Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game are band tail pidgeons good to eat?

I have located a flock of bandtail pidgeons in some loacal rock bluffs and I'm wondering if they are any good eating?

About like OWL!! (old Cajun joke punch line). Yes they are. The breast meat is dark like dove and can be "strong" tasting. Try a bacon wrap, grilled or deep fried. You could try a squab recipe but remember that squab are usually only 8 weeks old when slaughtered. I like pigeon always have. Always eat those that we shoot when we train dogs. One of the favorite recipes here on the farm is a pan seared breast with our own raised Skiitake mushrooms and a glaze made from muscadine grapes. BTY I've never been able to pin down "strong" taste. Seen to me that anything that tastes earthy equates to strong to people who are used to eating game.

Should be!

I've killed and eaten lots of mourning doves, and a couple ferel pigeons. Tasted very similar.

The pigeons were 3X or 4X as big as the dove breasts. I would expect the band-tails to be similar, too - and a much cleaner bird.

We're hoping so...;)

I shot a country (grain feed) pigeon a couple weeks ago while dove hunting. When I prepared it with the only dove I shot, and made little toothpick appetizers, nobody could tell which was which. Dove hunting is so poor this year I find myself hoping a group of pigeons come close enough to bust.

Squab, the other dark meat.

GREAT PICTURE. Always love to see the kids in the field. He looks proud enough to bust.
Regards,
Pete