly said:

20 hours ago, New York Hillbilly said:

Wow...impressive number of pigeons. Do you eat them? 

 

I have eaten both Doves and Pigeons, as far as taste they are pretty much the same and are not bad. Like anything else it all depends on how they were prepared, they are pretty tough so a recipe that tenderizes makes for a lot less chewing,

Al

[GreenDrake]

I personally do not eat them. I have tried them a few different ways and do not like them. Some of the birds go to the hired hands on the farms if and when they want them. We are invited (begged by some) by the farmers for nothing more than pest control. They absolutely destroy the barns, water systems and everything in their paths. Pigeons and crows are the only animals I shoot and do not eat. I refuse to hunt waterfowl unless I am with others who want the ducks and geese as I do not care for them. I have never hunted and killed game animals I do not eat or have a home for immediately after the hunt.

 

[New York Hillbilly]

I was curious about the pigeon, because I had an uncle who talked about dove hunting and eating their breast meat. I wasn't sure if pigeon might be similar. I tried shooting pigeons once with a buddy many years ago, around his corn cribs. I couldn't hit a damned thing. lol. That's why I was so impressed with how many you got. Must be a pretty good shot!

Edited February 7, 2023 by New York Hillbilly
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[GreenDrake]

Some of the people who take them really liked them…others not so much. Here is a picture from one of our summer shoots over decoys in the freshly cut wheat. Just  my nephew and I on this shoot. 

[Pygmy]

14 hours ago, New York Hillbilly said:

I was curious about the pigeon, because I had an uncle who talked about dove hunting and eating their breast meat. I wasn't sure if pigeon might be similar. I tried shooting pigeons once with a buddy many years ago, around his corn cribs. I couldn't hit a damned thing. lol. That's why I was so impressed with how many you got. Must be a pretty good shot!

As Al said, doves and pigeons taste similar, but pigeons tend to be much tougher than doves...They are easy to clean,  just pull the skin off the breast and cut the breast away... One good way to do pigeons breasts is in a crockpot...A layer of breasts, a layer of sliced onions, salt and pepper...Then pour a cup or two of dry red wine  over the meat and cook it all day on low....It almost reminds me of roast beef....

[airedale]

18 hours ago, Pygmy said:

One good way to do pigeons breasts is in a crockpot...A layer of breasts, a layer of sliced onions, salt and pepper...Then pour a cup or two of dry red wine  over the meat and cook it all day on low....It almost reminds me of roast beef...

The good old crockpot is a savior when it comes to wild game meats and tenderizing.

Al

[GreenDrake]

This ice, wind and nasty snow should set up for a really good pigeon shoot over the corn bunker’s tomorrow morning. We shall see!!!

[airedale]

Good luck, give a report on how everything went.

Al

[GreenDrake]

TooK a first-timer with us today. My nephew just started him hunting. Birds flew pretty well, but were higher than we like, especially in the wind. We let the new guy shoot first. The birds would instantly flare wildly, making for difficult follow-ups. We killed 31. 

[airedale]

33 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

. We killed 31.

Way to go!

Al

[Robby]

I rolled that over for ya Green, Got a terrible crick in my neck today.

Robby