# Roast Pigeon



## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

It's been a long while since I did any ss hunting but the duck hunting season is over and I thought a roast pigeon might be nice.

There is a large grain elevator nearby and the railroad tracks have a fair bit of assorted grain scattered on them. The area is ubanized but there is one spot I've been keeping my eye on that, if discreet, it is possible to take a shot.

Yesterday morning I decided to give it a go. I was lucky. One shot one pigeon. The shot was about 50 feet (around 15m), at a steep uphill angle with a 5/16 (8mm) lead ball. The slingshot I use most these days is just a little one with butterfly bands. It went in just behind the ear and out the the head on the other side. The bird was dead while still on its feet. I quit while I was ahead and went home and prepped it. It's crop was full of corn, wheat and lentils. It was real tasty.


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## BC-Slinger (Jan 6, 2013)

Very nice slinging winnie. That looks like a meal fit for a king. :king: The only thing I would add to that is a nice dark beer.

Cheers BC-Slinger


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

That was one he!! of a shot ! i hope you dont mind but i had to save that pic of the pigeon laying defeathered on that autopsy table, i mean, dinner plate . great pics !


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

Man, I have to be honest, I would never dream of eating a pigeon, But........... after seeing that presentation, I am craving me some now!

Nice snag and great finally

Oh, yes, a defeathered pigeon sprawled out on a plate, is quite amusing looking 

LGD


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

I love fresh pigeon!! Nice slingshot, beautiful meal!!


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Great shot, Winnie!!! And butterfly shooting to boot!!! Man, I need to practice my butterfly. That pigeon looks absolutely yummy.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Good shot buddy!


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

Thanks for the pics. Looks like you had a fine meal!


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Eating the kill is such a rewarding feeling, especially when it looks so pretty on the plate! Good shooting...my hats off to the chef!


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Nice!


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## Knoll (Nov 10, 2011)

Imperial said:


> That was one he!! of a shot ! i hope you dont mind but i had to save that pic of the pigeon laying defeathered on that autopsy table, i mean, dinner plate . great pics !


Amen to that. Showed it to The Wife ... she's no longer interested in breakfast!


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

whats it taste like? maybe like quail?


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## Jim Williams (Jul 6, 2011)

Boy that pigeon looks cold!

Could you share the recipe and cooking instructions with us? Whenever I cook pigeon I always seem to overcook it :blush:


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Jim Williams said:


> Boy that pigeon looks cold!


 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

beautiful display of culnary skills


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm a bit afraid of posting. I write and then it disappears. If this goes through I'll reply to the cooking questions.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Hey Winnie,

My computer seems to have a very sensitive touch pad. Sometimes when I press the left button on the pad, the cursor moves slightly. I seem to have better luck if I am very careful when pressing the button ... much more careful than I had to be on my previous computer.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Great post!!!!!! Super-duper. I'm hungry now.


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Roast Pigeon:

The great thing about pigeon is that it tastes great. The bad thing is that it is tough. Squab, which is what is served in most restaurants, is young pigeon harvested before they fly. This helps keep them tender. My roast pigeon tasted woderful but you have to be commited to eat it (my wife thinks I should be commited because I ate it).

A number of years ago I made a pigeon pie using only the breasts of 15 pigeons and it was wonderful in every regard.

This is what I did Saturday:

I plucked and cleaned the bird and browned it whole in a skillet along with some butter, salt and pepper, cardamom and some minced onion.

Next, I placed the bird on a roasing rack and roasted it for around 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees (I used a convection oven. In a normal oven I'd go about 25 minutes).

While the pigeon was roasting I deglazed the skillet (a fancy way of saying that I used liquid to disolve the drippings into solution by swirling the liquid around the pan) with chicken broth (wine is even better yet). When the liquid cooked down a bit threw in a couple of chopped up dates and some cream and some dijon style mustard. That's it. There are a thousand ways to season and add to the sauce. Whatever strikes your fancy.

The trick with any wild game is to cook it as little as necessary. This helps keep it tender and moist.

This is what I learned:

Next time I will shoot a few more birds and, instead of cooking the whole bird I'll breast them out and saute only the breasts. The rest of the process is the same except I won't put them in the oven. Cook them fast and hot to about around medium-rare, remove them from the pan, lay them out on a serving dish and, like above, deglaze the pan, make some sort of sauce, pour it over the breasts and serve. I generally use a little rosemary with game and I think I'll do that next time as well.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for the detailed recipe, Winnie. Sounds yummy!

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Jim Williams (Jul 6, 2011)

Winnie said:


> Roast Pigeon:
> 
> The great thing about pigeon is that it tastes great. The bad thing is that it is tough. Squab, which is what is served in most restaurants, is young pigeon harvested before they fly. This helps keep them tender. My roast pigeon tasted woderful but you have to be commited to eat it (my wife thinks I should be commited because I ate it).
> 
> ...


Thanks ever so much for the detailed instructions! I'm not sure mine will look or taste as nice as yours but I will post the pictures up soon of my next attempt!


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

you can also soak them over night in buttermilk the fatty acids helps tenderize them plus help with that little bit of gamey taste


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## rockslinger (Nov 16, 2010)

Winnie said:


> Roast Pigeon:
> 
> The great thing about pigeon is that it tastes great. The bad thing is that it is tough. Squab, which is what is served in most restaurants, is young pigeon harvested before they fly. This helps keep them tender. My roast pigeon tasted woderful but you have to be commited to eat it (my wife thinks I should be commited because I ate it).
> 
> ...


Sounds good Winnie! I'll have to try that with dove breast! I still have about 30 in the freezer.


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## Tony Canevaro (Mar 14, 2013)

Question about pidgeons.

They are refered to as flying rats. I have no problem eating rabbit, squirrel, duck, partridge etc. I am struggling with the thoughts of eating a dirty pidgeon though. I've watched lots of british videos fo guys shooting them in the woods. That i would have no problem with. Taking one of the "urban" pidgeons.... i Dunno about that. Thoughts?


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## Thistle (Jan 4, 2013)

Winnie, methinks that you might be a culinary god. THAT looks yummy -- like something out of a Williams-Sonoma cookbook! I thought it was a creamy mushroom sauce at first look. Using dates would give it a subtle nutty sweetness.

I've never tried pigeon. I've had to use them sometimes when training my dogs to get them ready for their hunt test. On my way home from the grasslands, I drop some very fat pigeons off with a guy that claims to love pigeon. I've never asked how he prepares them. I'm now tempted to reconsider my benevolent nature and try this. But I'm telling him it all your fault!

Thinking about that 'tough' stuff... Slow cooking seems to tenderizes everything. I'm wondering what would happen if you browned them (hold onto the flavorful brown bits for preparing the sauce later), then throw the browned birds into the crockery with a little broth and slow cook them for about 8 hours -- until the meat is falling off the bones. Then deglaze that pan and continue making your creamy sauce. Might be worth a try???


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Tony Canevaro said:


> Question about pidgeons.
> 
> They are refered to as flying rats. I have no problem eating rabbit, squirrel, duck, partridge etc. I am struggling with the thoughts of eating a dirty pidgeon though. I've watched lots of british videos fo guys shooting them in the woods. That i would have no problem with. Taking one of the "urban" pidgeons.... i Dunno about that. Thoughts?


The population of the earth is nearly 7,000,000,000 and about 5,000,000,000 eat pigeon.

The term "flying rat" has more to do with the idea that they are nearly ubiquitous than anything else. The only time I might not be interested in eating pigeon is if there was concern about them having ingested harmful chemicals. Most pigeons though, with only a few exceptions, eat only grain (it might take the form of bread if someone is feeding them). The particular pigeon I shot grew up next to railroad tracks that carry grain to a grain elevator that, in turn, loads ships and sends the grain around the world. It had a crop full of corn, wheat and lentils.

A couple of points to consider:

They are wild. In my book wild trumps farm raised.

They, like all living things, take in nutrients, process them and make muscle etc. Just like the beef, chicken and pork I eat.

Pigs and chickens will eat anything, including each other. Check out the average environment of the chickens and pigs you eat. Actually, don't. You'll be disgusted. They are filthy. A pigeon living on a roost in an old building is in an almost pristine environment compared to most commercial growers of chickens or pigs.

Pigeons (birds) parasites do not, in most cases, cross over to humans.

Once you skin them they are as pretty and clean as can be.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

:yeahthat: 

Cheers ....... Charles


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Thistle said:


> Winnie, methinks that you might be a culinary god. THAT looks yummy -- like something out of a Williams-Sonoma cookbook! I thought it was a creamy mushroom sauce at first look. Using dates would give it a subtle nutty sweetness.
> 
> I've never tried pigeon. I've had to use them sometimes when training my dogs to get them ready for their hunt test. On my way home from the grasslands, I drop some very fat pigeons off with a guy that claims to love pigeon. I've never asked how he prepares them. I'm now tempted to reconsider my benevolent nature and try this. But I'm telling him it all your fault!
> 
> Thinking about that 'tough' stuff... Slow cooking seems to tenderizes everything. I'm wondering what would happen if you browned them (hold onto the flavorful brown bits for preparing the sauce later), then throw the browned birds into the crockery with a little broth and slow cook them for about 8 hours -- until the meat is falling off the bones. Then deglaze that pan and continue making your creamy sauce. Might be worth a try???


Thistle, I think you've hit on it. With game I usually think in terms of fast, like I mentioned above, or, like you say, stewing them. It's either medium rare or cook it until the meat falls off the bones. A good healthy pigeon is not all that much smaller than a Cornish Game Hen. I think cooking several whole in a "crock pot" for, as you say 8 hours, would be great. I'm salivating now.

Pigeons and doves are very closely related. If you or your friend have ever cooked dove I suspect the pigeon could be cooked the same way.

Originally I mentioned the pigeon pie I make long ago. With those pigeons I breasted them out exactly like I would doves. I browned them and baked them into a meat pie. (James Beard's "American Cookery") It was truly delicious.

I'm going hunting this weekend.


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## Thistle (Jan 4, 2013)

Well you've certainly convinced ME to try it next time. Good luck with your weekend hunting adventures!


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## Tony Canevaro (Mar 14, 2013)

Well, Flying rat actualy pertains to some of the nasty bacteria and fungi diseases that live around pidgeons. Histoplasmosis is nothing to play with. I've done restoration as a business before and Pidgeon dropping are one of the more toxic thing you have to clean up ever. It can kill you in a very ugly way.

Taking a pigeon from along the grain elevators makes sense, except for the "treated" grain that they might consume.

Like I said, I'm not squemish, have no problem eating wild game of all sorts and shapes. honestly wasn't sure about the "urban" pigeon though.


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## Tony Canevaro (Mar 14, 2013)

Yeah. Not going to do it any time soon unless they are taken from a farm yard environment or wild bush environment.

http://ask.metafilter.com/114188/Can-I-eat-a-city-pigeon


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## Thistle (Jan 4, 2013)

Tony Canevaro said:


> Yeah. Not going to do it any time soon unless they are taken from a farm yard environment or wild bush environment.
> 
> http://ask.metafilter.com/114188/Can-I-eat-a-city-pigeon


I don't know where my guy gets his pigeons that I train with. He lives in the middle of nowhere land, so it probably doesn't matter. All I know is that these pigeons are super fat and look very healthy  In fact, they're almost too big for my launchers. My dogs prefer quail, but life is tough. Pigeons are $1. Farm-raised Bobwhites are $4 each.

I generally go to our Game and Fish website (AZGFD) and look for *wildlife-related diseases* and anything that might be out of the ordinary. All wildlife appear to have a list of something that they could be plagued with. I suppose the same goes for domestic livestock. The only thing I reckon anyone can do is be familiar with normal behaviour patterns, carefully inspect everything, and cook the living daylights out it.

It is legal to kill domestic pigeons. Band-tailed pigeons are considered wildlife and have a season, meaning daily bag limits, licensing, etc.

AZ Wildlife Diseases:

http://www.gf.state.az.us/w_c/*wildlife_related_diseases*.shtml

Small Game:

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/*smallgame_species*.shtml


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

Tony Canevaro said:


> Yeah. Not going to do it any time soon unless they are taken from a farm yard environment or wild bush environment.
> 
> http://ask.metafilter.com/114188/Can-I-eat-a-city-pigeon


Awesome, leaves more for me.


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## Tony Canevaro (Mar 14, 2013)

August West said:


> Tony Canevaro said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah. Not going to do it any time soon unless they are taken from a farm yard environment or wild bush environment.
> ...


You bet. More power to ya  I certainly would take one froma rural setting, I would wear a mask during any plucking etc though. Histoplasmosis sucks.


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Tony Canevaro said:


> August West said:
> 
> 
> > Tony Canevaro said:
> ...


Or, you could do what I do which is wet the bird before plucking it and wash your hands after you are done.

Use common sense.

Also consider that there is a big difference between picking a shot bird up off the ground to take it home for processing, and crawling around and cleaning up after a bunch of roosting birds. Many years ago I was kayaking under a large dock and what had to be a thousand birds scattered all around me. I found myself amidst a descending cloud of "bird dust". I quickly took a deep breath and paddled the fifty yards necessary to get out of there. When I got out I rolled the kayak, took a deep breath, rolled back over and "washed" myself under water before rolling back up and paddling away. Bird dust is nothing to be trifled with.

Just to give you a bit of perspective, I have spent 30 years in the medical field as a dentist and I have a twenty-three year old son that has spent his life on life support in a room in our home that is set up like an ICU unit with around-the-clock nursing. Contamination and cross contamination is something that I live with daily and take very seriously. Add to that the fact that I have "stood at the edge of the abyss" myself a number of times in my life. What I have learned through the years is to have a little fun now and again. Shooting and eating a pigeon on rare occasions fits the bill nicely.

It's interesting how, as we become more and more civilized we become further and further separated from our food. A naked bird is a neat little package of meat in its own wrapping. Again, common sense is always our first defense. But, almost as importantly is our willingness to not accept a common moniker such "rats of the air" to be the final determinate on whether or not to consider harvesting a bird on occasion.


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## Tony Canevaro (Mar 14, 2013)

Very, very well said Winnie!

I really like the comment about how we have become further removed from our food.

I grew up on a small, simple, poor farm. I'm only 42 but I've hand milked cows, seperated cream, made butter by hand, rasied and butchered all sorts of critters, raised gardens, hunted and ate what we shot etc etc.

My wife thinks I'm crazy for wanting to raise as much of our food as possible and even huunt small game for the table. It seems so primal to me and something that is simply lacking from our daily, western lives.

Even though she thinks I'm crazy, she still loves me..... not enough to eat squirrel or rabbit though


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

If the game looks heathy, acts healthy, has no visible deformities, discolorations or smells when I clean it, I eat it. This method has worked for me and my family for the last 100 years or more. I sincerely believe that what I catch/kill and prepare myself is so much better than any industrial raised meat it is barely the same thing.

How many people can you find on the web that got sick from histowhatever from eating pigeons?
How many can you find that died from e coli from tainted food bought in a grocery store?


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## Thistle (Jan 4, 2013)

August West said:


> If the game looks heathy, acts healthy, has no visible deformities, discolorations or smells when I clean it, I eat it. This method has worked for me and my family for the last 100 years or more. I sincerely believe that what I catch/kill and prepare myself is so much better than any industrial raised meat it is barely the same thing.
> 
> How many people can you find on the web that got sick from histowhatever from eating pigeons?
> How many can you find that died from ecoli from tainted food bought in a grocery store?


And so that brings us right back to what Winnie said. Common sense 

Frankly, if I really stopped to think about all of the bad stuff that could get me, I wouldn't step outside my door. Life is meant to be lived. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed to any of us. I try to stay informed and be as safe as I can. Obsessing on stuff just drives me nuts tho, so I don't go there. I let others worry for me. :blink:

August West, I've given away lots of pigeons after a training session in the field with my dogs. No one has gotten ill from those yet. And no, I'm not using them as test subjects. 

My friends are always supplying my with elk, bison, deer, wild turkey... all sorts of good stuff. I certainly do have great friends! And I'm thankful they enjoy sharing their yummy bounty with the silly girl among them. I'm also thankful they tolerate me and all of my silliness too. :bouncy:

*Y'all have a great weekend.* I've got a *new* computer that I've now got to go get, install it, and learn all about it. Hopefully I won't get flattened by a truck while I'm out picking it up. With the way my entire week has been going... who knows.

I'm still laughing and smiling though.


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

I sure have shot a lot of gambel's and scalies and every once in a while some mearns, real close to where your at I bet. Here is my Ellie girl in her prime, I can't wait to get back.


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## Thistle (Jan 4, 2013)

August West said:


> I sure have shot a lot of gambels and scalies and every once in a while some mearns, real close to where your at I bet. Here is my Ellie girl in her prime.


Cool GSPs! My boys and I train with those guys. I've been thinkin real hard about getting one. I'm the only nutzoid with Weims in the field. They're really good all-purpose gun dogs. Very close ranging, and certainly nothing at all like English Pointers or GSPs around here.

We have bagged Scaleds. Gambel's we do not mess with, laughing... They are runners. More suited to bigger running dogs. Mearns' are our specialty. :bouncy: They hold nice and tight. But they require a good dog. You just gotta know where to find them... and I aint' tellin. Yup. Very close.


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

Oh that's Ok. I am sure that I might be able to tell you where a covey or two are.  LOL

For sure gambel's are born with little nike's on their feet but I love chasin em. HAHAHA


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## Berkshire bred (Mar 4, 2012)

fresh pigeon is one of my personal favourite meals, congratulation great shot


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## Popcorn (Mar 25, 2011)

Winnie, I'm glad to see you made good use of that pigeon.

Some people who post on the forum seem to shoot them just to get rid of them, which to me seems to be an awful waste.


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