| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| sally_in_wales |
PigeonJust tried pigeon for the first time, courtesy of Gareth's brother who picked some up at a farmers market. We just had the breast meat, and I was surprised at how dense a meat it was. Rather dark, very distict in flavour, and plenty of meat for a meal off one bird each. We had it in panfried with a pepper and cream sauce on rice, and definately recommended. Would happily eat that again!So, if pigeons are picking at your crops, I can think of worse things than eating them 
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| dpack |
very nice in woodland pies or with a rich fruity sauce . | ||
| sally_in_wales |
We thought they should be good casseroled, they struck me as being probably quite good at standing long cooking. Don't get a huge number of pigeons round here, or I might be out chatting up the local airgun enthusiasts! Certainly made a change from roadkill pheasant which is our usual poultry. | ||
| Treacodactyl |
I've tried it once and thought it was rather good. I don't buy them because the idea of paying £2.50 for something that's shot as a pest seems a little daft to me. I'd love somewhere to shoot my own or to know someone who I can get them a bit cheaper. | ||
| sally_in_wales |
That was our general consensus, in some areas they are such a pest that it should hopefully be a case of just being friendly to someone who routinely shoots them. |
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| dpack |
plastic decoys for a start . prop up shot ones in a feeding pose . shoot them from cover .
or ask around , the chap (ess) with blood and feathers on them will know where to source them . yum . young crow aint bad either , old ones are tough . |
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| cab |
Oooh! Oooh! The BEST way I know of casseroling them is with wood blewits (you know, those mushrooms your bloke brought home). Finely chop the holy trinity of stock vegetables (onion, carrot and celery), and caramelise them in a pan. Season the birds (one each is good) inside and out, brown them with the stock veg. De-glaze the pan with a little wine, put plenty of wood blewits in the pan, add in stock to nearly cover. Grind up some juniper berries, salt and pepper, a bay leaf and some parsley, toss those in. Cover, cook one way up for half an hour, turn the birds over and cook for another half hour, take them out and reduce the sauce rapidly for a while. A fantastic dish, truly wonderful. If you can't get wood blewits, other mushrooms do; if you have to use bought ones then use oyster mushrooms. In Spring and Summer I've used St. Georges mushrooms, and that is if anything an even better casserole. |
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| cab |
Typically our butcher charges £1:30 for them. Bloody good deal, I think. At that price, we buy them to strip off the breasts, marinade them and barbecue them (eaten hot and bloody). One of the hilights of our big summer do. The carcasses then become a rich pigeon soup. |
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| judith |
Pan-fried pigeon breast is one of my favourite game dishes - dense, dark and very flavoursome. Sadly pigeons rarely come my way these days - they aren't really a pest up here. | ||
| whitelegg1 |
Almost had pigeon yesterday....
Magpies chased them off before I could get in position behind the climbing frame...  ...(Obviously in my garden, I wouldn't be sneaking round a playground with my rifle!)
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| Will |
Back to the top:
A delicious plump-breasted pigeon has taken over the birdtable and lawn, keeping most of the smaller birds off the food, which is irritating given that the blue tits were taking an interest in the birdbox. The neighbourhood cats are no help as it's bigger than most of them. I want to get rid of it, one way or t'other. Eating it would be a bonus. Garden is too small for safe shooting - other gardens with small children on three sides and only about 12m long - plus I don't have a gun. Any suggestions? |
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| judith |
Bird lime?
From here. |
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| Shane |
Illegal, I believe. And non-selective. And cruel. | ||
| judith |
It wasn't a serious suggestion. | ||
| Shane |
Good 
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| Will |
Been out harvesting holly for the last half an hour, dammit! Hands ripped to shreds.
Last time I ask for suggestions on here mutter mutter snarl |
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| judith |
C'mon. Call yourself a man? It only takes 4 weeks to make - I'm sure you could find some other use for it. | ||
| Will |
I'm wondering where I can get some gutta-percha from, whether Gas-fitters Cement is up to modern safety standards, and why an optician would attack my eyes with a mixture of molten pitch and wood ash.
 Maybe I could use the bird lime to keep small relatives in place when they visit.
Back out with the seccateurs... |
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| Treacodactyl |
Well we've also got a couple of plum pigeons in the garden and I was thinking of setting a net trap and then keep an eye on it. I would not leave it unwatched so there should be no risk to other animals.
I was reading the other day it is not-legal to catch pigeons just for the pot, you can only kill them if they are a pest and then eat them. 
When do they start to lay and I wouldn't wish to leave any young? |
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| whitelegg1 |
Apparently if they do have young, they are the best.
You obviously need access to the nest, then you go and collect them just before they fly, so no tough flight muscles. Not sure how legal that one is though!! Still trying to get those pigies in the garden. I keep accidently spilling rabbit food on the patio
They are very helpfully cleaning it up and coming very close to the house. I'm sure they are eyeing up my winter salad shoots, and if one of them gets too close thay will have become a pest!
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| Bugs |
That's how you tend to "harvest" them if you breed them for eating, isn't it? I assume that is still legal though I can't say I find it appealing, personally. |