Pigeons

[MaryN]

I wondered if any Forum member had given a thought to keeping pigeons or doves as a ssource of food. I saw some nice designs for dovecotes and thought it would be a relatively easy way to keep a bit of protein available.

[Mortblanc]

Oh Boy, The flying rat discussion!!!

Its been a while since the last one.

I don't "keep" doves but there is a big flock now living in the barn rafters out back.

You throw a rock on that tin roof and it looks like closing time at the bar.

I leave them alone as the reserve food supply.

They are also about the only game I would trust being taken with an air gun.

[Midnitemo]

not sure I fancy keeping them but I sure like eating them.

[BeardyMan]

Wood pigeon tastes delicious, easy to acquire. Not a huge amount of meat on 'em. But they are in abundance. Don't fancy keeping any myself though, more mouths to feed!

[Tartar Horde]

Exactly what BM says, easily available, delicious and abundant, no need to keep them. Plus you can get them to visit on a daily basis with a bit of judicious feeding. I just seperate the wings at the chest and remove the "Crown" of chest meat and put into a small bag in the field, there's not much else taking, there is the Liver of course.

[Mortblanc]

I always enjoy the heart of game birds, especially when used in a soup or stew.

In a true survival situation one would not wish to waste a morsel of food, those legs and thighs are food too.

They may not look like much, but a dozen of them in the stew pot would be more than welcome if one is really down to eating wild caught pigeon.

[Steve]

An easy way to bag wood pigeons with an air rifle is to find the trees they roost in and wait nearby at dusk or in some cases late morning when they return from their first feed to digest. I don't know if it's widespread, but in my woods they always preferred to roost in trees slightly in from the edge of the wood. Easy to find by looking for droppings on the floor.

Don't forget to practice your high angle shooting, the pellet will hit higher than it would at the same distance shooting level.

In the UK it's illegal to shoot birds using artificial light, but on a moonlit night in winter you can see them as dark spots amongst the branches, looking like clumps of leaves to the naked eye. It's possible to kill 2 or 3 before the rest decide to fly away.

[BeardyMan]

If you've got a ready supply of these flying culinary delights you could try flogging them to your local gastro-pub (if you have one locally) - used to live near one that sold wood pigeon breast on a bed of sweet potato mash and seasonal veggies for £17.95 a pop.

[Midnitemo]

I stopped supplying my local butcher and Zoo when the new food hygiene legislation came in.

[Tartar Horde]

£17.95 a pop for Woodie, that's got to be down South cos only them daft twats would pay so much.