Pigeons as a catch crop
 

After years of waging a losing war of attrition against certain militant
aspects of The Woodland Alliance I have decided to take another tack and
consider a different approach, namely that mentioned in the subject
line. This raises a number of questions:-


1) Should it be done on a cut and come again basis or would a single
destructive harvest be better?


2) Given either or both of the above apply, when would be the best time
of year to take my harvest in terms of both flavour and total quantity
of crop?


3) What should I specifically not protect and thus allow them to eat in
order to achieve the above?


--
steve auvache

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

steve auvache wrote:
After years of waging a losing war of attrition against certain
militant aspects of The Woodland Alliance I have decided to take
another tack and consider a different approach, namely that mentioned
in the subject line. This raises a number of questions:-

1) Should it be done on a cut and come again basis or would a single
destructive harvest be better?

2) Given either or both of the above apply, when would be the best
time of year to take my harvest in terms of both flavour and total
quantity of crop?

3) What should I specifically not protect and thus allow them to eat
in order to achieve the above?

If you are going to shoot them it would have to be cut and come again as
you'll have no chance of getting more than a quarter of them.

For flavour, September/Oct is best. They will be in good form then ready
for the lean months of winter.

You don't need to grow anything to feed them, but if you are going to trap
them, get them used to eating split maize. Feed them in your trap with the
door propped open and you'll have no problem catching them when you want
them.

A winter stew of pigeon, carrot, turnip and onion is a real treat (use the
skinned carcass to make a brown stock and use plenty of bacon fat to fry the
pigeon breasts and onion in) and serve with mashed potatoes or dumplings.

Tom

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In article , Anne Jackson
writes
The message from steve auvache contains these words:

After years of waging a losing war of attrition against certain militant
aspects of The Woodland Alliance I have decided to take another tack and
consider a different approach, namely that mentioned in the subject
line. This raises a number of questions:-

1) Should it be done on a cut and come again basis or would a single
destructive harvest be better?

2) Given either or both of the above apply, when would be the best time
of year to take my harvest in terms of both flavour and total quantity
of crop?

3) What should I specifically not protect and thus allow them to eat in
order to achieve the above?

Evening Steve!

"The" Anne Jackson??


How's things...apart from 'the doos', of course!

Hanging long and heavy, as ever.


Take _them_ as and when you can get them. You can always ask
on uk.food+drink.misc for a recipe for pigeon pie...

I have Mrs Beeton for such things



--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In article , Tom Don't_bother_
writes
steve auvache wrote:
After years of waging a losing war of attrition against certain
militant aspects of The Woodland Alliance I have decided to take
another tack and consider a different approach, namely that mentioned
in the subject line. This raises a number of questions:-

1) Should it be done on a cut and come again basis or would a single
destructive harvest be better?

2) Given either or both of the above apply, when would be the best
time of year to take my harvest in terms of both flavour and total
quantity of crop?

3) What should I specifically not protect and thus allow them to eat
in order to achieve the above?

If you are going to shoot them it would have to be cut and come again as
you'll have no chance of getting more than a quarter of them.

A quarter at a time would do nicely.


For flavour, September/Oct is best. They will be in good form then ready
for the lean months of winter.

Excellent ta.


You don't need to grow anything to feed them,

Yes but I am growing things, albeit unwillingly, to feed them. My plan
is to deliberately leave some unprotected and allow them to feed at will
so to speak.


--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

"steve auvache" wrote in message
...

After years of waging a losing war of attrition against certain militant
aspects of The Woodland Alliance I have decided to take another tack and
consider a different approach, namely that mentioned in the subject
line. This raises a number of questions:-


1) Should it be done on a cut and come again basis or would a single
destructive harvest be better?


2) Given either or both of the above apply, when would be the best time
of year to take my harvest in terms of both flavour and total quantity
of crop?


3) What should I specifically not protect and thus allow them to eat in
order to achieve the above?

I would love to know how to catch the beggars, or do you kill them without
catching them?

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In article , Anne Jackson
writes
The message from steve auvache contains these words:

Evening Steve!

"The" Anne Jackson??

The one and only...long time no see!

Some would say this is a good thing.


Wotcha riding these days, then?

As per sig, a GS500E


--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In article , Alan Holmes
writes


I would love to know how to catch the beggars, or do you kill them without
catching them?

I am not so sure about building a trap to catch them. I think this is
more a dig the old air rifle out of the loft exercise.

--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from steve auvache contains these
words:
Anne Jackson writes
The message from steve auvache contains
these words:

Evening Steve!

"The" Anne Jackson??

The one and only...long time no see!

Some would say this is a good thing.

Oh, I don't know, you might have improved in... what is it? Six years?

Haven't been to a BoSM or EoSM since! ;-)


Watch him Anne.............His chat up lines haven't changed............and
nor has his underwear for that matter ;-)

Robbo..........

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

steve auvache wrote:


I am not so sure about building a trap to catch them. I think this is
more a dig the old air rifle out of the loft exercise.

Then you'll need to shoot them in the head, pigeon feathers are too hard
for a clean kill with an air rifle. Pigeons are pretty quick learners and
they'll soon learn to avoid you if you are carrying anything that looks like
an air rifle, so bait for them and shoot from a hide/shed/covered
greenhouse.

Tom

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In message
"Tom" wrote:

steve auvache wrote:


I am not so sure about building a trap to catch them. I think this is
more a dig the old air rifle out of the loft exercise.

Then you'll need to shoot them in the head, pigeon feathers are too hard
for a clean kill with an air rifle. Pigeons are pretty quick learners and
they'll soon learn to avoid you if you are carrying anything that looks like
an air rifle, so bait for them and shoot from a hide/shed/covered
greenhouse.

Tom

Tom!

Is that Tom Lehrer?
(Remember his "Poisoning pigeons in the park?"

"It isn't against any religion
to want to dispose of a pigeon")

Michael Bell


--

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In article , Anne Jackson
writes
The message from steve auvache contains these words:
Anne Jackson writes
The message from steve auvache contains
these words:

Evening Steve!

"The" Anne Jackson??

The one and only...long time no see!

Some would say this is a good thing.

Oh, I don't know, you might have improved

Might!! Like whisky in the barrel me, I just keep getting better and
better with time.

in... what is it? Six years?

Erm... probably.


Haven't been to a BoSM or EoSM since! ;-)

They don't change much, there is a hard core who go to every do
regardless another group like me who go as and when and a constant
supply of new blood to amuse us all with their newbie antics.



--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In article , R
writes

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from steve auvache contains these
words:
Anne Jackson writes
The message from steve auvache contains
these words:

Evening Steve!

"The" Anne Jackson??

The one and only...long time no see!

Some would say this is a good thing.

Oh, I don't know, you might have improved in... what is it? Six years?

Haven't been to a BoSM or EoSM since! ;-)


Watch him Anne.............His chat up lines haven't changed............and
nor has his underwear for that matter ;-)

Hello mate.

What is this place an alternative to the caff?


--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

In article , Tom Don't_bother_
writes
steve auvache wrote:


I am not so sure about building a trap to catch them. I think this is
more a dig the old air rifle out of the loft exercise.

Then you'll need to shoot them in the head,

Fortunately it is my veggie plot in the back garden and so range is not
an issue and at 10 yards I can hit a pigeon head sized target often
enough for it to count.


Pigeons are pretty quick learners and
they'll soon learn to avoid you if you are carrying anything that looks like
an air rifle,

If I can persuade them that I, with or without air rifle, represent a
serious threat and they go and eat elsewhere I don't mind.



--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

Michael Bell wrote:
Tom!

Is that Tom Lehrer?
(Remember his "Poisoning pigeons in the park?"


Not me I'm afraid (I'd rather eat them than poison them), but here's the
lyrics

Spring is here, a-suh-puh-ring is here.
Life is skittles and life is beer.
I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring.
I do, don't you? 'Course you do.
But there's one thing that makes spring complete for me,
And makes ev'ry Sunday a treat for me.

All the world seems in tune
On a spring afternoon,
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park.
Ev'ry Sunday you'll see
My sweetheart and me,
As we poison the pigeons in the park.

When they see us coming, the birdies all try an' hide,
But they still go for peanuts when coated with cyanide.
The sun's shining bright,
Ev'rything seems all right,
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park.

Lalaalaalalaladoodiedieedoodoodoo

We've gained notoriety,
And caused much anxiety
In the Audubon Society
With our games.
They call it impiety,
And lack of propriety,
And quite a variety
Of unpleasant names.
But it's not against any religion
To want to dispose of a pigeon.

So if Sunday you're free,
Why don't you come with me,
And we'll poison the pigeons in the park.
And maybe we'll do
In a squirrel or two,
While we're poisoning pigeons in the park.

We'll murder them{ all }amid laughter and merriment.
Except for the few we take home to experiment.
My pulse will be quickenin'
With each drop of strychnine
We feed to a pigeon.
It just takes a smidgen!
To poison a pigeon in the park.

Tom

Pigeons as a catch crop
 

"steve auvache" wrote in message
...
In article , R
writes

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
.. .
The message from steve auvache contains these
words:
Anne Jackson writes
The message from steve auvache contains
these words:

Evening Steve!

"The" Anne Jackson??

The one and only...long time no see!

Some would say this is a good thing.

Oh, I don't know, you might have improved in... what is it? Six years?

Haven't been to a BoSM or EoSM since! ;-)


Watch him Anne.............His chat up lines haven't
changed............and
nor has his underwear for that matter ;-)

Hello mate.

What is this place an alternative to the caff?

Somewhere to lurk, answer questions, post and NOT be berated by the likes of
the pedants on UKRM.
Soooooooooo peaceful without some spiccy faced short arsed **** and a ginga
pedant being offensive, generally a PITA and all round *******.

Still, each to their own eh ?


Hows your lovely daughter ?