Author Topic: Backyard Pigeon Hunt  (Read 2636 times)

Offline longislandhunter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8204
    • http://
Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« on: March 22, 2007, 03:11:03 PM »
Early this morning went out and stocked the bird feeders to the brim.  Also threw down a bag of cracked corn.  Figured with all this food some starlings would have to drop by and visit.  All through the morning and afternoon had large flocks of grackles visit the feeders,, along with sparrows, woodpeckers, bluejays, finches, and all other kinds of birds that are off limits.  

By 4 pm I had given up waiting for some starlings to arrive so I decided to set up my shooting bench and do some shooting with the S1K that had gotten a GRT III trigger installed yesterday.  Well, there I was, sitting there plinking away with my sweet new trigger and it happened.  I glanced up and to my right just in time to see a nice pigeon land in the top of my maple tree.  Didn't even have to get up from my seat,,,, just swiveled to the right, put the crosshairs on his chest and with a slight touch to the trigger the JSB Exact Express slammed home.  One dead pigeon lying on the lawn.  

I ran over and picked up my trophy, then slowly walked back to my shooting bench figuring I'd continue my target session.  Before I could even fire one more pellet I had pigeon #2 swoop in and land in the same tree.  Same routine,,,, swiveled to right, scope on target, rifle barked and bird #2 was laying on the ground.  I waited about 30 minutes in the hope another pigeon would swoop in, but that was it for the day.  

Cleaned my trophies   (they'll be tomorrows lunch) and put my gear back in the basement.  This S1K is a completely different shooter since I installed CDT's trigger.  The stock trigger on it had been extremely stiff and very difficult to shoot consistently, but now it's a dream !!  :)

Jeff
\"If it was easy it wouldn\'t be hunting, it would be shopping.\"

Offline shadow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11453
    • http://airguncamo@yahoo.com
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2007, 03:35:05 PM »
Very nice shooting Jeff, I can smell em cookin right now yummy. It seem's as though that shooting bench is STILL good luck.:) I've been in the shop a lot making some camo design's . The yard has been full of those grackle's, well was hehe. I popped 6 today from my loft window, no pic's, told them that they weren't pic worthy and been feeding em to a stray tom, no waste. Again great shot buddy. Ed
I airgun hunt therefore I am... };)  {SHADOWS Tunes & Camo}  airguncamo@yahoo.com

Offline dw33

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 757
    • http://
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2007, 05:40:15 PM »
Just out of curiosity, what do pigeons taste like?

Offline Big_Bill

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5615
    • http://
Re: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2007, 06:44:22 PM »
Hay Jeff,

Good shootin !   Boy do I hate Pigeons, each and every one of them !

Your a good man Jeff, cause I can't stand Grackles either, they take over the feeders pecking the song birds and all others, the have problems at my feeders ...

I glad that you are enjoying Charlies' GREAT, GRT-III trigger, what a difference that Charlie can make !

And David, they taste like soft boiled chicken, a little slimy, YAUCH...PUTTH.......UHh!
I HATE PIGONS !

Best to all,

Bill

Life Member of The United States of America
Life Member of the National Rifle Association
Member Air Guns Addicted Anonymous
SHOOT SAFE ! - SHOOT WELL ! - SHOOT OFTEN !
Always Use A Spring Compressor ! and Buy the GREAT GRT-III & CBR Triggers, cause they are GRRRREAT !

Offline Gene_SC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11378
    • http://www.airguntoys.com
Re: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2007, 10:49:41 PM »
Good Trophies for the day Jeff..:) Your story reminds me of one day just after I had bough my first S1K..  I was sitting on the front porch wiping off all my fingerprints from fondling it all day... hehe.. I had some Daisey pellets sitting there on the table just itchin to shoot something.. All of a sudden a pigeon landed right in my front hard.. Yikesssssss.. So I took aim and shot.. All I got was a buch of tail feathers flyin in the air..:(   The pigeon flew off without its rudder or elevators... hehe..

Gene
THE ONES I SLEEP WITH: BSA Lightning XL, AA TX-200, AA ProSport, BSA Ultra, HW-97K, Crosman NPSS .177, FX Cyclone, HW-30 Nicle Plated, AA-S200, Crosman Marauder, CZ-634, R-9 DG, Webley/Scott UK Tomahawk, Benji Kantana, Benji Marauder, Benji Discovery.....
....

Gene\'s Tunz n Toyz
Springer Tunin

Offline longislandhunter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8204
    • http://
Re: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2007, 12:30:36 AM »
Hey David,

What does pigeon taste like????  Hmmm??? Lets see,, well it has a hint of "wild" flavor to it, but not enough to make it unpalatable.  The breast meat is stronger tasting than the rest of the meat, but quite tasty.  Apparently the bird that Bill ate tasted "yukky", but my local birds are really delicious...... :)

If you've ever been in a restaurant and seen "squab" on the menu,,,,, it's pigeon.  It's a commercially raised meat pigeon, I believe the breed is called a "King" pigeon.  They much larger than the feral pigeons we see in parks and city's and in the wild.  There is actually a large pigeon farm right across the street from the duck farm that I pest control hunt at.  The owner raises "kings" and has a thriving business supplying New York City and surrounding areas with his squab.   I wish some of his birds would escape and fly over to the duck farm,, his birds are really large,,,, but his barns are well constructed to keep the pigeons in and possible intruders out.  

Anyway,,,, if you ever get a chance to give a pigeon a try do it, you won't be sorry.  You can use any recipe suitable for small game birds.  I simply like to wrap bacon strips around them, season them well, and baste them with herb butter as they broil.  When they're golden brown take em out and dine.    MMM MMM   :)

Jeff
\"If it was easy it wouldn\'t be hunting, it would be shopping.\"

Offline nyairman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 496
    • http://www.totallygraphic.org
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2007, 12:44:22 AM »
Great job Jeff. Got to love that CDT trigger too. Just tried my turbo-tuned+ CDT trigger on the CFX yesterday. Awesome.

Greg
Do not ever forget 9-11-01

Offline dw33

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 757
    • http://
Re: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2007, 02:23:50 AM »
"Lets see,, well it has a hint of "wild" flavor to it, but not enough to make it unpalatable."

LOL.  That made me laugh out loud.  Good start to the morning.

Sorry Jeff, I misread that, lol.  Thought you said "palatable."  But, thanks for the heads up about "squab" on the menu.

Offline dw33

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 757
    • http://
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2007, 03:18:25 AM »
Forgive my ignorance, but is it a new trigger blade or a whole new trigger assembly?

Offline longislandhunter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8204
    • http://
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2007, 04:14:00 AM »
It's a new trigger blade.  CDT sends it to you with a very easy to understand instruction sheet and the new trigger blade just drops right in easy as can be.  It truly is absolutely amazing how the trigger transforms your gun !!  

The S1K that I put the trigger in was truly a beast to shoot accurately with the stock trigger.  I could, and did, manage to shoot the gun well but it took an incredible amount of concentration and trigger control to do it.  For me shooting is supposed to be fun, not work, so that stock trigger had to go.  I popped in the GRT III trigger and with the first shot knew my gun was transformed.  That gun is so much fun to shoot now,,,, no more tedious trigger routine to go through in order to get a good shot.  Now, I just point it, barely touch the trigger and the shot goes where it's supposed to go.  

As for the pigeon meat,,, give it a try.. I think you'll like it,,, hey, ya never know   :)

Jeff
\"If it was easy it wouldn\'t be hunting, it would be shopping.\"

Offline Big_Bill

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5615
    • http://
Re: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2007, 09:47:24 AM »
Hay Jeff,

I know that my aversion to Squab may be psychological , however I have eaten at the Waldorfastoria Hotel and the Belview Strafford Hotel. I found the sauces to be an epicuieans delight, however the underlying meat within the bird, was still pigeon, without the delectable spices and sauces, the underlying meat cannot be changed.

I totally enjoy all of the other game birds and ducks, with a minimum of seasonings.
But not Sqgeon.

P.S. as a survival expert, I will eat anything to survive, however I do not survive to eat. lol

Only my very humble opinion though !!    Bill
Life Member of The United States of America
Life Member of the National Rifle Association
Member Air Guns Addicted Anonymous
SHOOT SAFE ! - SHOOT WELL ! - SHOOT OFTEN !
Always Use A Spring Compressor ! and Buy the GREAT GRT-III & CBR Triggers, cause they are GRRRREAT !

Offline longislandhunter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8204
    • http://
Re: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2007, 10:56:14 AM »
Hey Bill,

Even if it is psychological it's real enough to you and that's all that matters.  I'm a firm believe in not eatin what ya don't enjoy, unless of course like you said it means surviving or not.  Thankfully we live in a world where that situation is an extreme rarity, at least for us.  

As for me,,,, feel free to flash freeze any pigeons you shoot and send em my way....    :)

Take care.

Jeff
\"If it was easy it wouldn\'t be hunting, it would be shopping.\"

Offline dw33

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 757
    • http://
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2007, 04:29:25 PM »
It sounds like I need that trigger.  What you described is how I feel about my model 48 - I have developed a flinch with this rifle, which is crazy because it doesn't kick.  I want to shoot, not go through a ritual before every shot, but if I don't, I more often than not pull the shot because of conditioning myself to the weird recoil.  I think I will have to shoot it a bunch more to get comfortable with it.  As for the pigeon, if I get one I will cook just as you described (which sounded pretty good).

Offline shadow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11453
    • http://airguncamo@yahoo.com
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2007, 11:21:49 PM »
When I lived in Washington State many moon's ago hehe my dad and his buddy's would take my friend and I down to the dock's at night.We had a old row boat and a couple of BB gun's and we would paddle underneath the dock's and shoot the heck out of them, they roosted there. Two 5 Gal. bucket's, shoot and fill then paddle to shore drop off the feast and back out. What a blast ;) and at the end of the night head back home, start a nice fire on the beach, throw a cookin grate down and cook some bird.! Good time's, great bird. Ed
I airgun hunt therefore I am... };)  {SHADOWS Tunes & Camo}  airguncamo@yahoo.com

Offline longislandhunter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8204
    • http://
RE: Backyard Pigeon Hunt
« Reply #14 on: March 24, 2007, 02:41:15 AM »
Ed, you had my mouth watering just reading that post  :)

That sounds like one good old time..    

Reminds me of a highway bridge about a mile from my house,,,, there's gotta be at least 100 pigeons living under this thing.  In the daytime they just sit there, all lined up, on the bridge railing.  Every tiime I drive by and see em there it KILLS ME that I can't just stop, get out the gun and start blasting..... It's almost like they're laughing at me.  Oh well, they know they're safe and there's no way to get at em  :(

Jeff
\"If it was easy it wouldn\'t be hunting, it would be shopping.\"