Dove Hunting

[slamfire51]

How come you cannot eat mature ones ?

I guess you can. Never heard of anyone eating them, but if a person is hungry enough and no other food is available................

[Partisan1983]

I guess you can. Never heard of anyone eating them, but if a person is hungry enough and no other food is available................

I was curious. I remember stories from my grandmother about restaurants in NYC killing and preparing "fresh" pigeons.

[slamfire51]

I was curious. I remember stories from my grandmother about restaurants in NYC killing and preparing "fresh" pigeons.

I wouldn't doubt it at all.
A man, who was a kid during the Great Depression, told me red breasted Robins were caught while they roosted and later eaten.

[AKTexas]

Ever heard of squab? In Europe and other parts they consider pigeon to be a delicacy.

I lived in Louisiana for a couple years growing up. My neighbors were born and raised there I used go out back and hunt Robins in the woods with a friend using pellet guns.

We breast them and plop them in a stew pot. 20-30 Robins went a long way.

I ate stuff there I have not had here in Texas in over 25 years.

[JTHunter]

Put a bunch of breasts in a 13 x 9 cake pan, sprinkle with your choice of spices, add 1/2 cup white wine and seal with foil.
Cook for 20-30 minutes at 325. Check at 20 minutes to check "doneness" then let go longer if necessary.

[old Grump]

You can eat mature pigeons, its kind of hard not to if you shoot a pigeon because its a little hard to age them on the wing. The only thing is they will be tougher than squab and to be safe you want to make sure they are well cooked to avoid the little bugs some of them might have. I've eaten a lot of pigeon pan fried salt and peppered and plop them on a paper plate like finger food. I prefer Dove but will happily eat pigeon. Barn pigeons are corn fed and you can't ask for better. Not to sure I would have the guts to eat a city pigeon, they are scavengers and I have seen some of the crap they eat.

Problem in my case is Doves feed on the ground around my feeders all summer long but they are migratory and by the time hunting season hits my corner of the world they are hard to find. Heavy sigh.

[El Jefe]

This was a crappy year for doves. Not sure why exactly, but we didn't see the numbers we have in years past. Plus the first week or two of the season it was too damned hot to get interested. But the boy got a few with the new 20 gauge 870 he got for Christmas, so I'm calling the season a success.