Pigeon Shooting

[London177]

Hi everyone,
A friend of mine who has a construction company has asked me to rid a house he is working on of several pigeons nesting in a loft. I really don't think it's good sport but I have agreed now so I must do it. Before I start sending lead at them does anyone have any ideas on how to scare them off first? They seem to get into the loft via a smallish hole in the eaves. Apologies for the strange question!
Many thanks,
Alan

[MULLSKINNER]

there is a bunch of guy's on this forum that would love to have your problem ... shoot them !!!!
me and my dad used to shoot pigeons at a farm down the road from my house ..we would take them home and clean them ..
my step mom would stuff them and bake them in the oven ..they are a very good tasting bird ..i need to ask her how she did them for sure but i think she would just put salt and pepper on them with some butter then just bake them ..we eat doves all the time but i have not ate pigeon for a long time ...
need to get some of these guy's to post some recipes on how they do pigeon ..

[Big_Bill]

Hello Alan,

The city of Philadelphia spent many tax dollars to find out this secret that I am about to reveal to you, and if you pass this sensitive information on to anyone else, I'll half to hunt you down !

Pigeons are terribly afraid of snakes, so place rubber snakes around the roosting area, and they should be gone.

I have also noticed that the hate lead ! :)

Bill

[longislandhunter]

I vote for the "shoot em" option :)

Very tasty birds when cleaned and prepared. You can bake em whole after seasoning. You can stuff em prior to baking if you'd like. You can simply split them in 1/2 and fry them in some butter,,, or even better some bacon fat. You can smoke em whole in smoker. Definitely some good eatin for sure !! :)

Jeff

[davee1]

Here's a justification for you. I used to raise them, so I know for sure....

Many folks refer to these birds as "flying rats". Why? Well stay tuned. They have and can spread lice/fleas. They carry diseases.There is a type of fly that lives on them called a Hippoboscid fly, which looks like a louse with wings and it sucks blood. Any other birds in close proximity to the pidgeon will eventually get these flies on them, and...the Hippoboscid flies carry disease too, and are not a normal pest found on any other bird except when there's Pigeons around.

And among other things that I'm sure we dont evenknow about, their dander can cause an awful respitory condition, sometimes fatal. And of course not to mention the horrible mess that they produce, which again is a source of disease.

Oh yes, one more thing. They breed like rabbits times 10. So all the bad things are multiplied over time.

I cant think of one good thing that a pigeon does, other than serve as food for us and falcons.

Hey I wish I could come handle that problem for you. I would love to get some pigeons under my belt.

[NMCA_Ron]

davee1 - 3/15/2008  9:38 PM



Here's a justification for you.  I used to raise them, so I know for sure....

Many folks refer to these birds as "flying rats".  Why?  Well stay tuned.  They have and can spread lice/fleas. They carry diseases. There is a type of fly that lives on them called a Hippoboscid fly, which looks like a louse with wings and it sucks blood.  Any other birds in close proximity to the pidgeon will eventually get these flies on them, and...the Hippoboscid flies carry disease too, and are not a normal pest found on any other bird except when there's Pigeons around.

And among other things that I'm sure we dont even know about, their dander can cause an awful respitory condition, sometimes fatal.  And of course not to mention the horrible mess that they produce, which again is a source of disease.

Oh yes, one more thing.  They breed like rabbits times 10.  So all the bad things are multiplied over time. 

I cant think of one good thing that a pigeon does, other than serve as food for us and falcons.

 

Dave,

Ok, so they can carry lice and other vermin on them. Have you found the city-dwelling pigeons to be more at risk of infestation over the country-dwelling variety? The reason I ask is I shoot doves (in season of course!) and I find them to be quite tasty. I know the dove and pigeon are closely related but I have reservations about eating an animal that may be carrying disease or parasites. Would country-dwelling pigeons be less of a risk to eat than their city-dwelling cousins?

Ron



p.s. Sorry about the thread hijack, Alan.

[London177]

No worries Dave. I always like the threads to expand a little :)
Just a note to say that these pigeons are not the nice Wood pigeons I have in my garden but what are called in the UK as "feral pigeons" and are mostly city dwellers. Most are not pretty to look at and of course there are hundreds of thousands in London. One used to be able to feed the pigeons in central London, Trafalgar Square etc but there is now a ban.
I am a doctor and aware of the disease these birds carry although in my experience I have never treated anyone who has contracted something from them but that's not say it has happened or could happen.
Oh whilst I am here I plan to use my trusty QB78 carbine on them as it's short & just a shade under 12ft/lb in .22 cal so it should be enough to do the job. QB is at the bottom.



regards,
Alan

[davee1]

Ron, there is no difference in the disease and vermin carrying capability. Put pigeons together and they all end up with the same stuff.

Now, with that said, I have never heard of anybody catching anything from eating or handling the dead pigeons. The only thing that I personally know of is that when housed together like in a "pigeon coop", there is an accumilation of dander, feces, and god knows what, that mixes together and used to make me and anyone else that was with me start coughing and wheezing. If a person was to be exposed to these conditions constantly, then they would develop chronic symptoms.

My justification was to show why we want to shoot them besides them being good eating. By all means eat them. I would love to eat them but have never been taught how to clean, prepare, and eat the pigeon.

[London177]

I have heard of workers who are working in chicken processing plants having respiratory complaints. You often see in movies people sleeping in barns in the straw and looking all cosy. In the morning they'd be crawling with lice! Be aware that Avian Bird Influenza is coming to you soon. It is now through Asia-Minor and well into Europe. I suspect it will reach South America one day and then spread northwards. It's a killer for humans and my government is quietly in a spin about it all. Of doctors like me will get it first :(
Nearly all meats if cooked thoroughly are safe to eat although not necessarily tasty! My neighbour loves pigeon but he simply removes the breasts and throws the rest away. He uses four or five breasts in a short crust pie. He browns the meat first in butter and some garlic then adds some carrots, peas and a little potato into the pie dish. I am hungry now....
best wishes,
Alan

Hey Alan!

Shoot'em, and eat'em if you like!  May I make a suggestion, though?  If you have a low powered (say 600fps, 5 or 6 fpe) .177 rifle, it may be best to use it if you're hunting in an attic.  Use wadcutters.  This will ensure you can't damage the roof, and with well placed shots (centre chest or head/neck), you'll still be assured of a quick kill.  I've taken dozens of them at 20yds or so with a 500fps rifle.  Your contractor friend would be unhappy to have to repair roof leaks too!

J

[London177]

Good thinking Jason. I might end up paying the contractor.....I don't really have anything that runs below 600 fps except my Walther/Umarex CP88 .177 pistol but would that be to weak? I think so and besides I could not hit a barn door with it hehe.
As it's pretty cold here in London my CO2 rifles will probably be OK with the wadcutters. Thanks for the advice.
Best wishes,
Alan