# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Hunting & Trapping >  pigeons

## rebel

1234567899

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## RobertRogers

Of course - an edible bird, why not?

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## trax

Absolutely, in the spring and summer I'd be haunting parks for ducks and geese too.

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## trax

somehow I find hunting in a cemetary just downright creepy.

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## Sourdough

Pigeon's a good reason to own a pellit gun. Rick would have a poullit gun.

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## Rick

Oh, man! One less pun in the world for me. Dang!

Pigeon Pie

Ready In: 2-5 hrs

Ingredients:

6 small pigeons, dressed, washed, pat dry
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
8 cloves
1 carrot, sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons celery, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 Pastry shells, uncooked

Directions:
Tie legs and wings of the pigeons together with string and close to the body. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in pan and saute pigeons, searing them on both sides.

Cover them with water. Add onion, carrot, parsley, cloves, and celery. Cover and simmer until tender. **About 3 hours**

Remove the pigeons and debone the meat. Mix flour to a smooth paste with remaining butter. Add this mixture to the broth of the pigeons. Bring to a boil.

Line a well greased pie pan with 1 shell. Add the meat and then the thickened broth. Cover it with the other pastry shell. Bake at 450* until nice and brown.

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## RBB

One of the cities I used to work there was a large population of Canadian Geese in one of the parks.  Every once in a while, you'd find a trail of corn leading away from the park.  At the end of the trail you'd find an open garage door.  Inside, you'd find the owner of the garage with a baseball bat.

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## trax

I was in Stanley Park in Vancouver one time (way back in the '70's it were) and I saw this crowd standing around in the park area when I was walking back from the beach. I went to check it out and there's a bunch of people standing around giving this guy who was obviously a "street person" h*** because he'd grabbed a duck. They're all saying things like "you better put that back because the police have been notified" etc etc. Half these guys are like body builder types and this poor little streeter was maybe 125 pounds soaking wet, but all they do is threaten him with the police, right? He just broke the duck's neck and walked away. I thought "good for him"

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## Sourdough

> One of the cities I used to work there was a large population of Canadian Geese in one of the parks.  Every once in a while, you'd find a trail of corn leading away from the park.  At the end of the trail you'd find an open garage door.  Inside, you'd find the owner of the garage with a baseball bat.


I knew a guy in Anchorage, Ak. that did that with a moose. He used a gun, but the moose went wild when he closed the door. He missed the moose twice befor, lights out. And what is funny he forgot to have earmuffs on, and could not hear for a week. And there was a problem with 200 pounds of innards to get rid of.

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## nell67

And any other time they are not complaining to the powers that be about the mess and the noise the ducks cause?? they do around here.

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## Beo

Here in cicny they homeless throw crumbs on the ground and walk up and kick the snot of the Pigeons and then stuff them in there cart or sack, we call'em street chickens and street meat.

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## nell67

> Here in cicny they homeless throw crumbs on the ground and walk up and kick the snot of the Pigeons and then stuff them in there cart or sack, we call'em street chickens and street meat.


Yea,but around here,people dont want them killed,(ya know thats not humane) they just dont want them around,(they stink,they leave a mess,they are too loud!)They round them up and take them to another part of the county and release them,and guess what,they come back LOL and still they do it.

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## Smok

nell67 .... Are you talking about the homeless or the pigeons?? :Big Grin:

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## nell67

the pigeons,the ducks,and the geese,but it could be said for the homeless too,do people not have that same attitude about homeless people???

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## tracks

I am not sure but Is'nt a cornish hen, pigeion?.. seems like I heard that some where.

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## Beo

I don't believe in homelessness, too many county, state, and government aids and programs for it. I know homeless that sit and ask for food or money and if you try to give them food get upset because they want the money, then if they get money pull a huge wad of cash out of their pocket and add it to it. I would flip a burger and work three or more jobs before I went homeless and without a job.
*Welfare is a reward for laziness*. It should only be for the mentally ill, handicapped, and the elderly not Johnny Butterbut who is too lazy to work and its out of hand.

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## tracks

I have heard them called urban woodsmen, And some of these guys are ligit. but like you said BEO some should be, well opinions are like a@$ h%$^ every bodys got one.

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## Beo

Now there are some families in the back country I would not mind giving the assistance too, but most of the backwoods families I know ( actually just country folk but more people know them by this name which is why I used it no ofense meant, I lived in Tennessee of 8 years and had many a country boy good friends and deep south country families are good friends) are too proud to apply for it and do whatever it takes to get what their family needs. These people I am not talking about. Remember a COUNTRY BOY CAN SURVIVE.

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## dilligaf2u2

Back on track. Pigeons I would weary of in a city. Geese and ducks are dinner. Cornish game hens are not pinions, squab is. And it is dang expensive too!

We have in this area what we call Navajo chickens. Big black birds that look like they would feed a family of 6. Once cooked only enough meat for one. Anyone for crow pie! 

Don

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## dilligaf2u2

I wrote an article once about homeless some time back. In it I stated there were 2 kinds of homeless. Those wanting to get over and those wanting to survive. 

Urban survival technicians or Homeless survivalists. I know a few by name and we have talked. If you want to learn how to make a shelter or how to stay dry in the worst of weather or how to cook without a kitchen. These people are experts. Some do stealth camping in a way that makes them all but findable. 

One old guy called me a couple weeks back and asked when I would be in town. I told him "Now where are you"? We met. He knows me somewhat and when we met I bought him a coffee and we talked for a bit. He had a bad cough. I could tell he had either a cold or the flue. Now he would not ask out right but when I offered him some cold meds and Halls he was really grateful. I know he gets social security and I also know he is paying off his wife funeral expenses. He is homeless not by choice but threw happen stance. When ever I see him I think "But for the grace of God Goes I"! 

I fear that as the Baby Boomers get to the age of forceded retirement, we will see more like him. More and more people are reported living as Boondockers and in RV's then ever before. I also see where what we chat about in this and other forums as survival techniques will be used by some as a way of life. 

But for the Grace of God goes I!

Don

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## Beo

True Don, some of us are but a pay chack or two from homeless, but woudn't you work three jobs if you had too. I mean... ahhh never mind. But they are survivalist.

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## Sam

I live in Seattle, when I wanted to move from dish washer to cook I had to find my replacement. I thought, no problem there are a 1000 jerko.... I mean PEOPLE with 
signs looking for jobs. I'm from the south and never really saw this growing up, so silly
me I just start asking them if they wanna job (inside, no heavy lifting, eat every day,
paycheck). I got spit at, cussed out and in a couple of shoving matches over it. Wow, 
I mean WTF? I see this one guy downtown who has been 'between jobs for 6 years'.
What do you do with that?

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## crashdive123

> We have in this area what we call Navajo chickens. Big black birds that look like they would feed a family of 6. Once cooked only enough meat for one. Anyone for crow pie! 
> 
> Don


Wow!  (big sigh of relief) when I first read that I thought you said cow pie!

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## Rick

Doves are the same way. Nice fluffy bird but a small breast is all there is. Takes quite a few to make cow...er dove pie.

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## Kemperor

There's plenty of pigeons here in Trafalgar that stay near the co-op. I wouldn't eat them though because they eat the corn that has a pesticide/herbicide powder covering. They eat the feed corn too, but I'm not taking the risk of eating contaminated meat. I can imagine that if I had to, I would. If I could get around it, however, I'd go for something else. this goes for crows too, because I believe they are scavengers, are they not? Last resort eating for me. Doves are an entirely different story.

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## bulrush

Here in Michigan the canada geese are so thick when migrating, the news talks about them shutting down golf courses because their poo is so thick and unsanitary. I mean the news actually has camera crews go out to a golf course and make a big story about it. It's a real big problem for the golf course owners.

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## trax

> Here in Michigan the canada geese are so thick when migrating, the news talks about them shutting down golf courses because their poo is so thick and unsanitary. I mean the news actually has camera crews go out to a golf course and make a big story about it. It's a real big problem for the golf course owners.


and yet it doesn't seem to bother the geese at all....and we call them silly. Oh bulrush, please tell me there moving north..but only if it's true.

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## GVan

The French have been eating the little beggers for over 200 years.
They are the easiest protein source around as they go out for their food and water then return home at night just in time to be supper.

Try grilling the halves over medium hot coals coater with favorite BBQ sauce.

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## JDJ

> me I just start asking them if they wanna job (inside, no heavy lifting, eat every day,paycheck). I got spit at, cussed out and in a couple of shoving matches over it. Wow,  I mean WTF? I see this one guy downtown who has been 'between jobs for 6 years'.
> What do you do with that?



They have a job, they are beggars. I've seen people giving out food to the homeless assaulted for picking the wrong ones to give the food to.

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## JDJ

> There's plenty of pigeons here in Trafalgar that stay near the co-op. I wouldn't eat them though because they eat the corn that has a pesticide/herbicide powder covering. They eat the feed corn too, but I'm not taking the risk of eating contaminated meat. I can imagine that if I had to, I would. If I could get around it, however, I'd go for something else. this goes for crows too, because I believe they are scavengers, are they not? Last resort eating for me. Doves are an entirely different story.



Pigeon tastes fine, they are doves. Crow tastes awful, still edible.

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## Beo

Just about any animal is edible, don't mean i'll eat it.

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## ottawafm

> Welfare is a reward for laziness.


What do you call paying for something you don't use? The government steals from your paycheck like Medicare and Medicaid. I don't think someone sitting on their *** should be subsidized by punishing the working man!

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## Rick

Actually, you pay for it as a form of insurance. That's why it's called Medicare Insurance and Medicaid Insurance. I doubt you'll feel the same when you reach retirement age and become eligible or become disabled. Neither Medicare nor Medicaid is paid to those sitting on their ***. It's paid to those that have built this country. If you know of someone that is fraudulently collecting either then you need to turn them in.

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## Horsefeathers

Someone was feeding grain to pigeons at our horse stables. I shot one with a bb gun and filleted the breast meat, wrapped in bacon, and broiled. Was delicious. However, for the next 5 hours, my heart was racing and I felt weird. Someone told me to be careful eating a pigeon from the horse stable area because you never knew who might be poisoning them....  That's the only reason I can think of for having the fast heartbeat.

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## Ralph Rotten

I always figured pigeons would be good for hot wings & chicken tacos.  
I have been told that you should not eat pigeons and seagulls because they are trash eaters, but they tasted okay to me.  Anyone ever hear of this?

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## TXyakr

There is always a risk when you eat any wild or "free range" animal in a urban area. Most of the trash that these birds eat is the junk food that most humans consume everyday in America. Judging by the fact that Americans spend more on healthcare than almost anyone else in the world and most are very unhealthy I would assume that part of that is due to their poor diet choices. Pigs and even cows will eat trash if you allow them to like on the streets of India and many poor villages in 3rd world countries. However, if you raise pigeons in pens or in a poulty yard and feed them good food they can be a very good source of protein.

I read one study that showed that pigeons on a poor quality diet of white bread were more aggressive toward each other than a control group on a healthy diet of balanced nutritious poulty feed. You are what you eat evidently.

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