[kev]

I used to work with a guy who raced pigeons. If a pigeon lost a lot of races, or was getting old, he would kill and eat the pigeon. He told me the pigeon is a member of the quail family and taste like chicken - kinda bland and depends on how you cook it.

So if your in an urban situation, some home made box bird traps might be worth the while. Or at least have the supplies on hand to build some box bird traps.

 

[RevPaul]

Squab is quite wonderful.

 

[kev]

Ok, I did not know what "squab" is, so I looked it up. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/squab

 

[Per Ardua]

If I'm hungry no pigeon will be safe (or squirrel). We also have morning doves around, but even better is the wild turkey running around. There's one that that likes to hang around the highway near my place and last summer a wild turkey charged one of my kids and some of his friends when they came upon 3 of them on a path in the woods.

 

[RevPaul]

All you need do, is breast the bird, use an egg poacher too cook it in, add i pad of butter, a dash of garic, and a splash of white wine.
It takes about 3 1/2 miniutes and you have a nice little morsel too nibble on.
Ofcourse, a half strip of bacon wrapped around the little budder, held in place by a tooth pick, and thrown on the grill for about 5-6 miniutes will work just fine.
another thought is some "Dales" marrinade and....................
Just as good burnt on a stick,when your hungry, your hungry.

 

[Kenno]

When I was a kid we would hide in the hay barn and wait for pigeons to roost in the rafters. We would use 22 shorts or an air rifle to avoid shooting holes in the tin roof. The birds became quite leery and we would all shoot at the same instant to nail more birds. The birds were very well fed and were quite tasty with italian marinade on the BBQ. When well done, the wings were nice and crispy! Large nets across the barn exits would capture a bunch more birds.

 

[tapedeck74]

I guess those country pigeons are a little cleaner than city pigeons. Around here the pigeons carry about 60 infectious diseases.

 

[kev]

I guess those country pigeons are a little cleaner than city pigeons. Around here the pigeons carry about 60 infectious diseases.

Just cook them real good and they will be ok. Well, unless you get their blood into a cut on your hand. I did not know birds could carry so many diseases.

 

[LuniticFringeInc]

Squab is indeed quiet tastey for sure. While pigeons arent very high on my list of things to eat if things get ugly , I sure wouldnt hesitate to put them on the menu.

Screw the box trap thing, a much more effective way to get pigeons to the table is to use rat traps and bread scraps. They are stupid cheap and work like a champ! Ive thoroughly tested this technique!!! Trust me it does work.

 

[tapedeck74]

Just cook them real good and they will be ok. Well, unless you get their blood into a cut on your hand. I did not know birds could carry so many diseases.

I suppose if I was in dire straits, and there was NO other option I'd eat pigeon. Like you said, cook the hell out of it.

There's just so many other food sources around here that pigeon is way down on my list. I'd probably go for crow before pigeon.
Even in suburbia, where I live, there's:

Goose
Duck
Frog
Turtle
Many species of forest birds
Squirrel
Fish
Rabbit

All tasty creatures. And aside from squirrel, relatively disease free.
There's also groundhogs, racoons, foxes, beavers, muskrat (ackh!)....

All these animals can be harvested with a .22lr rifle or pistol.
Fish, frogs and turtles with line and hook.

When I move out of the city, about 30 miles north, there even more food on hoof.
White tail deer, Moose, black bear, lynx, bobcat, porcupine, and the list goes on.


Steve

 

[Reality Czech]

Any bird short of a buzzard is czech fare if I get hungry.
I think the market hunters of the 18th and 19th century hunted every type of shore birds to sell.
LOL at RevPaul!,....you got that right!,....and Dale's might even make a buzzard delicious!

 

[bogdan]

If you are really hungry, you will eat anything.

If you want to raise pigeons only for food, you must avoid contact between pigeons with domestic birds. The pigeons carry a lot of viruses and easily sick your livestock (without take in consideration bird flu virus).
The pigeons need some freedom and a lot of harriers, hawks and other such will enjoy of your food.
One positive think is the pigeons need a low quantity of food, be cause they pick up a lot of food from nature alone.

I believe is not an option to raise pigeons only for food. Chickens are more efficients. But if you have posibility to catch one wild pigeon (or one of your neighbour pigeon ), don't hesitate. They are very tasty.

But i wil strongly agree to raise pigeons for medium distances comunication. Cooperate with one of your buddy. Raise some pigeons each. From time to time, make an exchange of pigeons. For at least 6 months, a pigeon remember the way to his "home". When you want to say something to your budy, make a short note, link to the pigeon leg (take care to be one of your budy pigeon) and release the pigeon. In few hours (depend of the distance) your budy will receive the message. Is very good if you release 2-3 pigeons in the same time, with the same message. You remember about harriers, hawks....

Bogdan

 

[Wiffree]

I have hunted and eaten dove. A pigeon is basically the same thing. The only real meat on the small birds are the breasts. With a pair of latex gloves on stick your thumb under the rib cage and pull out. The skin will split and the whole breast will come out. Rinse and cook. Taste like dark meat of a chicken but has the texture of the breast.

Wiff

 

[Kenno]

I forgot to mention; If you have railrod tracks close by and a train loaded with grain travels that route you can depend on every bird in the vicinity to visit the places where the grain cars leak grain. Steep up or down grades, even tunnels where the train slows or speeds-up. I will not tell you about the chuckers I nailed with the 22 ( buddy with 12 ga as back-up shooter). A large net would be more cost effective! When you are hungry you will eat any and everything, birds of any size will be a luxery item! "Hunger is the best spice."

 

[resister]

Raising Pigons.

It is not hard to build a cage and raise pigeons either. They reproduce rapidly and eat grasses bread and seeds. You can eat pideon eggs too.

 

[eeyore]

I prefer to treat them as Rev. Paul referenced, but barbeque the the breast with barbeque sauce.

Like doves it takes a bunch t fill you up.

 

[Txkstew]

My brother was in a religious cult back in the 70's. He was sent to Spain to panhandle and raise loot to send to a guy that got rich off these kids. They kept very little money to live on, so food was scarce. He said he found a small wire spring loop trap, that you could bury under a little dirt and put a bait of some sort, on the trip. He would sit in the park, on a bench with his trap set near by. When a bird would take the bait, it would snap up and have the bird around the neck. You had to run and grab the flopping bird real quick and break it's neck. He said he lived off lots of birds, and they were all most delicious.

 

[blue123]

shoot....anything goes good with Bar-B-Q sauce........

 

[AncientBrit]

I just sit in the wood with a 22 air pistol and let them come to me ,put them in the pan with a bit of nut oil and garlic,Squiral is nice to,saves taking lots of food with you.

 

[the hog]

City pigeons would make me hesitate but in dire straits they are fair game. In the country I reckon their diet would be more natural so would perhaps taste more gamey and not of disgarded cheese and tomato sandwiches or chillie beef crisps.