Eating pigeon, the farm kind

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All my tags for the year are filled for the season but I'm itching to do some small game hunting over the next few weekends. It had me wondering if anyone ever hunts and eats wild pigeon?

I have killed them on my parents farm for years as part of a population control before using the property as a wedding venue but have never thought to eat it. Its easy for me to kill 6 or 8 in an afternoon with a .22 which would make cleaning them easier. I have no illusion that they would probably be tough, but what about safe? This is a general country farm surrounded by corn and soybeans, not a big cattle area so they should mostly be grain fed.

I'm just curious why they are not viewed as a game bird while lots of other birds with the same size and shape are highly sought after?
 

Eagle

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Well, they are basically an oversized dove. I've killed and eaten them off of a rural farm and they tasted great, just don't overcook them.
 

boom

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they are yummy.

they need better PR in the food department. i heard them sold at restaurants under the label "rock dove" hahaha.
i used to hunt them on a friend dairy farm. even the cows got used to us and our labrador. the guns didnt even faze them. they were fun to knock down. we used duck loads. they make a racket when they come crashing to earth.

i need to find a new dairy here..i think a PCP pellet rifle would be awesome on them.
 
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I believe squab is actually farm raised and killed before they can fly.

Either way, I'll pop a few and prepare them a few different ways. If I like it I'm sure I could kill as many as I would ever want to eat.
 

wyosteve

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I used to shoot them as a kid on the farm all the time and eat them. They tasted fine.
 

530Chukar

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I've got about 30 pigeons for dog training but eating them or feral birds is something I'd stay away from. Often compared to rats with wings, they can carry and transmit disease. Their transient nature just goes to show that even farm birds can be just as dirty.
 
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I've got about 30 pigeons for dog training but eating them or feral birds is something I'd stay away from. Often compared to rats with wings, they can carry and transmit disease. Their transient nature just goes to show that even farm birds can be just as dirty.


Do you happen to know if these diseases are something that is cooked out or not? Is it similar to the kinds off issues you can get from rabbit or bear?

I certainly don't want to get sick because I ate a trash bird. If anyone has any good reading material for various wildlife diseases related to eating I would love to check it out.
 

530Chukar

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Do you happen to know if these diseases are something that is cooked out or not? Is it similar to the kinds off issues you can get from rabbit or bear?

I certainly don't want to get sick because I ate a trash bird. If anyone has any good reading material for various wildlife diseases related to eating I would love to check it out.


From what I can remember most of these diseases aren't necessarily transmitted through eating meat but have more to do with handling the birds themselves. Salmonella, e coli, listeria, west nile and a form of meningitis are common in pigeons. I don't know that any of it can't be cooked out. I'm sure that anything cooked hot enough would sterilize the meat but it just concerns me bringing those things into my kitchen.
 

boom

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the pigeons i blasted flew around with Mourning doves. we had to be selective during the non-dove season.

now there are Eurasian Collared dove in the mix. if the Pigeons got sick, so would the game birds.

i wouldnt eat a park pigeon taken from a flock eating bread and popcorn thrown at them by the elderly tho:)
 

5MilesBack

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I saw a Dead Meat episode with them shooting and preparing pigeon. I guess they were great, but then again they make everything seem tasty on that show.
 

Buckman

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When i was a kid and we would come out to visit Grandma in Wisconsin. My Dad and uncle Bud and me would shoot pigeons in town in barns that were still in use. They did the shooting i did the getting . Grandma would put them in a big stock pot and boil them up. nother pot with boiled taters and some fresh peas. Damn that shit was good. Long time ago, their all gone now but i can see it in my head still. Damn
 

AdamW

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Pretty dove-like. A little more grain structure to them but not bad at all!
 

boom

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This thread is giving me the motivation to knock on some dairy doors. Thanks.
 

Vandal 44

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After Football practice when I was in college I had permission to hunt on a farm and I would shoot a lot of pigeons. The farmer asked me if I was eating the pigeons and replied absolutely. They are grain fed and taste great.
 
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From what I can remember most of these diseases aren't necessarily transmitted through eating meat but have more to do with handling the birds themselves. Salmonella, e coli, listeria, west nile and a form of meningitis are common in pigeons. I don't know that any of it can't be cooked out. I'm sure that anything cooked hot enough would sterilize the meat but it just concerns me bringing those things into my kitchen.

Exactly. Not different than any other animal. Just what we're used to or not.

Salmonella and E. coli are native in the guts of birds. West Nile and Meningitis generally need an arthropod vector (e.g., mosquito), though direct transmission has been documented at least in West Nile. Just treat pigeon as you would a chicken, dove, quail, duck, etc., and you'll be fine. I'd be more concerned picking one up out of the manure pile and getting exposed to some environmental contamination on the outside than what the pigeon itself harbors if you're working on birds that are from rural settings. See Rinella's Scavenger's Guide. for more on eating pigeons and squab.

The worst incident of infection from a wild bird I've witnessed was a woman who was field dressing ptarmigan and cut herself in the process. She got a bacterial infection (don't remember what kind... perhaps Salmonella) and it got deep into her index finger, affecting the nerves and tendons. 7 months later when I met her she was still undergoing surgeries and physical therapy.
 

boom

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Exactly. Not different than any other animal. Just what we're used to or not.

Salmonella and E. coli are native in the guts of birds. West Nile and Meningitis generally need an arthropod vector (e.g., mosquito), though direct transmission has been documented at least in West Nile. Just treat pigeon as you would a chicken, dove, quail, duck, etc., and you'll be fine. I'd be more concerned picking one up out of the manure pile and getting exposed to some environmental contamination on the outside than what the pigeon itself harbors if you're working on birds that are from rural settings. See Rinella's Scavenger's Guide. for more on eating pigeons and squab.

The worst incident of infection from a wild bird I've witnessed was a woman who was field dressing ptarmigan and cut herself in the process. She got a bacterial infection (don't remember what kind... perhaps Salmonella) and it got deep into her index finger, affecting the nerves and tendons. 7 months later when I met her she was still undergoing surgeries and physical therapy.

College is a distant memory: but here it goes. E. coli is ALSO in our guts. it is in our fecal matter. so. Fecal coliforms, are used as an indicator of fecal contamination. they test for E.coli to see if something is contaminated. if e.coli is present, no bueno. someone didnt wash there hands..or the water purification system at the treatment plant is not working correctly. in laymans terms, if a test indicates the precence of E. Coli, then that is damn near proof positive that poop got into the item..and it will make you sick. the e.coli isnt the thing..(IIRC)
 
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So as a domestic pigeon breeder all my life, 3rd generation, and have eaten my fair share of both domestic and wild pigeons, I'd like to tell the truth. Pigeons, do not carry or transmit any diseases that is harmful to humans, a fact! Only from the dust from their feathers if exposed to too much of it or from piles of too much droppings make for health hazards.

They are Not flying rats, pigeons eat grains and green leafy plants, drink water, and bath in water. Doves are a sub species of the pigeon. Rock dove name is for the fact that they like to make homes on the rocky cliffs, hence why cities are a great home for them, that and no predators.

They were domesticated as far back as ancient Egypt, for food and flying pleasure. Today there are 100's of beautiful show type and performance breeds. National Pigeon Association

Squab are young pigeons of about 4 weeks old, developed but have not flow yet, there are breeds that are large utilizes breeds for squab production. Tender! :)

Pigeon soup, stuff with wild rice and cream sauce, good eating
 
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