Eating pigeons

[slowmotion]

If you are going to eat meat (and I am), I can't think of a single living thing that has a better life and death than a wood pigeon. They spend their entire lives in their natural habitat without restraints, munching Farmer Palmer's crops, and die instantly when some shot comes out of nowhere.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I've had a family of them live in my trees in my garden for about 10 years. Plump and ripe. But... I've grown attached to the fat barstewards. When i was fat barsteward, i shared in their pain whilst having a beer in the garden. They stay in the tree, i stay on the bench. No pigeon cack on my head and no murder, death, kill on the pigeons. Good trade. It has been a difficult relationship as they gobble up everything i used to put on the table for the other birds, but since there are now many cats, i don't get many birds in my garden anymore apart from the occasional resting visitor. I saw a robin the other day, actually. But no, i wouldn't kill them for food other than in reluctant apocalyptic situation.

 

[PaulSB]

The pie lady at Morpeth market had pigeon pie as one of the choices on Wednesday. I forget whether that was one I bought or whether it was the pheasant. Whichever it was it was very tasty.

I've also had - from a different local butcher - a squabbit pie which is part rabbit, part grey squirrel.

My wife had grey squirrel at a Manchester restaurant last Sunday. She said it was very good, I have to confess just the thought of it was too much for me.

 

[steveindenmark]

Killing wild birds in the UK without a licence is illegal. Where you can discharge a firearm is also governed by law.

Pigeon is nice. But you need a few as there is not much meat on them.

 

[figbat]

So where does dove sit then? They seem to have a more revered status but presumably just as tasty?

How about blackbird? There were, after all, four and twenty baked in that pie.

 

[Jameshow]

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.

Rabbits a bit like a sportive rider plenty of tasty meat...

Hare more like an audax rider lean and mean!🤣🤣

 

[Alex321]

So where does dove sit then? They seem to have a more revered status but presumably just as tasty?

How about blackbird? There were, after all, four and twenty baked in that pie.

Doves used to be reared for food regularly. That is what dovecotes were for. If they have been human-reared, then they don't class as wild birds, and can be killed by the owners or anybody they permit to do so.

Blackbirds are very rarely going to be legal to kill nowadays. The terms of the General Licence (numbers as specified above) do not include blackbirds as one of the permitted species - and even the permitted species can only be killed under certain conditions which blackbirds would rarely meet if they were permitted.

 

[Profpointy]

In a recent discussion on CC the number of pigeons in our gardens was bemoaned.

Coincidentally I was in the local park with friends yesterday and somebody asked if people eat the pigeons, and if not, why not?

There does seem to be a certain logic - times are hard and here is a supply of free, tasty meat.

Would you be happy to eat pigeons from your park or garden?

I'd happily eat pigeons, after all, I'm pretty sure I've eaten them in restaurants occasionally. Bit of a faff to pluck and prepare and not much meat on one.

Challenge is catching them. Living in the city an air rifle is a bit elf-n-safety and likely illegal to use in my garden and not sure I've the patience to sit holding a bit of string attached to stick holding up a sieve

The cat favours them raw and crunches up bones and feathers, thus eliminating the fussy prep that is humans seem to go for

 

[wafter]

Killing wild birds in the UK without a licence is illegal. Where you can discharge a firearm is also governed by law.

That's not strictly true - killing wild birds is blanket prohibited but some species can be legally shot (with no paperwork required for the purpose) with good reason.

Said good reasons are typically for the protection of livestock (for example protecting lambs or game birds / eggs from corvids such as magpies and crows) or crops (such as shooting pigeon).

If done in an agricultural setting for these reasons you'll rarely encounter problems; however doing so on private ground / in your garden puts you on a sticky wicket. Certainly you'd be in the sh*t for shooting a pigeon in your garden for the sole purpose of eating it.

 

[presta]

I've also had - from a different local butcher - a squabbit pie which is part rabbit, part grey squirrel.

What did he do with all the leftover rirrel?

 

[gbb]

Pigeon and rabbit, both fantastic cooked properly. Shame they aren't more popular really. we have been making pies out of ox heart, kidneys liver etc, cheap but really tasty.

I've eaten pigeon in the 70s , it was ok but not sure I could be bothered now. Perhaps if we were having a country pub meal of some quality, I might be tempted again

I have a photo somewhere of pigeon I was served up while working in Egypt..must try to dig it out..

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When I was at university they had rabbit on the menu one day

I was happy to give it a go and it was nice - sort of like chicken but more meaty
My friend - who was a country lad and admitted to killing more than a few rabbit with a catapult as a teenager - said they the stew was OK but wild rabbit were tastier
The rest of our group avoided the dish like the plague - one guy was positively sick at the thought (but he was a bit weird!!)

It never happened again - apparently they had a load of complaints - I have no idea why!

 

[Chris S]

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

It's not fine if the intestines get squashed and the parts you're going to eat get covered in excrement, etc.

 

[Chris S]

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.

Sainsbury's used to sell pigeon in the 1970's. I seem to remember having to pick shot out of that as well.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Many years ago I took my then partner (now ex) to a nice restaurant for her birthday
She needed something nice as she had also been evicted on the same day!

Anyway - she had grouse and I had venison

mine had quite a few shot pellets in it but hers did not

which seemed rather suspicious