Eating pigeons

[slowmotion]

If you are going to eat meat (and I am), I can't think of a single living thing that has a better life and death than a wood pigeon. They spend their entire lives in their natural habitat without restraints, munching Farmer Palmer's crops, and die instantly when some shot comes out of nowhere.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I've had a family of them live in my trees in my garden for about 10 years. Plump and ripe. But... I've grown attached to the fat barstewards. When i was fat barsteward, i shared in their pain whilst having a beer in the garden. They stay in the tree, i stay on the bench. No pigeon cack on my head and no murder, death, kill on the pigeons. Good trade. It has been a difficult relationship as they gobble up everything i used to put on the table for the other birds, but since there are now many cats, i don't get many birds in my garden anymore apart from the occasional resting visitor. I saw a robin the other day, actually. But no, i wouldn't kill them for food other than in reluctant apocalyptic situation.

 

[PaulSB]

The pie lady at Morpeth market had pigeon pie as one of the choices on Wednesday. I forget whether that was one I bought or whether it was the pheasant. Whichever it was it was very tasty.

I've also had - from a different local butcher - a squabbit pie which is part rabbit, part grey squirrel.

My wife had grey squirrel at a Manchester restaurant last Sunday. She said it was very good, I have to confess just the thought of it was too much for me.

 

[steveindenmark]

Killing wild birds in the UK without a licence is illegal. Where you can discharge a firearm is also governed by law.

Pigeon is nice. But you need a few as there is not much meat on them.

 

[figbat]

So where does dove sit then? They seem to have a more revered status but presumably just as tasty?

How about blackbird? There were, after all, four and twenty baked in that pie.

 

[Jameshow]

Being a northern 70's kid, I've tried everything.

Pigeon was horrible, but is probably because it was full of shot. - My brother used to go shooting and bring it home.

Had rabbit plenty of times which was nice, hare was horrible for some reason, was a lot tougher than rabbit.

Rabbits a bit like a sportive rider plenty of tasty meat...

Hare more like an audax rider lean and mean!🤣🤣

 

[Alex321]

So where does dove sit then? They seem to have a more revered status but presumably just as tasty?

How about blackbird? There were, after all, four and twenty baked in that pie.

Doves used to be reared for food regularly. That is what dovecotes were for. If they have been human-reared, then they don't class as wild birds, and can be killed by the owners or anybody they permit to do so.

Blackbirds are very rarely going to be legal to kill nowadays. The terms of the General Licence (numbers as specified above) do not include blackbirds as one of the permitted species - and even the permitted species can only be killed under certain conditions which blackbirds would rarely meet if they were permitted.