A question to bird hunters about Doves

Grant

I know this forum says waterfowl, but, this is a bird thread so i figured what the hell.

Here in Canada we now have the WILD network. 24 hrs a day hunting and fishing shows. Several times in the last few weeks I saw programs on Dove hunting. It got me wonder about a few things with this activity. Now, I've never hunted Doves or even seen one that I know of, so forgive my ignorance on this subject and hope to learn from those who have hunted these little critters.

Now, after watching these shows I have to know, do people actually eat them or are these hunts just pest control and shooting practise? If people eat them, just how many does it take to make a sandwich? Also, is the effort put forth to first hunt these birds plus the cleaning and preparing of them really worth it? It sure looks as though these are some small birds. It does look like fun hunting them I have to say, with all the shooting and the social aspect of this type of hunt.

PaulS

About all you can get out of a dove or pigeon is the breast, there just isn't enough meat anywhere else to make it worth going after. The breasts are good when fried or stewed in gravy. It does take a couple of breasts to make a decent sandwich. To make a meal it takes about four breasts and some taters and veggies. They are not the white meat that chickens and turkeys breasts are but they have a lot more flavor.

wildlife

My favorite way to cook dove is as follows:

Stuff a cleaned and halved Jalapeno pepper with Garlic flavored Cream Cheese. Butterfly cut the breast and wrap around 1 stuffed pepper half. Wrap stuffed breast with thick cut bacon. Throw on the grill until done and enjoy.

Now just add your hunting buddies & your favorite beverage and you have the start of a good evening.

Enjoy guys!

shrpshtrjoe

Dove breasts are great ya can cook them various ways. I love them rapped in bacon and fry or throw them on the grill rubbed with butter Very Happy

I'm droolin like Homer
Joe

slipshot · Member Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 37 Location: Texas

I have hunted and ate doves all my life. There is nothing better then a big bunch zigging and zagging into a pond to test you shotgunning skills. The great thing about doves is you find a water hole were they are coming in and just sit and wait on them. I am luck in the fact that I have to travel about 300 yards to hunt. Some days I have a bunch and some days just a few but over the season I can fill up the freezer.
After cleaning a few and learning a few tricks you to can clean one in less then a couple of minutes. Its easy and fast and dosnt require any tools or knifes.
I have eatin them fixed many different ways and the result is always good. Your right in the fact it takes lots of them to make a meal but that just gives a person more reason to go hunt them and enjoy the adventure.

Besides my lab and I get tunned up for water fowl and thats always a plus!!!

shrpshtrjoe

Welcome to the HuntingNut slipshot sit and stay awhile. There's a good bunch of guys here Very Happy

Joe

Grant

Thanx for the info guys!!

No Doves up here, so I had no clue about them...Thanx again

Crackshot

I just salt & pepper to taste and then wrap in bacon and fry in butter. When they are done remove the wraped breasts and bacon from pan, add butter if needed then add a few table spoons of flour for a gravy rue, after that cooks a few minutes add cold water(or chicken stock), stir until your gravy thickens. Serve with boiled potatoes and green beans fried with bacon, and a COLD beer.
Sit and enjoy! Very Happy

waterfowladdict · Member Joined: Oct 18, 2007 Posts: 34

PaulS wrote:

To make a meal it takes about four breasts and some taters and veggies.

You must be the skinniest man alive. Thats only 2 doves, thats not even a midnight snack. Laughing

stovepipe

Oh man I just stumbled onto (drool) this topic and (drool)....wildlife's recipe sounds killer!

I love dove. Gots collards, WW and mourning out here....opener last month a few of us got 55 brested by noon, then teryaki marinated them and wrapped them in bacon etc. (drool).

They are so much fun to shoot and the flaring and darting when the action heats up is wicked. They are suckers for mojo's too. Put out one or two, sit still and they almost land on your hat. Start moving and you'll think yer under attack from all the zipping and darting. Crazy critters and they haul butt. 3 more weeks till Part II of our season (drool) here.

Crackshot

We found a HOT spot were they were passing over us on there way to water when we had our SHORT season here in Michigan. Your right Stovepipe! They are a challenge to hit. you can go through ALOT of shotgun shells for not many breasts if your shotguning is poor.
We lost our season because of the damn bunny huggers! Have to go to Ohio to shoot Dove now Crying or Very sad

.

stovepipe

Speaking of loosing it, I was hunting quail this weekend and some tree-hugger, in the middle of no-where, went several hundred yards out of her psychotic way to run out of her house and yell to at our group at the top of her lungs to not hunt "her" quail and she was calling the cops. wtf

Guess she never checked the game laws. Game belongs to EVERYONE.

Prolly needs to move back to the city where they hunt each other instead of birds. What an idiot. Laughing

I'm looking forward to the next dove hunt.... sorry you guys lost yer season, thought that only happened out here. At least Ohio is still with it.