Trapping Pigeons

[FatWookie]

Does anybody know if I can legally trap pigeons on private land with a DIY trap?

Appreciate the help

[wellpastcold]

Originally Posted by FatWookie

Does anybody know if I can legally trap pigeons on private land with a DIY trap?

Appreciate the help

You should really check with F&W. I am not aware of any issues relating to trapping or shooting pigeons.

[Bushmaster]

Pigeons are not considered game birds.....therefore you can trap or shoot them. Let us know how you make out trapping them....I can only get magpies in the traps. And I shot one I flushed outta my barn yesterday.

[elkhunter11]

Trap as many as you like, pigeons are not a regulated species

[The Cook]

Flying rats, kill as many as you can. An invasive species brought to our shores for rich man's sport. When dry, their airborne feces is as deadly as asbestos. Had a problem at work a few years ago with a pigeon infestation. A few of us covertly killed upwards of 450 birds in a year.

[ak-71]

Originally Posted by Bushmaster

Pigeons are not considered game birds.....therefore you can trap or shoot them. Let us know how you make out trapping them....I can only get magpies in the traps. And I shot one I flushed outta my barn yesterday.

Song birds are not game birds either, but I am pretty sure they are illegal to shoot. Normal city pigeons are considered invasive as far as I can see, so it might be OK? I would definitely check.

[260 Rem]

Find out where they roost. Flashlight, ladder, and a gunny sack.

[ak-71]

I've heard they can be tasty if live away from the city and feed on grain.

[vinny]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

Find out where they roost. Flashlight, ladder, and a gunny sack.

X2. That's how my father in law said they used to catch them too.

[wellpastcold]

Pigeons are easy to trap. As a kid growing up we trapped and sold them to the retriever club.

[ak-71]

We trapped them with simple string or a box propped with a stick and a string. These were stupid city pigeons, we just trapped for sport

[sns2]

Blinding flashlight, ladder, and a long fishing net attached to the shaft of broken hockey stick. I used to have tons of fun catching them under bridges like that.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by 260 Rem

Find out where they roost. Flashlight, ladder, and a gunny sack.

We used this method to collect up to 300 pigeons in a single night. We would go through about a dozen pigeons a day feeding a dozen hunting raptors so every month and a bit we would go get more pigeons from surrounding area farm barns.

[FatWookie]

Thanks for the answers guys. I plan to eat them (they live on a farm and feed from grains, so they should be tasty). I will double check with Fish and Feathers regardless. Appreciate the input.

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by fatwookie

does anybody know if i can legally trap pigeons on private land with a diy trap?

Appreciate the help

yes

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by ak-71

Song birds are not game birds either, but I am pretty sure they are illegal to shoot. Normal city pigeons are considered invasive as far as I can see, so it might be OK? I would definitely check.

I think if you check the regs they are listed along with starlings and others that may be shot.

They are easy to trap but easier catch at night and even easier to get if you are near a Hutterite colony that has them. I used to buy from then until I started keeping homers.

[sjd]

Here's the list.

http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/...s-Sep2014A.pdf

You can kill as many tiger salamanders as you like too, which seems a bit unncessary!

[covey ridge]

All birds are protected except the following: Starlings, Crows, Pigeons, House (English) Sparrows, Magpies, Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Ravens (hunted on private land by residents) and any other birds for which an open season has been declared by the regulations as indicated in the summary.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by FatWookie

Thanks for the answers guys. I plan to eat them (they live on a farm and feed from grains, so they should be tasty). I will double check with Fish and Feathers regardless. Appreciate the input.

The pigeons that have been flying are average eating and a little tougher. If you want good eating pigeon get the young before they fly. Known as squab in 5 star restaurants.

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

The pigeons that have been flying are average eating and a little tougher. If you want good eating pigeon get the young before they fly. Known as squab in 5 star restaurants.

I think squab are from domestic raised king pigeons or one of the larger species.

My grandmother who lived through the 30's said they ate barn pigeons. I never did get he recipe from her.

Because barn pigeons eat a lot of grain out of animal chit there is always the possibility of parasites. Even the homers that I raised would turn and chit in the food bin or water. I am sure they would taste every bit as good as doves, but I would make sure they are cooked to well done.

OP if you come up with an awesome recipe, please post.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

I think squab are from domestic raised king pigeons or one of the larger species.

My grandmother who lived through the 30's said they ate barn pigeons. I never did get he recipe from her.

Because barn pigeons eat a lot of grain out of animal chit there is always the possibility of parasites. Even the homers that I raised would turn and chit in the food bin or water. I am sure they would taste every bit as good as doves, but I would make sure they are cooked to well done.

OP if you come up with an awesome recipe, please post.

Made me burst out laughing, as I've eaten farm pigeons that I shot

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by sns2

Made me burst out laughing, as I've eaten farm pigeons that I shot

If you have a good recipe please post because I just got back from Sobeys and I need a loan to buy almost everything but pork. A free feed or two a week would help on my beef bill. My wife does not eat meat so I don't have to convince her. I eat my upland bird pink but I have been around pigeons enough to not feel good about that. Probably slow cooker?

[Saskbushman]

If you find a productive way to trap them on a house roof please let me know.

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by Saskbushman

If you find a productive way to trap them on a house roof please let me know.

Pigeons are tough to get into a trap on an open roost. It is easier to trap them in a feeding area or an area set up to trap them with feed. What works well is a wire pen with a few entrances. The entrances should be one way doors. Get them feeding in your target area before you put the trap out. Put feed out at a regular time. When you have numbers feeding on a regular basis put wire trap out. Leave doors open so they can not be trapped and build up to putting more feed inside than outside. Pigeons are pigs and soon there will be numbers inside on a regular basis. When this happens time to set the doors and trap a bunch. Continue to put a small amount of feed out on a regular basis and put the trap out when you want to take a few more birds.

[wellpastcold]

^^^^^^^^^ This is the way we did it as well. Very effective and efficient.

[silverdoctor]

Originally Posted by ak-71

We trapped them with simple string or a box propped with a stick and a string. These were stupid city pigeons, we just trapped for sport

I tried that with a large grey squirrel one time. I don't recommend it

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

I tried that with a large grey squirrel one time. I don't recommend it

A box with a stick and string is a way to catch one pigeon.

I have a vivid memory of trying to take a neighbors tame and previously gentle cat out of such a trap when I was a kid.

[gitrdun]

Just last week, I ran into a gentleman from Stavely who was trapping pigeons from a downtown building rooftop. His club or association uses them to train gun dogs. The building in question border the CPR tracks and when the railcars have spilled grain along the tracks, his catch is substantially reduced. The whole thing is kept very hush hush from the downtown crowd for obvious reasons.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Originally Posted by gitrdun

Just last week, I ran into a gentleman from Stavely who was trapping pigeons from a downtown building rooftop. His club or association uses them to train gun dogs. The building in question border the CPR tracks and when the railcars have spilled grain along the tracks, his catch is substantially reduced. The whole thing is kept very hush hush from the downtown crowd for obvious reasons.

I can see it all now. Hash tag: savethepigeons. All they would need to do is name one Cecil and it would be game over... failing that they could call on these nutters for advice.

ARG

[ak-71]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

I tried that with a large grey squirrel one time. I don't recommend it

We were ~6-9 y/o and totally fearless. After every WWII TV movie we were putting nails under a tire of a scary bearded neighbor with German (Nazi) surname, I once stole all my father's IDs and hid them outside to play a spy and had to endure gestapo like treatment for that - we were not afraid of some pigeon, like, almost not afraid, plus we rarely caught them anyway . If we did - it was catch and release.