More dove madness

[BilletHead]

      Well finally got out this morning. There has not been much cut around here but I did find a silage field that had been drilled with wheat. Wheat had sprouted but ground so hard that where there had been no coverage on the wheat seed not sprouted and just laying in the planter furrows. This and corn scattered from the silage process made a smorgasbord for the birds. Got set up in a pretty good spot and deployed the dove spinners.

Sun began to make a showing,

First one of the season,

  Soon a couple of piles began and empties became scattered,

I can hear it from here. Pigeon? What the heck you all say flying rats? Yes my friends those are pigeon with the doves. One usually thinks of these birds as city nasty dwellers but oh contraire. These are wild country birds who do not live in there filth. These birds are hated by farmers as they tend to roost in their large buildings storing their large farm equipment. Crapping on the implements. I have been called upon times to please get rid of the pests. These birds eat the same things their little brothers the dove eat and are very tasty. Twice the meat too per bird. I ended up with a dozen pigeon and ten doves. Pigeon breast meat separated from the breast bone. Dove bone in.   Funny the pigeons were memorized with the dove spinners and would circle in some large groups before one would roll out and down to there demise.

One thing to share with some of you that have never tried this. Use a bamboo kabob skewer when cleaning your birds. Instead of slicing the meat for clearing out a shot  or a feather use the blunt end if the skewer  to clean the hole out. Works great!

BilletHead 

[marcus]

well done i use a single shoot and usally come home with nothing think its time to buy a new shotgun....nice pics got me motivated to hunt 

[JohnP]

Well done BH.  So far pigeons are leading in my harvest count ;).   And they do taste the same if you ask me and more meat on em.  They eat the same food. Doves I shot Friday where flying with the pigeon flocks.

 

[BilletHead]

   Marcus, I bet you shoot less with that single shot!

John P.,  Yes I an very thankful the pigeons are around. Helps with the slow times. So far they have been in their own groups. Two to fifteen. Just like doves when they come in a group I get all messed up and have a problem picking out one bird. It is like my eyes try to go in opposite directions trying to see every bird at once! We made a short hunt yesterday morning with not too much to report. Three more pigeons and six dove. First trip for the Mrs. She did well,

 We seen quite a few in a different part of the field. Later on we cooked the pigeons and had quite the feast. Since they are so lean and wanting to keep them moist we bacon wrapped the breast side fillets. A quick sear on each side and man o man they were good. You HAVE to eat them rare to medium rare inside. Really tender, moist and more mild than dove. For those of you that think you have to cook the heck out of things don't be squeamish. I take care of what goes inside of me and these birds are cleaner than whatever you buy at the store from being commercially done. And while I am ranting I get a bit bent out of shape when people think they have to soak wild game and fish in water or even worse salt water. I know a guy who even soaks crappie in water. Good grief people you wouldn't buy a steak, bring it home and soak it in water would you?  I may marinate meat before cooking but water? Come on? Rant over So yesterday the feast. Baked tater and salad,

 

    This brings up to this mornings hunt. Set up where we had seen birds working yesterday with better results. We did pretty well with the Mrs. Having a three shell average and I got a little over two shell each average. Not too shabby. I would of done better if it wasn't for one bird. A first for me I bagged a Eurasian collard dove. A pair came by pretty far out and high. I knew what they were right off. Three shots later I hit one and he sailed into a fence row. Thick with ragweed. So a walk over there and he flushed I shot through the ragweed as he skimmed across the field over another fence row up into a persimmon tree trying to land. He tumbled out into more weeds. Oh boy as I crossed the first fence the ragweed pollen made a cloud, repeat at the second fence cloud and all. Through the weeds to the persimmon tree I seen him still alive but I got him. Six shots for one bird, really? Worth the shells and walk for my first collard dove? You bet. Todays harvest,

  So I mentioned taking care of my game cleaning them? Not just then but in the field too. We have a couple of small ice chests. Just right for sitting on too. They were painted a few years back and they hold paint well. If you know anybody that works at a clinic or doctors office they get their immunizations mailed to them in cold packaging. So the Mrs. keeps the ice packs (hard cased). We keep them froze and before hot weather hunts grab four per chest. Drinks keep cold, bag our birds as we get them, they stay cold. Everything we need is right under our rear ends,

 Good day today

BilletHead

 

[Ketchup]

Good posts BH,

 Those pigeons eat good, as well as the dove. Glad the Mrs. got out with ya.  Now all ya need is a dog to get them out of that fence row and you got it made. 

[JohnP]

Great stuff as usual  BH.  Congrats on Eurasian.   They definately stand out when you see them. Still waiting for my first to come in close enough to sling lead at ;).

[BilletHead]

 Thanks guys,

It was a scratch this morning. A few flying but not like the last few days. I wonder if the impending front could be effecting them? I know with the size of this field it was not pressure running them off. The swallows were flying at eye level past few days but this morning they were very high and not feeding along their way back South.

BilletHead

[JohnP]

I'm  hoping it doesn't just push em out.  Boy is down around Shreveport Louisiana and said he's seen a bunch around the AFB he's stationed at.

[bs1827]

Glad to see I'm not the only one shooting pigeons! Took a few from our farm a couple weekends ago. Congrats on the Eurasian. Haven't shot one yet.