Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I don't like pigeon or rabbit. Just not my bag.
Eating pigeons
- Thread starter All uphill
- Start date
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Slick
Guru
My answer in 2023 is simply no.
I spend a lot of time feeding all sorts of birds, I just couldn't bring myself to kill any of them. I did have to phone for one poor bird who was looking poorly and it turned out to be this. https://www.google.com/search?q=pig...2gEGCAEQARgJ2gEGCAIQARgI&sclient=gws-wiz-serp. Real shame and would have been a horrible way for them to die if the girl from SSPCA wasn't around to put it out its misery. We had to sterilise all our feeding and watering equipment to reduce the spread of it as much as possible. Fingers crossed, but it seems we have done OK, as it was a single case.
Rewind to the 70's and 80's and you would have got a very different answer from the son of a butcher. Long story short, we didn't have 2 pennies to rub together, but we ate steak for breakfast regularly, and if it produced meat, it was a target for the dogs, the guns or the polecats. Some of these resources were then swapped with others like fishermen for the best the west coast had to offer from the sea and even the local baker wanted in on the act. Food was a huge part of our life, and making sure quite a large extended family and friends had enough of it.
Changed days when you think of it, I don't think my 20 year old self would even talk to me now I'm in my 50's.
I spend a lot of time feeding all sorts of birds, I just couldn't bring myself to kill any of them. I did have to phone for one poor bird who was looking poorly and it turned out to be this. https://www.google.com/search?q=pig...2gEGCAEQARgJ2gEGCAIQARgI&sclient=gws-wiz-serp. Real shame and would have been a horrible way for them to die if the girl from SSPCA wasn't around to put it out its misery. We had to sterilise all our feeding and watering equipment to reduce the spread of it as much as possible. Fingers crossed, but it seems we have done OK, as it was a single case.
Rewind to the 70's and 80's and you would have got a very different answer from the son of a butcher. Long story short, we didn't have 2 pennies to rub together, but we ate steak for breakfast regularly, and if it produced meat, it was a target for the dogs, the guns or the polecats. Some of these resources were then swapped with others like fishermen for the best the west coast had to offer from the sea and even the local baker wanted in on the act. Food was a huge part of our life, and making sure quite a large extended family and friends had enough of it.
Changed days when you think of it, I don't think my 20 year old self would even talk to me now I'm in my 50's.
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
I remember pigeon lofts on old country estates and the pigeons were for eating and were treated like any other consumable.
My father had a 410 shotgun and got pigeons regularly for food during wartime.
I ate lots of them over the years and woodpigeons are good to eat.
Urban ones as already said are probably disease ridden and certainly not recommended to eat.
My father had a 410 shotgun and got pigeons regularly for food during wartime.
I ate lots of them over the years and woodpigeons are good to eat.
Urban ones as already said are probably disease ridden and certainly not recommended to eat.
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Slick
Guru
Still see them now.
Slick
Guru
Accy cyclist
Legendary Member
- Location
- The hills of Accrington
Those wood pigeons that eat most of the food meant for all birds not just them, are so fat they can hardly fly! These pics were taken by me in September 2021, when it looked like one was too fat to fly away from a fox!
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Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Being a northern 70's kid, I've tried everything.
Pigeon was horrible, but is probably because it was full of shot. - My brother used to go shooting and bring it home.
Had rabbit plenty of times which was nice, hare was horrible for some reason, was a lot tougher than rabbit.
Pigeon was horrible, but is probably because it was full of shot. - My brother used to go shooting and bring it home.
Had rabbit plenty of times which was nice, hare was horrible for some reason, was a lot tougher than rabbit.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
I have heard that eating road kill is fine - obviously assuming that it is fresh and you know what you are doing!!!
But not if you are the one that killed it - if you kill it you have to leave it
then your mate can come along behind and take it away
sorry - not your mate - obviously - some complete stranger that appears shortly after and happens to cook you dinner later
probably
But not if you are the one that killed it - if you kill it you have to leave it
then your mate can come along behind and take it away
sorry - not your mate - obviously - some complete stranger that appears shortly after and happens to cook you dinner later
probably
Randomnerd
Bimbleur
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Woodpigeon can be shot at any time, if you have the landowner's permission.
I've permission on arable land round me: what we call stoggies are a real pest in emerging crops in January and February, and in late summer.
The meat is a vital and delicious supplement to my larder, along with rabbit, pheasant, venison, partridge.
The feral pigeon is another beast altogether. Would not be on any menu of mine.
I'm also happy to cook roadkill if it's fresh.
Folk are massively disconnected from where food can be had. For every pigeon I shoot, there must be a hundred good meals getting away.
I've permission on arable land round me: what we call stoggies are a real pest in emerging crops in January and February, and in late summer.
The meat is a vital and delicious supplement to my larder, along with rabbit, pheasant, venison, partridge.
The feral pigeon is another beast altogether. Would not be on any menu of mine.
I'm also happy to cook roadkill if it's fresh.
Folk are massively disconnected from where food can be had. For every pigeon I shoot, there must be a hundred good meals getting away.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Is 'the 60s' pigeon vernacular for 'the groin'?
Some good advice here on the legal side of things.
Ultimately pefectly legitimate and reasonable to eat wood pigeon (not feral / urban flavours as they're far more likely to carry disease). Sounds like you need to befriend someone with shooting rights on agricultural land; who'd likely be happy to see them eaten if they don't otherwise have an outlet for them. You'll probably find them for sale in more upmarket butchers too.
Makes sense in our ridiculously counter-intuitive, wasteful and consumptive world that most will happily eat factory-farmed chicken while turning their noses up at naturally-fed, free range meat that already needs to be controlled so would be shot anyway..
Ultimately pefectly legitimate and reasonable to eat wood pigeon (not feral / urban flavours as they're far more likely to carry disease). Sounds like you need to befriend someone with shooting rights on agricultural land; who'd likely be happy to see them eaten if they don't otherwise have an outlet for them. You'll probably find them for sale in more upmarket butchers too.
Makes sense in our ridiculously counter-intuitive, wasteful and consumptive world that most will happily eat factory-farmed chicken while turning their noses up at naturally-fed, free range meat that already needs to be controlled so would be shot anyway..
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
id have no problem eating them in a game pie etc, rich meat, not stuff I'd eat much of but tasty as I remember.
I sat in the canteen if a former workplace, looking out in the Fens, you could see around 2 miles into the distance. I watched as some shooters set up on the edge of a nearby field and set up a whirly thing with plastic pigeons on each of its 3 or 4 arms. Around it went....and you watched as distant flying pigeons were attracted by it, flew in and were shot down. Amazing to see a pidgeon maybe 1/2 mile away, instantly divert its course toward the lure....to oblivion. They must have shot 50 of them in short order.
I sat in the canteen if a former workplace, looking out in the Fens, you could see around 2 miles into the distance. I watched as some shooters set up on the edge of a nearby field and set up a whirly thing with plastic pigeons on each of its 3 or 4 arms. Around it went....and you watched as distant flying pigeons were attracted by it, flew in and were shot down. Amazing to see a pidgeon maybe 1/2 mile away, instantly divert its course toward the lure....to oblivion. They must have shot 50 of them in short order.
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
